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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: one_less who wrote (17632)	7/1/2001 9:15:19 PM
From: epicure	Respond to of 82486

I'm not sure the "typical" afghan male and female rally behind the cause now. I think it may be a bit like the cultural revolution in China, or the revolution in Iran- lots of "average" people thought those might be a good idea, until their lives started to turn to crap, then they realized it wasn't such a good idea, but if you opened your mouth, things got even worse. That seems to be the nature of dictatorial and oppressive revolutions. They aren't even much fun for Joe Average. They are even less fun for the educated. And they are a lot of fun for violent teenagers. Par for the course.

To: one_less who wrote (17632)	7/1/2001 9:51:45 PM
From: average joe	Respond to of 82486

The demolibs gnash their teeth when anyone tries to snatch away their prize and that prize is professional victim status for all women. It is just a form of sexism. There are a few women who are brave enough intellectually and sexually who won't let themselves be cast in this unionist, socialist mentality. I don't think St. Joan of Arc, Ayn Rand or Mother Teresa thought of themselves as victims.

To: one_less who wrote (17632)	7/2/2001 6:23:02 AM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

It is a movement that the typical Afghan, male and female, have rallied behind. I must have missed something. Just what is this movement and why do the people support it? What was so bad in the previous culture that such a focused movement was required to overcome it? Many American women would prefer to be home but our culture requires single unsupported women to go to work in order to have a life of any dignity. This would not be the case in Afghanistan. Huh? Since when have women not had to be concerned about their financial support? Are you saying that in Afghanistan a woman can choose to spend her life embroidering and having tea parties with her girlfriends and someone will provide her with food, clothes, and shelter? Women, or their fathers on their behalf, have always had to find a way to fund their lives. Those who were not born with a silver spoon in their mouths usually married. Or they became nannies, servants, or teachers, providers of sexual services, or laborers. Or nuns. Or they received charity from relatives or others. What's different about Afghanistan? The only thing different here since the women's lib movement is that, when women are laborers, they can labor at interesting and well compensated jobs. Karen

To: one_less who wrote (17632)	7/3/2001 2:11:32 AM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

You make the mistake, again, of assuming that the culture of Afghanistan, or any culture for that matter, is static and monolithic. This is never the case. Cultures change. Everywhere. There are huge cultural variations in every country. Is the culture of Greenwich Village the same as that of Omaha? No. Which is "American culture"? Both. You will find variations in culture every bit as large - probably even larger - within Afghanistan. A resident of Kabul, a woman who once worked as a teacher and lived her life much as she chose, may not be a "typical" Afghan woman, especially from the standpoint of the local mullah. Does that mean her aspirations are illegitimate, or that it's ok for the more "typical" to impose their culture on her? The idea that the typical Afghan has accepted and supports the Taleban is also open to question. Substantial areas of the country are still controlled by other factions, and control in many other areas is maintained only by armed force. It remains a very volatile situation. It is in some ways analogous to what happened in Iran, when the forces of religion tried to "freeze" the culture, and prevent it from changing as all living cultures must. They succeeded, for a while. Ultimately they will fail. The same is true of the Taleban. Afghan culture in 100 years will be very different from what it is now. That is true of all cultures. That's life. I don't know where the notion that I am trying to claim victim status for all women everywhere emerged. Certainly not from anything I said. I suppose somebody's stereotype is surfacing.