Sunday 31 August 2008

For As Long As The Patriarchy Is Dead

We shall remain Post-Feminists



















Let us first emphasise that the corpse is still twitching.

Remnants exist, this can not be denied. Scattered around us are the debris, the toxicity of which should neither be underestimated nor understated. But this is the same as dropping a bomb upon a house filled with asbestos: to declare that the house continues to poisons is truth, to assert that it still stands is falsehood.

Secondly we must hesitate to criticise the legacy of feminism. Although the means of their success are largely mistaken (the Suffragettes achieved a few broken windows and burnt houses, the Suffragists brought about female suffrage) both the First and Second Wave brought about their aims of votes and jobs, respectively. The demolition of the Patriarchy is a gaping Leviathan of an achievement, for which all who live in the areas graced by movement feminism should be appreciative for.

But this establishes Feminism's historical importance. It does not secure its position as a relevant movement for the present day. So, thirdly, let us try and determine this.

Having praised it highly before it may seem treacherous to turn on it now. But what is required at present is something entirely other to what was needed for the entirely dissimilar task of tearing down an edifice of Male Rule. A bulldozer is an appropriate tool for demolition work, but for the delicate work which we now are required to perform it simply will not suffice.

This is because the device in question is inherently ill-suited to the role which is required of any ideology hoping to clear the mess of contemporary gender: an ideology which attempts to advance the interests and rights of women can never achieve the aim of the elimination of gender. And let us be bold about this issue ladies, gentlemen & in-betweens; this is what is required.

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