File spoon-archives/marxism.archive/marxism_1994/94-11-30.000, message 199


Date: Thu, 10 Nov 1994 00:25:52 -0600 (CST)
From: Andrew Hagen <hagena-AT-mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu>
Subject: Re: market feminism or petty moralism: some corrections



Tom seems to take issue with a few words that 
on Wed, 9 Nov 1994, Rebecca Hill wrote: 

>     The substance of my comment was that Marxist feminist theory had not 
> been a topic of discussion on the list, and that the list (more than other 
> lists to which I subscribe) tends to be dominated by male posters.  

Is this really a comment of the sort that, "there are too many men here." 
No, not really. It's a reflection that not many women post to this group.
Is that really controversial?

> One 
> might wonder why this is, and it seems to me that women have been alienated 
> from Marxist groups in which their attempts at liberation are denounced as 
> "bourgeois" or "liberal." This kind of behavior is of course, on some 
> level to be expected, since it has been around for a long time. Think of 
> Lenin's remarks to Clara Zetkin!

It seems to me that this comment is not necessarily describing Rebecca's
assessment of male Marxists on this listserv, but rather a mention of the
history of past Marxist groups. 

Is it controversial that in the past self-proclaimed Marxists have been
rather liberal and even sexist? 

If this isn't controversial, shouldn't we at least assume that this 
*might* be the case here?

> I think it's disappointing that Tom 
> chooses to see pointing this out as a symptom of "market feminism" or 
> "petty moralism." Not to point the finger or anything, but I see his 
> response as sexist and I find it offensive. Sorry.

How funny it is that we must apologize after making accusations of sexism! 

Tom takes offense to this accusation, but he really shouldn't. Let's face 
it. All men are sexist, especially me. I make lots of sexist remarks and 
have sexist thoughts and do sexist deeds. Partly because I live in a web 
of patriarchy which places me in a position of power regardless of my 
wishes. I get the power no matter what. 

Allow me to suggest that we accept that this listserv has a great deal of 
sexism, not only from Tom, and that we should be working to change this. 
We're not perfect, and let's learn to forgive each other.

can't we all get along?

__
Andrew Hagen                              hagena-AT-mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu
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