History of Feminism

My thought processes, my wording, they can generally be described as acerbic and aggressive. I'm your classic jerk of a critic; I will go on rants about what I think is WRONG, but only because I am aware, as you mentioned, just how difficult it is to pin down what I think is RIGHT. So, I think you nailed me there.

I don't want anyone to be abused, and I think I do know much of what you mean by "rape culture." In my life I certainly have heard apparently innocent men joke and make light of rape and spousal abuse. Sure I've told almost all of them in clear and vulgar language that they are more monstrous than human, but that hasn't changed any of them.

I know that anyone with eyes should be able to see that many men still think of women primarily, or even exclusively, as a sexual resource. As the story in your OP makes clear, those women who are seen as "madonnas" will be protected by our legal system, while those who are "whores" will be blamed for being victimized. Jesus I could go on and on, the world really is fucked...

Still, I consider these issues in a broader context of freedom and oppression, if that makes any sense.

What I mean is the men who rape, or who cover up for rape, are much more likely to be authoritarian and conservative. They tend to also be racist, homophobic, and they seek out power and authority so that they may use and abuse the people they can control. I just do not see how "rape culture" is very distinct from the ways in which our patriarchal and capitalist society values, at every level, power above all else, and encourages those who have it to see those who do not as inferior and expendable.

In this country and most others people will blame a sex worker for being raped, they will blame a homeless vet for his PTSD, and they will blame an unemployed worker on food stamps for being laid off. The parallel seems obvious to me, and I do not understand why the members of HOF seem to insist upon seeing sexism in a vacuum, instead of trying to connect it to all the other ways our society is callous and cruel.

It could be argued that by living in America you and I are complicit in an utterly vile culture of violence and abuse. Similarly, if we must use the term rape culture, I think it would be best to point out that most PEOPLE are complicit in how we view sex workers and treat cases of rape, instead of singling out the present population of men as if we are mostly to blame...

I will readily admit that you are right about me not looking to this thread for an education. I'm no scholar, that's for sure. However, it seems your point applies to us both, we have made up our minds about some points and moved on. There are plenty of people who criticize the idea of rape culture from a feminist perspective, but you clearly either do not wish to consider or have already rejected them. I think that's just as big a shame as my bad attitude and acidic tone, because ultimately I have much more in common with you than some MRA or patriarchal religion, but I doubt we will ever get along. Sure that's at least half my fault, but that doesn't make you entirely correct...