Originally posted by Duende

Angela:
"I blame women's current troubles in the US on Feminists. I really do. They were so short sighted on a number of topics. They thought bra burning would free us. Instead of being slaves to the house, we are now slaves to sex and culture.   Living expectations also changed."

Agreed.

Hayfa, I don't think Angela is singling out a particularly identifiable group, I don't know, was there ever an 'official' Feminist movement with its own offices, letter heads and spokeswoman? There is of course a complete list of books relating to the 'feminist movement, but I don't even think they had a 'mission statement' or was there also a 'feminist manifesto'? One of the supposed 'Doyennes' (let's call her a Queen)of the movement wrote recently how absolutely sinfull it is for women with brains, accumen, degrees or what have you to opt out of the rat race and simply stay at home and become mothers. As far as she is concerned it is a disservice to society, for a woman not to fulfill her working worth. Bah!

Yes, the feminist movement has produced a hotch potch of ideas and mixed results. Another confusing aspect of it is the inclusion of lesbianism as some kind of inalianable right, alongside the job as CEO, or fire'man' and soldier (soldierette?).

Has anybody watched the series "The Century of Self" ? It shows you how the tools of TV, and advertising generally have been used to brain wash the masses (i.e you and me). It's worth Googling until you find a collection, some of it is probably still up on Youtube. It also explains how the burning bra incident was invented, actually the result of some passing comment, not a conscious act. Yet, there it is, burned into our collective subconscious as something concrete and far reaching....

Hayfa: "And actually, bras can be quite torturous, would you not agree?? lol"

Absolutely! My mother once saw a report telling of the African women who received some clothes packages from the West: they wore the bras on the outside of their sweaters and tops. Wasn't it Howard Hughes who famously designed the 'cantilever' bra, using the same engineering as a bridge? I wonder what he was thinking .. ..

Patty, you are right about giving youth the best tools for a morally and ethically good upbringing. The things we like to complain about, about the youth of today, are timeless: I think all parents and grand parents throughout the ages have despaired at some point or another of the behaviour and choices of their succesors. Isn't it a hopefull sign, and a sign of the basic goodness of humans generally, that we've managed to get this far without descending into some variation on hell? (or is that a questionable conclusion?)

Originally posted by Hyposonic

"Everyone has to have 2 cars, a big house, a pool, new TV, expensive toys.  There kids have to be in soccer, ballet, karate, music lessons and no one sits down and has dinner together anymore."