The patriarchal use of women vs use of men

[psychoveggie]

I'm currently reading Gyn/Ecology (my first foray into feminist literature) and it's been an incredibly enlightening and enraging read.

However, as I continue through the book (on the third passage now) I keep getting one little niggle.

I don't disagree with Mary Daly's assessment of how patriarchal societies have used and abused and denigrated women but surely it is worth pointing out that they have used, abused and murdered a lot of men too.

Where do the millions upon millions of ordinary young men who have been sent to their deaths in the name of king/queen/tribe and country fit in?

One atrocity should not cancel out or obfuscate another. I'm kind of thinking out loud here, just wondered what others think.

[psychoveggie]

Bumping (but think I may have to wait til it comes up in book club)...

[SybilBeddows]

doesn't Daly say anything about this in the intro? I have a vague (and quite possibly wrong) memory of her saying upfront she's not saying the patriarchy doesn't hurt men, and explaining why her focus is where it is.

[psychoveggie]

You may be right sybil, I've been reading it quite slowly so intro was a long time ago, will need to go back and check. I guess I feel the more I read the third passage of the book that Daly seems to be focused on the self/individual women becoming "spinning hags" etc. (won't make sense unless you've read the book) without a reference to how one can be heterosexual, a mother, part of society and still be a feminist. Maybe she doesn't think that's possible, so that's me scunnered.

The history (second passage) was truly brilliant and she really drew the threads together of different types of oppression through history and demonstrated convincingly the parallels between them. I think after that I was expecting more of a cry for revolution (as I feel society as a whole needs to change) rather than a call for self-actualisation and detachment from society. However, I must say I am not quite the end yet so I should withhold my judgement.

[SybilBeddows]

I'm still on the second passage Psycho - got distracted by trying to read Kate Millett in time for tonight's book club.