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THE WAR IN Syria has become the most terrible humanitarian catastrophe of the 21st century. The number of deaths is estimated to be in excess of 470,000; the number of internally displaced persons at somewhere between 7 and 11 million out of a population of 22 million, and the number of externally displaced refugees is now well over 4 million.
The latter exodus is the main contributor to the appalling refugee crisis which has been met with such an inhumane response by the EU and the Irish Government, with only around 400 or so refugees admitted to this country so far.
Back to the start
This conflict began with a peaceful popular uprising against the Assad dictatorship in early 2011, as a continuation of the people’s revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt. But this revolt was immediately met with violent armed repression by this brutal regime.
As a result of this repression the situation in Syria spiralled into civil war which gave the US and other western powers, along with the regional powers of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the opportunity to meddle in the situation in the service of their own economic and strategic interests. Russia and Iran meddle for the same reason, but on the side of the Assad regime.
This whole nightmare, including the horrific Da’esh (Isis) regime, is the culmination of more than a century of imperialist intervention, occupation and war stretching from the notorious Sykes-Picot carve up of the region in 1917 through to the disastrous Iraq War of 2003. It includes the persistent unconditional support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the pervasive sale of arms to despotic dictatorships in the region.
A proxy war
The war in Syria has long since become a proxy war involving the US, Britain, France, Russia and several regional powers such as Saudia Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Turkey, with the Syrian people caught in the middle, being sacrificed to the interests of all these powers, and the needs of an odious military industrial complex.
The Syrian proxy war is thus fuelled by the US, Russia and other foreign global and regional powers. A similar catastrophe is occuring in Yemen which we hear little about. Saudi Arabia, armed with American and British weaponry, is bombing the groups supported by Iran, with horrific consequenecs for civilians and creating humanitarian catastrophe.
Who are the Syrian rebels?
Who knows? The truth is so difficult to find in this brutal war. Commentators say there are over 100 groups fighting in the Syrian conflict, some fighting with each other as well as against the Assad regime, some with dubious reactionary affiliations and many of them foreign. They include for example Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly Jabhat al-Nusra, formerly al-Qaeda, who carried 9/11 and other atrocities.
Such groups, who are well embedded in east Aleppo, have committed terrible atrocities such as preventing people from leaving, shooting civilians and beheading teenagers. They are directly supported by the despotic petro Princedoms of Saudi Arabia and Qatar who are directly armed by the US, Britain and other western powers.
While ostensibly fighting Salifist jihadism in the form of Da’esh, western governments are de facto supporting it in other forms, while obliterating from the narrative of the war those brave Syrian citizens who protested against the brutal Syrian dictatorship in 2011.
Bombing is big business
One group of people celebrates the violence in Syria and Yemen: the masters of war who control the military industrial complex. Arms sales supported by western, Russian and other world governments have flooded the entire middle east region with the most lethal weaponry, making it now the most militarised region on the planet.
Clay Dillow writing in the US magazine Fortune claims that in the period May 2015 to March 2016 (9 months) the US sold $33 billion worth of arms to gulf countries.
According to the UK’s Campaign Against Arm Trade, Britain alone has sold almost €4 billion worth of arms to Saudi Arabia in the last eighteen months. The vast majority of these have been planes, bombs and missiles. Two thirds of the UK’s arms trade go to the middle east. More than a quarter of all world arms shipments go to the middle east. Russia of course is arming the Assad regime.
What to do?
There is no military solution to the conflict in Syria, there is only a political and diplomatic one. All parties to the war including the Syrian government, the rebel groups, Russia, the US and their regional proxy powers, must agree to an immediate and permanent ceasefire and for all inclusive meaningful peace talks to ensue. We need a halt to the bombing, the opening of safe channels for humanitarian aid and an end to all foreign intervention in Syria.
The Irish Government must end it silence on this issue. It could start by calling in the ambassadors of Russia and the US and telling them to end this proxy war now, as the IAWM called for on our recent Peace March between the Russian and American Embassies in Dublin. And of course it should massively improve its help to refugees way beyond its pathetic efforts so far.
Jim Roche teaches at the School of Architecture, DIT and is PRO of the Irish Anti-War Movement - www.irishantiwar.org.
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Another feminist article for the views and the angry comments. Quite transparent journal.
Agreed. Click bait.
Gender studies, what would we be like without you.
@Shawn O’Ceallaghan:
We’d probably have hover cars and be close to solving the real social inequalities in the 3rd world by now. So much mental brain power invested in courses dedicated to teaching people that they are nothing but perpetual victims. A waste of time, money and resources if there ever was one.
The election of Trump was a repudiation of everything about feminism: political correctness, identity politics, gender quotas, dividing society into groups based on skin colour, gender and perceived grievances etc. The most satisfying thing about Trumps win was that feminists were the most upset.
But rather than learn any lessons from this, the feminist movement has adopted the classic argument from religious movements – ie, the more you doubt us, the more true we must be. The logic goes the more people have rejected feminism, the more need there is for feminism in the modern world. It’s a classic tactic. But it’s also desperate.
@Fred Johnson: “The election of Trump was a repudiation of everything about feminism: political correctness, identity politics, gender quotas, dividing society into groups based on skin colour, gender and perceived grievances etc. The most satisfying thing about Trumps win was that feminists were the most upset” – Ok so lets look at this there Fred
Political Incorrectness – the opposite is people saying whatever they like about whomever they like – is this a good thing?
Identity Politics – Trump repudiated that? he was the embodiment – so that’s just silly.
Dividing society into groups based on skin colour – no you’ll find that that was banned in the US in the 1960′s – and this is what many Trump supporters want to do by banning mexicans, muslims etc etc
Gender Quotas and perceived grievances? – what does this even mean are you suggesting there are no grievances against the fairer sex? Gender quotas are introduced in the last few years in politics in Ireland and for state boards i don’t know if they are in the US and they are certainly not widespread anywhere…
Fred it’s safe to say you’re talking out of your backside.. such paranoia – although sadly Fred it’s not just you. Whenever there is an article about feminism, racism etc etc the usual people are coming out saying that ‘we’ are under attack – i blame wall to wall news coverage. Fred take a walk in the countryside breath in and breath out.. you’re ok.
@Jason Culligan: I can’t argue with you that some humans were a blip in the evolutionary cycle – where we should be way ahead we are dealing with knuckle dragging idiots who spend their days in perpetual fear and thus makes them insecure – probably have oedipal issues- but try to come across as smug and intelligent.. c’est la vie i guess.
On her final point, I think that Ms Kane does the country and her fellow citizens a great disservice by calling for the election of a feminist president. Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese were in no way hampered by their gender, and placed the women’s movement and it’s ambitions at the centre of their respective campaigns, and would probably be insulted if they were told that they did not fall into the definition of a feminist. Our current President, Michael D, has always been vocal in his support for women’s rights and could equally be described as a feminist president. Maybe the author would want to re-visit her feminist indoctrination programme and see what has led her to such a grotesque error. Far from aspiring to a feminist president, Ireland leads the way in the election of feminist presidents, and the country has been much better off because of it.
@Garry Coll: True Garry.
@Garry Coll: Maybe I read a different article to the one you read but in the one I read the author only mentions the word President once and that was when she was referring to Donald Trump. She doesn’t say anything about our need to elect a feminist President but merely that we need more feminist role models which I am definitely in favour of.
@Aiden: You need to read the end.
@The_Techno_Mage: Where does she say it I ve read it a few times and like Aidan above she only says president in relation to Trump, will someone cut and paste the lines please.
@Garry Coll: That s extraordinary 189 likes related to a point concerning an aspect of the article that doesn t actually exist. says it all really, men need to take off their fear of assertive women blinkers and grow a pair of balls.
1.Women always get custody of children in Ireland
2.Men get much harsher sentence for the same crime
3. 80% of suicides are men
4.Nearly all the 3D (drity difficult danger) jobs performed by men
5. 90 of gun violence is perpetrated against Men
6 in the US 140,000 men are raped each year versus 100,000 women!!!!!!
7. Childless women get paid 17% more than childless men( age 25 – 44)
8. There is far more support services for women.
Respect, equality and kindness should be thought to be applied to all people regardless of gender religion or race. #Equality+
You are clearly a misogynist who hates women
@dave time Your first, second, seventh and eight points really prove how laughably inefficient this patriarchy thing of ours is.
@Dave time: Poor aul white middle class men have a hell of a time.. things are against us – we used to have all the power now we only have some of it. It’s time to reclaim our authority!
First we must act like little b*****s by moaning at every feminist article accusing them of moaning. Then we need to bring up ‘facts’ to support our arguments and lastly we should act like the sky is falling in by focusing on all the s**t we don’t have as opposed to all the privileges we do. Oh and then we should attack anyone personally when they don’t agree that we are oppressed. Now who’s with me!?
@Cen Sored: You’re ironic comment is entirely ironic.
@Old Gabby Johnson:
The only person who mentioned the word ‘moaning’ was you Gabby. You seem to label all criticism of Feminism as nothing but ‘white men moaning’ which is racist, sexist and just downright ignorant.
You’d really want to check that white guilt you seem to be harbouring.
@Jason Culligan: Lol!
I’m not in the slightest bit a fan of fintan o toole – but he has a great line in today’s Irish Times about Michael O Leary.. it sums up for me the kind of people on here when lauding the kind of n
“…has a serious fan base among the kind of unhappy men who were such a crucial core constituency for Trump. You would be surprised how many men mentally pleasure themselves while fantasising about Michael. He is the bad boy they thought they were going to be in their teens, before they became solicitors or actuaries. O’Leary in his rugby shirt is as sexy to them as the young Brando in his biker jacket. He is the Wild One of the executive classes…”
You’re the one being unintentionally ironic Old Gabby..
Do you even understand the origins and true ideals of feminism?!
It’s about equality for all not just women and not focussed *solely* on women.
Naturally most women will focus exclusively on women’s issues which is fine. Then many others like to use it a divisive “them and us” thing wishing to fuel the fires of confrontation.
The growing meninist movement conversely
Read your own comment. If that the sexes were substituted, you would no doubt call it sexist and you’d be correct.
It takes guts to be gentle and kind. Why can’t we all just get along?
Men ( e.g. John Stuart Mill) have been involved in the feminist movement throughout history. A fact conveniently ignored (maybe due to ignorance?) by many women.
Says more about the psychological issues of Fintan O’Toole than it does about anyone else.
Duh, are there some misogynist who love women? Dreadful article. Passive aggressive click bait by someone who does not just want equality but domination also. There is a sex war being fermented by some women and it’s gaining traction.
@Old Gabby Johnson: sounds like yourself and Fintan are projecting your own insecurities onto large swathes of people you know nothing about.
@Jazz Buckler: I haven’t a f****g clue what you’re on about.. suffice to say that i thing you missed my point. Ironically.
@David Carroll: Yeah that must be it – thanks for letting me know.
@Ger Healy: Sex war? sounds like great craic.
@Old Gabby Johnson: oh, and there are plenty of women here in the comments who disagree with the author and her particular brand of victimhood feminism. Maybe you should go call them “whiny little b*****s” too?
@David Carroll: No but you sound like one.
@Old Gabby Johnson:
Poor Old Gabby Johnson…a Middle Eastern woman trapped in the body of a white European man. That must be a tough one to live with.
@Piotrek Król: lol
Well Old Gabby you say you “..haven’t a f***ing clue..”
Try thinking outside the box
(and that is an unintentional pun before you get a heart attack)
“in the US 140,000 men are raped each year versus 100,000 women!!!!!!”
Have you the statistics for rape victims outside of prisons,Dave?
I have a report that says that over 300,000 women are raped a year in the US compared to 94,000 men ..
@Dave time: why does one negate the other? Can we not tackle all of our problems rather than picking and choosing? New issues have arisen that affect men and boys too, we can deal with them, going backwards will not help them-there was no golden age in the past, it was worse, and (many) men have changed and have new priorities-priorities that didn’t exist in the past so society and law needs to catch up but that does not mean we go backwards and reject all the amazing advances we’ve made in an incredibly short space of time, in the blink of an eye. It saddens me that people can’t empathise and look at the bigger picture, looking for progress for all but instead bash, insult and denigrate some of the most fantastic achievements of the past 50 years. If we roll back the clock, men certainly won’t be getting any better support or have any time to spend with their children.
Will the journal publish opinion pieces of why people are not feminists?
No… Feminism is the only moral viewpoint. You didn’t know..?
@Maurice Bourke:
“What this does, is it robs women of the ability to better themselves. Because if you tell somebody that anything that doesn’t go right in you life, that anything that you fail at is someone else’s fault, you rob that person of the ability to get better, to work harder, to achieve, to aspire. And that is the real bigotry, the real cruelty in this situation.” – Milo Yiannopoulos
You won’t hear anything like that here.
@Jason Culligan: I agree. I’ll all for equality and “live & let live” with an egalitarian society of choosing the best people for the for the job at hand, but I always find modern feminism too frustrating.
It’s no longer about equality but misandry and perpetual victim-hood.
-Ghostbusters 2016 with all female cast was a box office flop, not because it was a really bad unfunny film, but because of the patriarchy.
-Brexit passed, not because many people felt the EU was insufficient and causes more problems then good to the UK, but because of the patriarchy.
-Less women are in high paid CEO positions, not because of career and lifestyle choices, or qualifications and choosing to take more time off for motherhood, but because of the patriarchy.
-Women are paid less for the same job positions, not because of experience, qualifications, working less hours, also choosing to take more time off for motherhood , or taking certain positions into account (for example with ‘Doctors’, for women would choose pediatrics over brain surgery, but both classed as ‘Doctors’) , but because of the patriarchy.
-Hillary Clinton wasn’t elected President. Not because she was shown to be a corrupt politician for a party which had stagnated the U.S economy and she not to really offer anything in her campaign. While an experienced businessman campaigned to lower taxes, expand business competitions, increase national security. but because of the patriarchy.
All their problems in life are the patriarchy.
@Maurice Bourke: Go ahead and write one. Please explain why you believe your mother/sister/girlfriend/wife/daughter/neice are lesser than you because they’re women.
@The_Techno_Mage:
For the most part I agree, although there’s just one point where I disagree.
“-Women are paid less for the same job positions, not because of experience, qualifications, working less hours, also choosing to take more time off for motherhood , or taking certain positions into account (for example with ‘Doctors’, for women would choose pediatrics over brain surgery, but both classed as ‘Doctors’) , but because of the patriarchy.”
Statistics show that women, contrary to popular belief, are not paid less for the same job positions as their male counterparts. Karin Agness wrote an article for Forbes in April of this year where she dismantled the gender pay gap myth:
The reality is that there’s simply no proof that women are paid less for the same work. With equal qualifications and equal hours, a woman will earn the same as her male colleagues.
@Daisy Chainsaw:
“Go ahead and write one. Please explain why you believe your mother/sister/girlfriend/wife/daughter/neice are lesser than you because they’re women.”
This may come as a shock to you Daisy, but only 23% of women and 17% of men in the US identify as Feminists while in the same survey 82% of all people agreed that they were for social and political equality of the sexes. In the UK, just 7% of women identify as Feminists. The number of people identifying as Feminists in both countries are declining year on year.
It’s about time you started to face the music Daisy, Feminism no longer represents those who feel they support equality of the sexes and it’s a dying movement.
@Daisy Chainsaw: It’s “nothing” to do with being less than someone else because of their gender, or their race or their sexual orientation or their relaigion.
People are turning against “F-E-M-I-N-I-S-M” as an ideology because it’s a bad ideology. Which instead of focusing on equality and egalitarian. It focuses on misandry and perpetual victim-hood when things don’t go their way.
As you asked, here’s a few videos by women, stating why they’re not feminists.
Youtube search for
Why I am not a feminist by Lauren Southern
Why I’m not a feminist by female user rbara4u2c
Why I’m Not A Feminist by female user ABitOfBritt
I Am NOT A Feminist Anymore (Not Clickbait) by female user lexxynichelle
Right jason. did you ever see a job advertised saying x amount for women and x+ for men?
@Patrick Gough: And if the gender pay gap really was real and companies could legally discriminate and get cheaper workers, then how come women aren’t always hired over men?
The same way that cheap labor isn’t outsourced in nations like China or India?
They can’t do it legally, but they do it nonetheless. What a silly counter-argument
@Veronica:
Do you have any evidence for that Veronica? Evidence that hasn’t been ripped to shreds and disavowed by the same people who created it as in the ’78 cents to a dollar’ study in the US.
@Veronica:
Veronica you know you could be sued by an employer if you alleged they did what you suggest? If you alleged that about my business without evidence, i’d bring you to court without hesitation, that’s for sure. When you grow up you’re going to learn there’s consequences to your words and actions.
@jason @veronica Aw I thought we would have got some evidence by now.
@Maurice Bourke:
She’s a Feminist, they don’t do evidence.
Yet Carol Vorderman can sit in the jungle on I’m a Celeb and tell the world that she prefers to be single but likes to keep a few guys on the go at the same time. Imagine a guy said that? He would be called every name under the sun by feminists no doubt.
But but but she’s empowered….you chauvinistic pig! I bet you’re one of those males with a penis
Daniel it’s ok having a penis but don’t use it and don’t pay to use it
@Patrick Gough: don’t pay to use it? what does that mean?! last time I checked it was free :)
Maybe there’s a handling charge ;)
Aww snowflake..
I must tell my wife about this, she’s above making my sandwiches…
Stopped reading at The ministers outfit and having a boyfriend.. Dangerous times perpetuated by media nothing else. Yawn
‘We are living in dangerous times and feminism is our best hope of resistance’
Resisting what?
Logic and reason?
@Frederick Burden:
Replace Feminism with Christianity, Islam, Judaism or any other religion and it would fit just as well. Feminism has become a religion complete with the expectations of blind faith and adherence.
@Jason Culligan:
>Feminism has become a religion complete with the expectations of blind faith and adherence.
Spoken like someone who is afraid of losing any bit of relevance in their cosy, priveleged, world.
@Veronica: What privilege does he have?
@The_Techno_Mage: the white male privilege obviously, the cause of all the worlds problems
@Veronica:
Go on Veronica, tell us all what sort of ‘privileged world’ I’m afraid of losing. I could do with a good laugh.
@Lukey: What if I suddenly identify myself as a non-binary, asexual, cyborg wizard?
@The_Techno_Mage:
That’s cultural appropriation.
@Jason Culligan:
Another long-winded comment that didn’t post properly. Great. Anyway, of the few I had typed in said comment:
having access to bodily autonomy, not worrying about being raped when out at night, not worrying about being accused of bringing about your own rape because you were drinking, not being called a wh*re for having had sex, better opportunities for work advancement, not having to watch your drink like a hawk when out at a bar, not getting willy photos sent to you all the time, not being penalised for having children, not getting blamed/shamed if you end up being a single parent, etc.
@Veronica:
You’re a white woman living in one of the richest countries on the planet. You have some gall to not recognize your own privilege.
I do indeed recognise my own privilege, I’m not blind to it at all. But I’m also a middle class highly educated woman living in a highly developed country, and I want to help the women in my own country too. It’s disingenuous to imply I can’t be a feminist because I’m inherently privileged, I’m still always going to campaign for women’s rights (as it’s highly unlikely I’ll see true equality for women in my lifetime).
@Veronica:
What right do men have in this country that women don’t have?
Tumbleweed
@Eva Carneiro: Some of us have work to do, soz.
Men are less likely to be raped than women, men are less likely to be beaten to death by their partners than women, men are less likely to be put in hospital by their partners than women. There’s three instances of inequality for you.
@Veronica:
“Men are less likely to be raped than women”
Yet when they do, men have far less access to specialised treatment and support compared to female victims.
“men are less likely to be beaten to death by their partners than women”
Yet men are far more likely to commit suicide, with domestic abuse and associated alcohol abuse suspected of playing a major role in this.
It seems that your claims of ‘male privilege’ are founded in ignorance rather than educated fact.
@Veronica:
Men and women have equal rights for all those issues you mentioned. They have equal rights under the law and there is no policy that results in less rights for women. A rapist is a criminal whether he or she attacks a man or a woman.
Sounds like you’re confusing equal rights with equal outcomes.
Men are more likely to be a victim of a crime, be homeless of suffer from a mental illness, killed at work and commit suicide. This pathetic gender baiting by feminists has to stop. Violence is not a gender issue.
@Fred Johnson: Well done Veronica, Fred any chance you d concure with or refute Veronica s points rather than side stepping them . You asked what privilege? and she answered so whattya think?
@Fred Johnson: Fred she s talking about reality your talking about legal rights huge difference and as a male you know it. Equality is nothing to be afraid of Fred its a good thing.
@Kevin Cottor:
Equality already exists, what Feminists are looking for is preferential treatment to cover their own failings and thankfully it’s a dying dogma.
@Jason Culligan: What failings? Now s your chance to really make your point.
@Jason Culligan: Fred back up your point about women s failings ….you said it not me. Stand over it….Didn t think you would cos the genie has gotten out of the bottle hasn t it. ?
@Kevin Cottor:
I guess I have to spell it out for you.
Feminism offers an easy way out for a person’s individual failings. Every failed exam can be blamed on a ‘sexist’ grading system rather than a personal failure to study. Every failure to earn a promotion can be blamed on a ‘glass ceiling’ rather than a personal lack of skills or work ethic. Every failure to earn an elected seat can be blamed on a misogynist electorate rather than a personality failing.
The best part? It can all be blamed on an overarching mythical creation called the ‘patriarchy’ which has no emperical evidence supporting it.
@Jason Culligan: That s horse shit Jason and you know it. Your real issue is with assertive women and you got so caught up trying to rationalise what is essentially an issue which you are just as emotive about as the radical feminists [a tiny minority compared to actual feminists who are simple fighting the good fight] that the mask fell and the ‘Feminists are looking for is preferential treatment to cover their own failings’ popped out. Simple as. Get out before you come up with further sweeping statements without ‘empirical evidence’
@Jason Culligan: In the mean time take a squint at this paper which presents finding based on a meta analysis of the available evidence cheers.
http://www.lse.ac.uk/genderInstitute/pdf/Confronting-Inequality.pdf
@kevin Thanks for that. I had a brief look through the summary and conclusions and see recommendation for quotas. End ‘casual sexism’ by bringing in legal sexism. I’ll check the rest but I think this undermines itself considerably.
@Kevin Cottor:
“That s horse shit Jason and you know it”
So you dismiss my point and don’t give a single reason as to why I’m wrong.
The fact of the matter is Feminism relies on the belief in an invisible, all reaching and all powerful (yet according to the stats, utterly incompetent) concept of a patriarchy in Western society. It relies on the belief that sexism is everywhere in our society. Any personal failing can be (and often is) blamed on societal sexism rather than inner personal failings.
“Your real issue is with assertive women ”
It’s funny that you accuse me of speaking “horse shit” and then come out with this gem right afterwards. You made that claim without evidence and you know it.
“In the mean time take a squint at this paper which presents finding based on a meta analysis of the available evidence cheers.”
I had a look at it, couldn’t contain my laughter when I saw it came from a gender studies institute:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/genderInstitute/home.aspx
The evidence contained within was also laughable, using such fallacious concepts as a ‘gender pay gap’ as if it’s prescribed fact. If you’re going to come out with “evidence”, you’ll need to do better than a gender studies course report.
@Veronica: Strauss, Gelles, Murray, Pizzey et al in academic studies that are often assailed unsuccessfully have put the lie to the contention that domestic abuse is a gender issue when it is not, insofar as women are scientifically proven by the above researchers, inter alios, and three decades of their research, to abuse men just as much as men abuse women. In fact, the highest level of victim prevalence in domestic abuse contexts is amongst bi-sexual women, with lesbians being the second highest.
I just don’t buy into new wave feminism. I am, however, 100% for equality. If the feminist movement had a clear set of goals and had it’s own dissolution, due to the achievement of these goals, as its main one then I could get behind it. In its Irish context apart from issuing detail-free “pay gap” stories and trying to hijack domestic violence and other issues as their sole property I think Irish feminism is no more than an industry with university and charity jobs for the girls.
My observations are that while most feminists agree on broadly the same goals, feminism is a complex and contested sphere with a lot of internal disagreement. While I think this is a good thing, we need to be careful about not getting mired in the detail. This is a hard ask though as people can passionately disagree on the details (e.g. until what point should a woman be allowed to terminate a pregnancy?) I think however there’s something to be said about communicating a strong clear manifesto and collectively rallying behind that.For example the recent protests for women’s reproductive rights in Poland really demonstrate the power of collective action on a large scale. I would love to see something similar happening in Ireland.
I’m a young woman and i think you’re talking sh’te ! ..
@suzie sunshine thank god I’m not the only one! Total and utter shite!
The problem is we are all lumped in with the likes of the author here. She does a huge disservice to women with this nonsense.
Utter nonsense
You’re a young woman with a serious chip on your shoulder. While some of the issue you raise are very serious, others are downright silly. Do you really think men don’t get asked why they’re still single or comments about what they’re wearing?
Feminism is cancer.
Let the daily Trump hate fest begin…
Oh here we go again, I’m so sick of this feminism crap where as a woman I’m supposed to feel like a constant victim.
I thought feminism was about celebrating the strength and capabilities of women and striving to be equal. When did it become this whinge fest to see how we could be the biggest victims and constantly blaming those god awful men for all our problems. Seriously woman, get out and get on with life, if you focused more on what you have and the opportunities that are available to you than on these few minor issues (my god the shock a man but probably just a horny teenager whistled at you) you might actually feel much happier about life and not want to be a portrayed as a victim all the time.
There are real victims in life, you know those who are being persecuted by terrorist groups because of their race, religion or sexuality. I’m afraid Irish women will never fall into that category no matter how many times ye shout victim!
Well said starry
Funnily enough feminism could be one of the keys to resolving one of the most dangerous issues of our time – the global religious revival of fundamentalist Islam. Muslim women around the world have a lot to gain from the concept of having even basic equal rights as human beings. That makes them a potential ally of every unbeliever and bad muslim who is threatened by Islamic extremism. But most western so-called feminists have no intention of risking being accused of islamophobia by their friends so the prospects aren’t good.
@Marlowemallow: Feminism has largely got behind Islam in may respects, I see Feminists rant on about the Church every day. Never about the women being stones to death. Strange that.
3rd Wave Feminism isn’t about equality, its about superiority and misandry.
Men and boys also have to be careful walking alone at night or through the wrong area, they are also vulnerable to unprovoked attacks and even rape.
Unfortunately Sophie there are very bad, evil and twisted individuals in this world – no amount of consent classes will deter them from their twisted actions. The world is a bad place we need to be vigilant and look out for one another.
Men also get remarks and questions if they are single – people are nosey and intrusive
I’m sorry but abortion is not a reproductive right, killing the growing baby inside you is not healthcare
You were so close John! Everything you said was pretty much spot on! And then you came out with that last bit of illogical religious nonsense
@John Byrne: ” killing the growing baby inside of you is not healthcare”
Aww,will somebody call John a wambulance- as he is still whining away about a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy .
*No baby is killed in an abortion* Try harder,baby..
@Francis Mc Carthy: Well Francis at least you are consistent. It is not just abortion you love, Above you defend mothers assaulting their children on the basis that they spend most time with them, suffer post partum depression, etc.
@Maria Mhic Mheanmain: At least you are consistent,too,in that you keep on twisting things the way that you want to see them.
“It’s not just abortion that you love ” – You are right! I would love for it to be legal in Ireland..Oh wait,it already is ..and very soon it will be legal for FFA ..Cool ..By the way, just loved that human rights commissioner with the Council of Europe’s comment on the Irish Times-in which he said this : “The thing is, international human rights standards do not protect the life of “unborn children”. They protect women.”
I said that the reason that the number of violence against children being perpetrated by women is higher is -because 80% of single parent homes are being run by women ..Plus,it is also a FACT that a certain percentage of women who attack their children are also suffering from postpartum depression..Nice try though..
@Francis Mc Carthy: I didn’t try anything Francis. You have, ands are now, justifying mothers being violent towards their children, for various reasons. So it is not just mothers killing their offspring in utero that love, you are also willing to excuse their violence towards their children following birth.
@Maria Mhic Mheanmain: I happen to live in the real world where women will want to end their unwanted pregnancies,or their wanted ones in cases of FFA etc etc..and I happen to believe that they should be able to secure one in a safe environment .You don’t.
If a woman is suffering from postpartum depression & she harms any of her children-then yes,I am willing to ‘excuse’ them for their violence towards their children following birth..You see,I wouldn’t be the only one,as I’m sure that a judge would take a psychiatrist report into that person being mentally unwell during that period in their life..That is the difference between me & you,I understand that people become very mentally unwell & that they lose touch with reality & are capable of doing things that they wouldn’t do,otherwise..Now,I’m bored with you.Goodnight!
@Francis Mc Carthy: Good man Francis keep digging.Justifying child abuse
And you are not “bored with me” you are running off because you have been caught out justifying child abuse.
@Maria Mhic Mheanmain: Anybody with a modicum of sense or sanity will see that I am not justifying child abuse.I am actually providing facts -oh look -> pesky facts on postpartum psychosis ->https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3918890/
And those pesky professionals “justifying” child abuse ..Hilarious carry on by you,Maria.Stick to what you are bad at ..nursing ..
@Francis Mc Carthy: Yes you are Francis, justifying child abuse.Using facts to justify child abuse does not make the justification any less odious.
Click bait rubbish !
Sometimes I wonder if I should abstain from reading articles just to criticise them in the comments section. From an ad revenue perspective, I’m encouraging these articles to exist by voicing my dislike of them.
I’d say she’s fierce hairy armpits
@Keith Mitchell: HOLY SHIT! WOMEN HAVE BODYHAIR?
daisy they used to have body hair. I say bbtb bring back the bush
@Keith Mitchell: I’ve literally had a feminist tell me how unjust it is that women are expected to shave their armpits. Completely ignored me when I pointed out that most employed men have to put a razor to their face on a regular basis in order to keep their job.
I’ve also heard the assertion that if men had periods then tampons would be free. Based off of nothing of course. When asked for an example of male hygiene products being provided for free (razors? toilet paper?) she couldn’t provide one but remained convinced.
Modern feminism is a logic-free enterprise.
“I want to be remembered as the generation who made that feminist future into the feminist present.”
I’m sure you do Sophie, as your version of Feminism has nothing to do with ‘equality’.
Anyone else noticing how modern third wave Feminism is looking more and more like a religion on a daily basis? It requires unwavering belief in an all-encompassing yet invisible and unproven concept known as the patriarchy which allegedly controls everything we do. It relies on an unwavering belief in the evidently false concept of a wage gap. It tells us that women are disadvantaged in our society when men make up the majority of the prison population, serve longer sentences for the same crime, drop out of school at a higher rate, are going to university at a lower rate, are graduating university at a lower rate, suffer far more violence per capita, win only a fraction of family law cases, make up the vast majority of suicides and have little male-focused physical and mental health services compared to what’s available for women.
What’s worse, it relies on people like Sophie to evangelize us with their anecdotal evidence and non-points. I’m sorry Sophie, but I’m not buying the BS that you’re selling.
@Jason Culligan: ‘Womens faikings Jason’ can you please elaborate.
EVERYONE should avoid dark alleyways Sophie. What about equal rights for single fathers ? Equality has no gender. It’s for everyone or it’s for nobody. If you weren’t so selfish to your own selfish agenda you wouldn’t receive the above ridicule.
This woman is an idiot.
If you are attacked, I assure you, you will get the utmost sympathy.
Nobody but nobody bar the most outrageous dinosaur will ask you what you were wearing or whether you ‘enticed’ the attack.
This woman is the worst kind of ‘waiting to be offended’.
As for the issue of being advised to be sensible where you walk alone, let me say this. I defend any woman’s right to walk any where she wants, and time, drunk or otherwise.
The reality though is she makes herself more vulnerable to attack. It shouldn’t be the case but that’s the reality.
I should be able to open my wallet and count a wad of €50 notes in a rough area. It doesn’t change the reality of an increased risk of attack.
Let ‘feminist’ do as they please.
I defend their right to be as stupid as they like.
@Tom Burke:
Keep an eye out on Twitter. The author won’t come here to this article to defend her arguments. She’ll run to Twitter to decry the ‘misogynistic comments on the Journal’ to her social media echo chamber.
@Jason Culligan: That’s it Jason you keep a watchful eye.
I walk the long way home to avoid dark places
Because you’re afraid you’ll get raped?
@Veronica:
Because he’s statistically far more likely to be attacked on the streets on a night out compared to a woman.
This is a very disturbing article however it’s typical of the feminist mantra.
Feminism stopped being about equal rights, which is a wonderful thing, long ago and is now firmly in the corner of anti-men. This idea that women need to be on the look out for potential male murderers and rapists at every turn which is what this comment “I am a young woman who is told to be careful walking home, to hold my house keys in my hand while I walk from the bus stop to my house, for fear of being attacked.” states is a horrific, disgusting and very dangerous attitude to have to have towards men.
Feminism is only about equal rights when it suits the feminist. Feminists make points about there not being enough women in high profile jobs such as CEO, which can be considered a fair point, however you’ll never hear a feminist moan about the lack of women soldiers that are on the front line of battles. No that is expected to be a man only affair.
The comment “Boys need feminism too” is absolutely ridiculous. Feminists influencing boys lead to emasculated men which is hardly what the rest of the female population want now is it? Boys need to be influenced by strong men who have respect for women and strong women who have respect for men. They do not need to be influenced by angry feminists who try to make them think that there is something inherently wrong with their gender.
@Rob Moran:
A strong argument could be made for boys to be force-ably removed by the state from mothers who self identify as feminists.
FYI, these are actually statically the safest times in history. Not surprising that feminists are not very good with data.
If you are so worried about the cost of travelling to access abortion services, don’t get pregnant.
@Donal O’Brien: If you’re so worried about father’s rights, why don’t you not get women pregnant, i.e. just keep it in your pants?
It takes two to tango in most cases, men should just keep their d*cks in their f-ing pants.
@Veronica:
It’s always a man’s fault, right Veronica?
@Jason Culligan: The opposite it would appear, your comrade above was telling women to just not get pregnant if they don’t want to be, putting the entire onus on the woman.
@Veronica:
What is it with proponents of Feminism and needing to fit everyone into a category?
Outside of a vague indication that we may or may not share a similar viewpoint, there is nothing connecting me to this individual so where are you pulling this ‘comrade’ nonsense from?
@Jason Culligan:
It’s identity politics. No respect for the individual.
@Jason Culligan: “What is it with proponents of Feminism and needing to fit everyone into a category?” extreme irony in this line.
A femfest for young women!!!basically a gathering of bashing men down and telling the world how hard they got it.meanwhile western society women have never had it so good ever.imagine a male fest with men bashing modern day women down
I prefer equality, feminism is a bit too aggressive.
what I hate is the way women go about how Men are Evil and nothing but a waste of skin. Men suffer the most when it comes to depression, War and even been falsely accused of rape even do its not true but will still ruin their life because of it.
@Eoin Mulhern: They’re also far more likely to be the victim of assault on the “dark streets” the author talks about having to avoid. There are countries where being a woman on your own is very dangerous but I really don’t think Ireland is one of them.
I can’t even
was told that “consent was a grey area” – you misunderstood what you were told. Proving the existence of consent where there are only two witnesses, one of whom is accusing the other of rape, is difficult. There is no way around that, there is no magic wand.
Go and live in a female only society. Don’t worry about sending a report back on its success. There won’t be any.
The only way that change will come about is if children are taught from the day they are born that girls and boys are equal. That any kind of violence against another person is wrong. These lessons must begin AT HOME.
And yet we socialise boys never to hit girls but not the other way around. Most women have no problem with hitting a cheating partner
Very true ..they’re always showing women slapping men across the face in an arguement on tv and before the watershed too …
@Eva Carneiro: Does the real Dr Eva Carneiro, recently a victim of severe online abuse and death threats, know you are using her name and image for your trolling?
David, you call me a misogynist, when I asked you to provide me with one misogynistic post I have ever made. you blocked me, like a typical snowflake. Stop harassing me Please.
I have nothing but regard for the real Carneiro, she’s done more for women in society than a 100 third wave feminists could ever do.
@Eva Carneiro: He’s calling you a troll on twitter. Funny I was thinking the exact same thing about him
There isn’t a single right men have that women don’t have and there’s as many statistics they skew in favour of women as men. Exactly what you’d expect in a free and equal society where, broadly speaking, two genders have distinct biological differences that manifest in different attitudes and desires.
My goodness but that’s an awful lot of man-shaming from someone who wants to convince us of her argument. All on for gender equality here but this ‘man blaming feminism’ sounds just like reverse misogyny to me.
Women have zero reproductive rights? Zero? No woman in Ireland has a right to stop her eggs getting fertilised? Not one? Any man can go around fertilising women’s eggs and they have no legal right to stop it? Grow up. Cop on.
Dear Hysterical Feminist, I would like to introduce you to some concepts in reproductive rights. You have the right to take contraception, or not. You have the right to say no to sex, or not. You have the right to ask him to use a condom, or not. You have the right to take the morning after pill, or not. If your life, mental or physical health are in danger as a result of pregnancy you have the right to an abortion. You have the right to use different forms of contraception, or not. There is the pill, the patch, the bar, the coil, to name but a few. You have at least 5 days after risky sex to choose to take the morning after pill. You do not have the right to demand an abortion when you choose to ignore these rights. Men have fewer rights than women. Men cannot stop their partners travelling to procure an abortion. Men do not have 5 days to change their mind after risky sex. I could go on. Get a grip.
This author seems to have zero reproductive knowledge. Not exercising the rights you have, either through ignorance or choice, isn’t a denial of your rights or an absence of rights. If you choose to ignore them that’s your problem. If your rights are ignored or abused that’s a different story but don’t pretend you didn’t know how babies are made. Rant over.
@Hugh Mannatee: Wah wah wah ..
You make numerous brilliant points, and the ignorant, right-wing, misogynistic, limp-dick men who try to mock you in the comments below the article only confirm them.
@David Quim:
Name one good point that can’t be completely shredded by all empirical evidence. She hasn’t made a single point that isn’t hollow and completely unfounded in statistical fact.
Your lack of maturity in your ‘rebuttal’, and I’m being very generous calling it as such, leads me to believe that no such answer with empirical data will be forthcoming.
@David Quim: People who speak out against the feminist anti-men agenda are not “ignorant, right-wing, misogynistic, limp-dick men”. They are “educated, liberal, respectful, men and women”
@David Quim: It’s cuck central around here today.
@Jason Culligan:
>Name one good point that can’t be completely shredded by all empirical evidence. She hasn’t made a single point that isn’t hollow and completely unfounded in statistical fact.
You guys love to act like you’re all big-boy scientists who can “uncover” feminism with “facts”, but the fact is that all of her claims are backed up by legitimate statistics in the first place.
To use the terminology of the misters: every time you guys try to argue against feminism, or make ‘witty’ jokes like “get back in the kitchen” you totally out yourselves as betas. It’s hilarious and sad in equal measures.
@David Quim: you are the very definition of a cuck
@Veronica:
“ou guys love to act like you’re all big-boy scientists who can “uncover” feminism with “facts”, but the fact is that all of her claims are backed up by legitimate statistics in the first place.”
Evidence such as? I won’t hold my breath waiting.
“To use the terminology of the misters: every time you guys try to argue against feminism, or make ‘witty’ jokes like “get back in the kitchen” you totally out yourselves as betas. It’s hilarious and sad in equal measures.”
Do you really think that people care about these personal insults from what is (thankfully) a dying movement? Come back when you or the author can actually bother to provide any sort of evidence to back up this nonsense.
@Jason Culligan:
>Do you really think that people care about these personal insults from what is (thankfully) a dying movement?
The lad above you seems to care, he’s using them unironically. Also, I don’t think mens rights is dying out, unfortunately. There are plenty of angry young men desperate to get their hate for women out and to have it multiply.
Also, they aren’t exactly short of clever “jokes” like I mentioned, half the comments here are wittiscisms such as “here, here some dishes for you wash”.
Sigh.
Look up some academic articles, instead of jerking it to manosphere blogs. Do what the rest of us do, put our thinking caps on a read some reviews and original research articles.
@Veronica:
“The lad above you seems to care”
That’s not empirical evidence backing up your claims or the claims of the article.
“Also, I don’t think mens rights is dying out, unfortunately.”
Mature, also that’s not empirical evidence backing up your claims or the claims of the article.
“There are plenty of angry young men desperate to get their hate for women out and to have it multiply.”
That’s not empirical evidence backing up your claims or the claims of the article.
“Also, they aren’t exactly short of clever “jokes” like I mentioned, half the comments here are wittiscisms such as “here, here some dishes for you wash”.”
That’s not empirical evidence backing up your claims or the claims of the article.
“Look up some academic articles, instead of jerking it to manosphere blogs. Do what the rest of us do, put our thinking caps on a read some reviews and original research articles.”
That’s not empirical evidence backing up your claims or the claims of the article.
Still waiting on you to back up your claims or the claims from this article Veronica. I’m sure you’re aware that in the discourse of debate it is standard procedure for a person making a positive claim, in this case your claims that the article is factually based rather than the nonsensical ramblings of a man hater, must provide evidence to support their claim.
As the saying goes, that which can be asserted without evidence (in this case, the entire article) can be dismissed without evidence.
@David Quim: I think David just trying to whiteknight the article in the hopes that some girl will fall in love with him after reading his comments.
@Jason Culligan:
Why do you think I’m a man hater?
@Veronica:
You display unwavering support for Feminism, you make baseless claims about ‘male privilege’ which appear to be rooted in ignorance rather than fact and you seem to have a major chip on your shoulder about the MRA.
That being said, I never called you a man hater. I called the author of this article a man hater. You could nearly lick the venom towards men in this article off the computer screen.
@The_Techno_Mage: Very funny :)
@Jason Culligan: a quare row goin on here, sir.
And honest question for feminists who may be reading the article and may stumble across my comment.
if you’re so concerned with women’s rights, equality and women’s rights to their own bodies and genuinely believe that live in a patriarchal society.
Then how come you never speak out against “Islam” or never seem concerned with the Islamification of Europe?
Islam by nature is sexist, misogynistic, racist and homophobic and completely patriarchal in nature. You imagine that feminists would be most outspoken against it.
Instead it’s mostly feminists who are the most apologetic for Islam. Why is that?
I’m not trolling, I genuinely would like a better understanding.
Hear hear!
here, here some dishes for you wash
Jesus this is truly the most horrible article I’ve ever read on feminism
All jobs should have gender equality. I noticed that greyhound seem to be breaking this law by only employing male bin collectors. There should be an equal number of women bin collectors.
She should look for a husband, have children and look after them.
Clealry they never saw Kickass the movie
Dangerous times???
Is Cromwell about to invade? is there another potatoe famine on the way? Do we have the Black and Tans marching the streets? Is there a civil war? Interment? Are the troubles back? Are the IRA or the UDA bombing the country?
Dangerous times…….pish!!!
The author of this piece comes across as a very bitter person and opinion pieces like this only help to victimise women and persecute men. They do nothing to add any real value or perspective on issues related to sexism and equality.
Predictable gutter journalism……….
My thoughts on feminism…
a woman’s work is never done. maybe that’s why they’re paid less.
That sick feeling in the pit of your stomach is the tide beginning to turn.
Communism will be defeated, no matter the guise it takes.
Gaad Sad could have a field day with this article
I’ll bookmark this to read on a bad day so I can have a laugh at all the butthurt little boys throwing their desperately insecure #notallmenzzzzzz toys out of the pram. Poor oppressed little flowers the lot of them!
@Daisy Chainsaw:
Meanwhile those who are capable of understanding basic statistics will sit back and watch as nonsense like this contributes to the demise of Feminism. The stats don’t lie, Feminism is dying Daisy.
@Daisy Chainsaw: Then when feminism dies out completely with an actual egalitarian society where people are hired based on their skills and knowledge set, you’ll look back on this article and wonder why we had people believing in third wave feminism?
Why did people believe the earth was flat or the center of the Universe?
Why would they think that a bad unfunny remake of Ghostbusters with an all female cast would be a financial success and have multiple squeals?
@Daisy Chainsaw:
As you asked, here’s a few videos by women, stating why they’re not feminists.
Youtube search for
Why I am not a feminist by Lauren Southern
Why I’m not a feminist by female user rbara4u2c
Why I’m Not A Feminist by female user ABitOfBritt
I Am NOT A Feminist Anymore (Not Clickbait) by female user lexxynichelle
@Daisy Chainsaw: there’s a lot of women above who also think this article is rubbish. why not have a go at them?
@gjpb:
According to research, it’s actually a majority of women. While 84% of all people in the US support equality of the sexes, only 21% of American women and 17% of American men identify as Feminists and this number is decreasing year on year. In the UK it’s just 7% of women.
Feminism is driving people away steadily with it’s blatant misandry.
@Jason Culligan: “Feminism is driving people away steadily with it’s blatant misandry.”
“A national survey by the Washington Post and Kaiser Family Foundation finds 6 in 10 women and one-third of men call themselves a feminist or strong feminist, with roughly 7 in 10 of each saying the movement is empowering. ”
Nice try,but no cigar for you
Source :https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/feminism-project/poll/
>I AM A YOUNG woman who is told to walk the long way home in order to avoid dark streets or alleys.
….Even though statistically men are far more likely to be jumped on the street at night than women.
Oh Lord….
We need a woman Taoiseach, Prime-minister or President, I hear them say. No more testosterone-fuelled woo wah. Would sort all these wars and exploitation once and for all. Oh, sorry, Maggie Thatcher was a woman was nt she. Hilary Clinton of (We came, We saw, He died fame) was a war monger. Just as well she did n’t get in, is nt it, woman or not. Bring back Joan Burton, I say – hero of the working classes. Maybe Teresa May will pull something out of the bag. Gimmee head peace.
@Larry Doherty:
You mean Teresa ‘ban all the porn’ May who’s Conservative government is currently engaged in banning online access to pornography that isn’t deemed a ‘normal sexual act’ by unclear terms? Such terms as more than four fingers in an orifice is not normal in Westminster so porn showing this act will soon be totally banned.
Yeah, she’s working out great alright.
Women unfree will never give you peace.
Are you a young woman, Sophie? Didn’t quite catch that the first gazillion times.
I agree with so much of your aims. Ask and give men a real chance to join the feminist movement . I want to fight for your rights too as do many other men. I want total equality for all my sisters, my daughters , for every woman in the country. I know I’m not alone so we should work harder to get together and find a way to make our voices count.
@Liam Butler:
I hope you’re joking. Men need the modern Feminist movement like a bullet in the head.
This article doesn’t even bother hiding the fact that the author has some deep seeded issues about men.
@Liam Butler: you go girl.
@Jason Culligan: I think the term you’re looking for is deep-seated.
have your say