- Capitalism and Alternatives -

Answer for Boris Badenoughsky

Posted by: MDG on February 05, 19100 at 01:15:21:

In Reply to: Question for Fearless posted by Barry Stoller on February 04, 19100 at 22:50:51:

:
: : It's a long road between now and November 7th, Election Day. If Ralph Nader can manage to get on enough state ballots, and if he can manage to get into the national debates, I might vote for him yet.

: : P.S. A couple of you have taken to referring to me as "comrade." That's much appreciated, but I prefer "Fearless Leader." As you were.

: Hey, fearless, will either Nader or Gore/ Bradley be able to raise women's wages to the level enjoyed by men? Seeing how women have had the vote for over 80 years now, how much more reform do you think it will take? Seriously, I want to know why any woman should have faith in market democracy.

: And then there's blacks, they make one-third less than whites job for job...

Staying within the context of the capitalist democracy we inhabit now, there are two avenues to the change you seek, comrade:

1) Pass legislation mandating equal pay regardless of gender or color or [fill in the blank]; and

2) Eliminate sexism and racism in the hearts and minds of our fellow man.

With regard to the first, I think that Nader, and even the Dems, would be more willing to champion such legislation than the Republicans. With the latter, that will be a significant challenge no matter what system you live under.

I'd also add that though women have had the vote for 80 years, the notion of a modern working woman has only been fought for the last 30 years, which is a pittance given the millenia in which male chauvinists taught that a woman's place was in the home. Also, there are many men and women who grew up long before "Sisterhood is Powerful" was published, and they have both entrenched views and entrenched power; perhaps what's needed is for the generation which grew up with the notion of the housewife to go extinct.

If we have the revolution you advocate, then obviously the above remedies become moot. But in the meantime...


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