what’s happening to feminism on social media is simply a reflection of a problem on the left that has existed for decades, i think. “second wave” feminism in the U.S. had its biggest push from women who were abused and neglected in leftist organizing. most of the older radical feminist literature, contrary to the lies of the left, speaks consistently about race and class. they viewed the left’s insistence on libertarianism for women as a form of hypocrisy. they asked the question: why must we be radical about everything but women’s oppression? that question birthed america’s second wave feminist movement.
dworkin spoke of this extensively (she was much more charitable than i am), but you’ll randomly see evidence of this from lesser known writers if you read the literature from that time period too. i’ll post some citations soon. but basically, leftists want you to have a radical critique about everything but gender, because anything that causes injury to men must be abolished, but anything that benefits men must be permitted. the entire political spectrum is simply different flavors of a male grievance movement. male victimhood generates sympathy. this is true now and it has been true for thousands of years.
the left’s refusal to contend with male supremacy is largely what gave birth to “second wave” feminism in america. this outpouring is going to keep happening so long as they are committed to this refusal, and they won’t be able to corral these women into a productive direction due to their insufficient politics and the loss of trust. this is a repeat of history, and the problem has not been properly addressed.
it is our job as radical feminists to figure out a way to harness this energy into a principled, in-person movement that attacks male supremacy at the root. our politics must not be co-opted and subsumed under the right nor the left as we know it, because it is their duty to neutralize it. let’s not forget, the feminist movement suffered its biggest attack by the state when it threatened the now billion-dollar pornography industry in the 80’s—a very clear institution of capitalism and women’s sexual subordination. we are at our most dangerous when we behave as “leftists” who do not surrender women’s sexual subordination to liberalism. i’m just a guy on the internet with a blog lol. something is definitely shifting with feminist sympathizers, but the shift isn’t being mediated. and it can’t be mediated by leftists. #WE can probably do it if we lock in lol.
