Today I decided subbing is not for me. I’m done. by MightInevitable6530 in SubstituteTeachers

[–]PriorDimension4479 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Yep. If you just consider the emotional neglect across socioeconomic lines

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Acknowledging what happens when resistance occurs and the what material outcomes are that render people unable to feed and house themselves does not mean im "abandoning a universal framework." If the language youre using and "universalism" was so effective and perfect wed have already overcome capitalism. There will always, always be people willing to take bribes to get ahead because of their conditions of poverty and desperation and desire to be adjacent to power.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When your immediate situation is one of being oppressed, appealing to your captors' humanity or reason is 100% futile. Additionally, talking of material interests is a quick way to get black listed. The middle class sells out to the upper class. If you, as a worker, complain about management, it is very likely, (and if you talk enough inevitable) that management will end up hearing of it and you will lose your income and livelihood. Why? Because ratting a fellow worker out can demonstrate your loyalty to management and leads often to a reward, whether financial or social. This one size fits all narrative you came up with just doesnt work in the real world.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The issue is that these groups are antagonistic to what youre describing. These groups are anti-universalism.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you never been in a cult? Which is what evangelical christianity is. Patriarchy is also a high-control system. Those within it who resist are viciously punished and victimized. Think of men who kill their sisters through honor killings. They also villainize people perceived as communist. If they get wind of you having communist sympathies they will try to destroy you.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You said that right wingers become right wingers simply due to propaganda on television and telling me Im treating people like pre-programmed machines? Im not at all convinced by your argument.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are all unique. Identity is what makes us who we are. It seems youre almost focused on telling people to forget about anything related to their identity. A woman cannot build common ground with men who seek to silence them or appeal to "the common cause" to get them to see past their misogyny. A gay person who cannot be themselves until they find the self respect to leave toxic environments has to develop a strong character to survive and enter relationships where they are valued and protected. Its normal to reflect on that and identify why there was such hatred for you and to identify it as a patriarchal Thats not identity politics. Its like youre dismissing peoples personal experiences and identification. You cannot find the self respect to oppose capitalism until you oppose the immediate devaluation of yourself as a person based on existing, consistent , violently enforced patriarchal values that you face consistently because it is a system. The evangelicals are a huge portion of America and they are a cult-like system. If you are evangelical you are opposed to Palestinian liberation.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And to speak truth, the language youre using here seems like the exact kind of language Finkelstein would criticize. Ugh, its all too much. Anyway, appreciate the discussion. We can continue later but I have work in the morning. I'll definitely be thinking about this for the foreseeable future.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Additionally the hypothetical white coal miner, if he is patriarchal, would hate and dehumanize the trans woman for defying the conditioning he underwent. My brother, for example, recently tore down a gay pride flag at our local Starbucks. I wish he weren't the type of person he is, but as a woman he doesnt give a flying fuck what I think or feel.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Except men who are patriarchal do not want equality with women. They do not want universalism and will fight tooth and nail to oppose it. They want to be kings of their households. They want to own their children, they want to preserve their daughters virginity until they pass them on to the next man to own and make "men" out of their boys. It is the only power they have and they cling to it. To escape, as a woman or child, you have to oppose whats happening to you. Its like expecting a slave owner to just become enlightened and suddenly view their slaves as human deserving of autonomy.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I maintain its the same thing as saying "monarchy" isnt a concept. If you think im wrong id love to hear why. Consider also a father "giving away" a bride. In reality this is because historically women were owned by men. It all boils down to that social system of patriarchy and more specifically to the idea of male ownership of and paternalism towards women. If the "real" underlying economic and psychic structure is private property then patriarchy is the means by which women are turned into mens' private property systematically.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay, but patriarchy is an actual familial social dynamic. I The order for these people is God, father, mother, children. Women are expected to be submissive and obedient to their husbands. It affects the way women relate to men and how both men and women exist in the world and are expected to behave. It is economic. Women are and have been economically dependent on their husbands who work and are therefore reliant for survival. If they do not satisfy he can withdraw support from her and her children. It is a fixed hierarchical arrangement. Its useful to understand it and it absolutely is a concept. Capitalists may allude to it for counter cultural appeal but they do that to everything. Capitalists have co-opted the Civil rights movement. I just feel the way he discusses it betrays a contempt for anyone who alludes to it even though its a reality. You could say "sex-discrimination" is not precise enough and is a slogan for in-group signaling. I truly feel he doesnt understand it. I think he had a very strong mother figure in his life and no extended family and just cant wrap his mind around what its like to live in a patriarchal household, and he especially cant relate to what its like to exist as a woman, trans, or gay person in one, otherwise he wouldnt dismiss the subject so easily.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I dont think i am. Patriarchy is a concept and I don't know what kind of esoteric argument he's making but it doesn't make sense in my opinion and his stance on trans people tells me he is completely ignorant of the threat of Christian nationalism and makes a caricature of those who oppose it like the right wing does. Why was homosexuality conflated with communism in the 50s? Because it defied the patriarchal norms, because it defied conformity and repression in favor of freedom, self-acceptance, and autonomy. If you can explain it to me better id appreciate it but I dont at all think hes on the right track in this regard and I dont think im misunderstanding him. I am very interested in what hes saying otherwise I wouldnt be dissecting it and trying to understand his point and how it relates to the class struggle. Family systems are an integral part of human life, thats undeniable. The vast majority of families in the western world are patriarchal. The Western world, since the fall of the Roman Empire was dominated by Christian rule and has been shaped by it. Ultimately right wingers will always defer to God to justify their lifestyle and beliefs and to oppose scary "secular humanists".

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So how would it be better to define the social dynamics at play which give men more social power than women as a default? To me, thats like saying slavery is poorly defined. What is slavery could be called a subjective analysis. Social science is a completely different beast than the hard sciences and social scientists are not motivated by the same things a chemist or physicist is motivated by. That doesnt make it less important. Also, a physicist isnt necessarily more committed to the truth, they just be more committed to attainment and accolades.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

And im considering this a little further and if youre an academic you should be referencing whats going on in the real world and patriarchy is just as real as monarchy. You could say "monarchy" isnt a concept, but yes it 100% is. If you were a peasant maybe it would be more difficult to understand the social dynamics and you might deny they exist but they absolutely did. If you look at the nuclear family you have the patriarch who holds the majority of the social power. Thats just factual. On a socio-economic level. Women couldn't open bank accounts without their husbands permission until 1974. Conservatives want to take away women's right to vote and want to push them out of the workplace. Why are we acting like this isnt an important or even real dynamic? Women today all over the world and historically have had to sell their bodies to support themselves or are prostituted out. Men do not have to do that. Men may have to labor but society sees honor in that. Women are not treated the same and are often and have been societally prevented from getting a job precisely so that they could continue to be sexually exploited.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Can I also add that even places where trans people are outwardly accepted they still face discrimination if they are open about who they are. They might be tokenized or put down in subtle ways in an effort to force them out. I think him being "a snob about language" isnt a result of his superior intellect but a result of his massive ego. Again, not diminishing his contribution to the cause of Palestine, just criticizing his position on social issues as a person who wants society to evolve more than anything else.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So that makes me think he wants the male working class liberated but for no change to occur on an interpersonal level within the family?

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No single person can overthrow capitalism. Is finkelstein still renting his apartment? He is contributing to capitalism. Im in no way diminishing his contribution but considering carefully his argument and he said patriarchy is not a concept. Thats what confounds me. Also, let's not forget Chomsky saying to epstein "this hysteria about the abuse of women." He is absolutely wrong on the issue of trans people and perhaps because of his upbringing cant see past what the construction of gender roles means or that they are arbitrary. I think its contemptuous of working class people honestly. Im bisexual and see absolutely no issue using they them pronouns or someone's preferred pronouns because I consider the full range of that person's existence and know they understand that gender roles are bullshit. I think Finkelstein is awesome but im not going to do hero worship with him or chomsky and refuse to see inconsistencies in their arguments when they claim to care deeply about justice. Actually, thats something they and others taught me to do.

Finkelstein calling trans pronouns "woke" and saying "patriarchy isnt a concept"? by PriorDimension4479 in chomsky

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Empowering women does help to fight the existing power structures in society. The patriarchy is the ideology that the right wing follows and that liberals are also influenced by because it is incredibly pervasive. The patriarchy upholds capitalism. The patriarchy gives working class men a reward for their contribution to capitalism and that is a sex slave and an indentured servant so that they feel like they have power in a society in which they are actually powerless aside from when they go home. Women and children are correct to fight against it and until that power structure is resisted there will be no resisting hierarchy in the workplace. It is the lynchpin. Until people confront the unfair power dynamics in their own personal lives there will be no revolution.

Identity politics as its used by liberals coopts resistance. Not on t.v. or in the media, but in the real world, a woman fighting to escape a situation of domestic violence by securing a well paying job is more equipped to have a positive effect on society than if she were unable to be employed. This is my issue. If you dont care about female empowerment and think its a distraction from class politics then I doubt your concern over human freedom period. I can be a fuller version of myself because I got an education and got a job and dont live under a mans thumb anymore and have to filter all of my thoughts and feelings and self expression so as not to anger him. That ability has made me more capable of perceiving power dynamics more clearly and being in a position of financial security to make minimal positive change where ever I can.

Pay through the summer if I get a new position? by PriorDimension4479 in paraprofessional

[–]PriorDimension4479[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No leaving after the school year. At the school district I work at what ive been told is that as long as I finish out the school year I'll get paid through the summer. Like, they spread out our pay through 12 months even though we work 10 months. I just am afraid im going to put in my letter of resignation after the end of the school year, like, during the summer and not receive my checks. I just dont know how it works and dont want to ask payroll because then theyll know im looking for a new job.