bradsaptblog

I saw feminists steal each other's work, money, jobs, spouses, physically hit each other, padlock doors, turn other feminists into the police...I saw feminists instigate whisper-and-smear-campaigns to wreck each other's reputations, both socially and professionally.

Whoa. I personally found the chapter about the politics of paranoia quite interesting, especially the part that detailed the practice of "trashing." I thought it was unfortunate that these women, who were so committed to changing the social structure of this country on the whole, were so vicious and conniving individually. It actually reminded me of the current political situation in America, where those who disagree look at each other as evil, and then proceed to destroy one another and attempt to assassinate their respective characters. That type of politics only hurts the cause one is fighting for, regardless of how big or small it may be. Rosen's descriptions of trashing were shocking, and she made it clear to me that fear played a huge role in its severity, which I believe is true across the board. I believe the women's movement, and any movement for that matter, must be able to create a hierarchy together without other people constantly within the movement trying to sabotage and undermine it. If that happens, it will inevitably collapse from within. Trashing was obviously a huge problem within the feminist movement, or Rosen would have spent so many pages on it. It should be a lesson learned to any political activist, I certainly took it to heart. Revolutions dont succeed within revolutions.

-Brad