It's Lyssistrata Time!

[omega minimo]

Time for women to quit :banghead: and trying to :spank: some sense into the sameold sameold. Time to wield the mightiest power in the universe :loveya: THERE IS NO TIME TO WASTE.

A woman and a mother armed with a lawn chair and a straw hat brought down the Invisible Cloak protecting the Teflon Chimperor.

:kick:

The global oil czars rake in record profits as global warming alters Mother Nature and Mother Earth; as the East Coast of the U.S. braces for another potentially deadly winter with escalating heating costs.

The government being cobbled together out of the bloody ruins of Iraq reached a stumbling block over the human rights of women.

(Thanks m b zola)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4414906

"In this Meet The Press excerpt, David Gregory is talking to former Middle East specialist for the CIA, Reuel Marc Gerecht, and former adviser for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, Larry Diamond.

MR. GERECHT:
Actually, I'm not terribly worried about this. I mean, one hopes that the Iraqis protect women's social rights as much as possible. It certainly seems clear that in protecting the political rights, there's no discussion of women not having the right to vote. I think it's important to remember that in the year 1900, for example, in the United States, it was a democracy then. In 1900, women did not have the right to vote. If Iraqis could develop a democracy that resembled America in the 1900s, I think we'd all be thrilled. I mean, women's social rights are not critical to the evolution of democracy.We hope they're there. I think they will be there. But I think we need to put this into perspective." http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8926876 /


:bounce: :kick: :hug: :hug: :kick: :bounce: :bounce: :kick: :hug: :bounce: :kick: :hug: :hug: :kick: :bounce: :bounce: :hug: :kick: :hug:

THE WHOLE GAME OF REPUBLICAN WEDGE ISSUES IS ABOUT RIGID GENDER ROLES AND KEEPING THE STATUS QUO-- INCLUDING TURNING THE CLOCK BACK ON RECENT DECADES' SOCIAL PROGRESS.

Motivation of The Powers That Be for attacks on:

Gay Marriage: (keep status quo gender power roles intact and rigid)

Women's Rights: (keep status quo gender power roles intact and rigid)

Reproductive Privacy Rights: (keep status quo gender power roles intact and rigid)

All of the Above: divide and conquer-- disrupt and distract the opposition

Does the Democratic Party have a vested interest in keeping status quo gender power roles intact and rigid?

IT'S LYSSISTRATA TIME!


Thanks Swamp Rat

[nofurylike]

1. got to say, it's true. well demonstrated, devastating. thank you. eom

[omega minimo]

2. Hell hath, eh?

:smoke:

[shance]

3. You're right. Until women come together, build conscious awaeness of our

power as a tribe, and learn to love one another, the abuse,
blatant disregard and neglect enacted primarily by the white male patriarchy will continue against those they are threatened by.

But I believe the value and love for each other must come from each other and ourselves first.

[omega minimo]

4. OK

:hi:

Ideas?

[shance]

11. To be as good of a good example to our women friends and companions.

Treat them as we want to be treated. I think one that is very important is not to put our friendships on the back burner of a sexual relationship.

When I treat my friendships and relationships as sacred, and not disposible, I have more meaningful lasting relationships. Women have to begin investing in each other and coming together and communing together. There in lies our strength and so much of our identity. We need to learn how to be more interdependent and consistent with each other. We need to learn how to connect, protect and defend other women. We need to take a look back at civilizations where there was more of this. Because we have been solely taught of history primarily from a white male perpspective, we have essentially been robbed of our own history and identity and it has been diminished and marginalized as being irrelevant or unimportant. As such, women need to know more of our herstory and less of our history.


I have wonderful women in my life that have taught me a great deal. I have also had great male friends in my life that teach me alot. The reason women need to be in their own category it seems is because we are being singled out and discriminated against, objectified, marginalized, indicted (Martha Stewart*) while other white males like Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling and a host of others continue to escape scrutiny or justice for that matter.

There are many things that have helped me change my perspective and see the tremendous value in my relationships with women, and even with men. I believe by promoting value in others that this patriarchal society seemingly tries to diminish in value we diminish the power of those who want to render us as being inferior. We have to take our power back by validating and VALUING our own power. It begins with us.

In addition, and to bring it to the bigger picture, I think we all have to learn to value our relationships with others more than anything else.

[omega minimo]

12. beautiful

Sisterhood is powerful.

You have captured the spirit of the OP:

"I believe by promoting value in others that this patriarchal society seemingly tries to diminish in value we diminish the power of those who want to render us as being inferior. We have to take our power back by validating and VALUING our own power. It begins with us."

It is time to quit asking for permission and validation and do what we need to do. So much time and energy is wasted fighting endless stalemates WITH OUR OWN DEM COMRADES.

Time to get on with it.

:patriot:

[roguevalley]

17. I think these policies and the Repug attitude comes from them

not getting any already. If they aren't getting any now, you can't hold any back. John Roberts wife is a case in point. Can you even begin to imagine those two getting it on? Shudder!

[omega minimo]

18. this is bigger than yarbles

Women's power and contribution is bigger than "them not getting any."

The problem with control freaks is they can never get enough... anything.

It's time to flex our muscle.

:kick:

(Roberts looks like a candidate for spontaneous combustion. That's some seriously perverted energy).

[globalvillage]

5. That is the about the most asinine

and fucked up thing I have ever heard.

If Iraqis could develop a democracy that resembled America in the 1900s, I think we'd all be thrilled. I mean, women's social rights are not critical to the evolution of democracy.

"women's social rights are not critical to the evolution of democracy."





Is that the "freedom" people are dying for?

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[omega minimo]

6. Those who don't believe in evolution

haven't evolved.

The canary in the coalmine
The indicator species in the environment
The woman in the democracy


See? These men need help.

[globalvillage]

7. Well, in the spirit of Lysistrata...

I pledge not to have any physical contact with * or any of his PNAC buddies while this war is going on.
Excuse me now while I go vomit.

[omega minimo]

8. Don't touch the PNAC

:wow:

[kath]

15. Hey, it's a NOBLE CAUSE!

[omega minimo]

16. "Restoring chaos" around the globe

:patriot:

[wli]

9. politicizing sex as already happened

Unsurprising that people would seriously think about doing the Lysistrata thing.

[omega minimo]

10. How would you stop the male/war/heads destroying our lives?

[shance]

13. Seems to me men are simply doing what women are doing,

and that is to do what we've been taught.

I think we all place value and importance where we have been most rewarded. Men most often have been taught and rewarded to be "strong", which often is defined as toughness and competitiveness, even ruthlessness, and have not been taught even by their mothers to value the feminine and the "kinder, gentler" part of themselves. On the contrary that has been taught to be a weakness and in a society that promotes war, they are often right.

We all need to learn the vital importance femininity, creativity, and individuality in everyone, and to support men to be compassionate, kind, and as an example to be stay at home parents if they want to be, and not to be ridiculed or isolated if that is what they would rather do, etc.

It goes both ways.

[omega minimo]

14. That cliched behavior taken to psychotic and suicidal extremes

is what needs to be addressed. If the personal level back-and-forth gets in the way of finding solutions to the larger problems, it needs to be bypassed for now. We are in crisis mode here. Women have the power and the perspective to transcend the petty power play bullshit of entrenched party politics. If the existing parties make us beg for them to do the right thing, when the people and the planet are in direct danger NOW, why should we keep begging? Why not make it happen our own way?

Seems that's what Cindy Sheehan did. By taking a stand and asking good questions. By having the courage and dignity to suffer the slings and arrows of the chattering classless. And didn't they look pathetic? Venal?

The pretzeldent wants to look strong by hiding from a mother in a straw hat. He wants to not "send the wrong message" by running the meatgrinder in Iraq no matter what.

Are people starting to think that it affects them yet?

[CBHagman]

19. Actually, I always thought a good protest sign would be...

IF ONLY LAURA HAD READ LYSISTRATA.

[omega minimo]

20. IF ONLY LAURA HAD READ

LYSISTEPFORD

:yourock:

[omega minimo]

21. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4423930&mesg_id=4423930

Here's a Greatest thread on the subject of Iraqi women's rights where a flurry of passionate discussion raises all the right questions and the big one remains:

WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS?

At work someone was saying that it was up to the Iraqi women to stand up for themselves. She was under the impression that the Constitutional assembly included 25% women-- and that they should be doing fighting this-- and the U.S should not impose our values.

She actually said that Iraqi women should be "out in the streets" protesting this. She seems to picture Iraq as a something other than an insurgent war zone where women are in fear for their lives on a GOOD day, let alone trying to hold a protest march for their rights!

Quotes from Bushco. showing they say whatever sounds good at the time. Who remembers?

“The advance of women’s rights and the advance of liberty are ultimately inseparable.”
– President Bush, 3/14/04

“President Bush has made the advance of women’s human rights a global policy priority. … We all have an obligation to speak for women who are denied their rights to learn, to vote or to live in freedom.”
– First Lady Laura Bush, 3/8/05

“The commitment of this administration to women’s rights in Iraq is unshakable.”
– Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, 3/9/04

“There can be no compromise on the principle that Iraqis can each have an equal role in the building of their country’s future without regard to their ethnic or religious background or gender.”
– U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad, 8/8/05

VERSUS

According to Kurdish and Sunni negotiators, the US ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, proposed that Islam be named “a primary source” and supported a wording which would give clerics authority in civil matters such as divorce, marriage and inheritance.

If approved, critics say that the proposals would erode women’s rights and other freedoms enshrined under existing laws. … Dozens of women gathered in central Baghdad yesterday to protest against what the organiser, Yanar Mohammad, feared would be a “fascist, nationalist and Islamist” constitution. “We are fighting to avoid becoming second class citizens,” she said.

http://thinkprogress.org /