Hopefully, Stacey McCain has put the whole Feminist argument behind us with his 4000 word essay about having to re-read Susan Brownmiller’s epic work, ” Against Our Will; Men, Women and Rape.” Glad it was him that took one for the team. Here’s a snippet;
“God help us if she ever gets raped — we will be buried under an avalanche of rhetoric.”
– James Wolcott, letter to the Village Voice, 1971Little Miss Attila vowed Monday that she owes me an essay in response to a post I wrote, and she can write a damned book for all I care. Having begun by insulting me — “fiddle-faddle”! – she has repeatedly doubled down every time I’ve defended myself, and keeps treating my defenses as if they were acts of aggression: How dare you deny your inferiority!
This obviously isn’t about me, but about her, and I cannot be responsible for her feelings of indignation at my refusal to kowtow.
What began the dispute (those few who have followed it will recall) was my attempt to briefly recount the history of feminism, locating it as movement of the Left. In particular, I called attention to Betty Friedan’s Communist history as evidence of feminism’s ideological orientation. Attila responded by throwing out the name Gloria Steinem as an “a-ha!” But this did not disprove feminism’s left-wing origins, as I explained, because Steinem was a somewhat opportunistic Janey-come-lately to the Women’s Liberation movement that began in 1967. It was not until 1969, when Steinem wrote a New York magazine article about this burgeoning movement, that she became publicly associated with the cause.
Given the fact that the actual founders of Women’s Liberation were all closely associated with the anti-war ’60s New Left — including SDS members and several “Red Diaper babies,” including Kathie Amatniek, raised by Communist parents — how on earth could a reference to Steinem be thought to refute my original point? (And, it must be noted, Steinem was herself an anti-war liberal, having supported first Eugene McCarthy and then RFK in the 1968 Democratic primaries.) You can read more of Stacey’s own epic here>
Update; I would be remiss if I didn’t give a link to Miss Attila’s rebuttal
Update II; Da Tech Guy enters the fray with some advise
That Mr. G Guy's Blog 
I find “blogger flame wars” to be childish, boring, and a complete waste of time – except for the fact it always brings out the best in Stacy.
No doubt he is a brilliant writer who too often wastes his talents on trivial pursuits. Even us “right wing” bloggers can start living in our own little bubbles and end up ignoring the bigger issues.
Since Stacy is involved in so many of these confrontations, I’ve wondered how many of them are “staged” events to get the hit counter up.
In any event, his essay was wonderful. I spent minimal time on LMA because I’ve never been a fan and she is way out of her league. No disrespect to Attila – but I can’t read every blog out there.
Thanks for the alert as I may have skipped it by accident. Google Reader doesn’t give enough of Stacy’s articles to afford me a proper heads up to the truly good ones.
Disclaimer: Stacy and I could be considered “friends” in the online, occasional phone call sort of way.
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