Keepers of the Truth
This is a place where I will express myself in various ways. It is my hope that my views and art will create dialog which will be fun and informative. I'm always looking for insightful and constructive criticism.Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Response on empowerment
I am writing here to a discussion taking place between Bald Man and myself on Mynameismommy. I think it only fair to take my comment off Kerri's site as it is off the original topic and might follow lines she would rather not have on her blog.
You can read the original post and responses here
I will continue...
Baldie: I agree in much of what you are saying, but I think we are looking at two different ways to solve this problem. If you want to take down the powerful man, take him down. You can't do that by promoting one group because then they feel they deserve it, hoping they will someday be on par with the MAN.
What I'm saying is that if you and Kerri were each given a bunch of string and some beads you would each have the same chance at producing something sellable (aside from any natural personal artistic abilities). On this area we are all level. Now to say, I'm going to sell Kerri's necklace because she's a woman and woman have a tougher time than you as a man who could/should be doing something more meaningful, that's wrong.
If you want to get rid of the MAN who is holding down the people you need to look at who the MAN is. Who is it in those 3rd world countries? Is it the "FairTrade" people who give only 1/3 to 1/4 of the PROFIT back to the producers? That doesn't sound fair to me? Is it the religions (IE. Muslim, Christian, local, etc) who have for centuries said that women don't need to work outside the home for living wages? Is it the white society? Honestly, I don't know.
I'm sick and tired of the whole, "Why aren't there more black NFL coaches?" Why? Maybe because there haven't been enough black people who have proven themselves. When will we ever have enough? When will that argument go away? We had two coaches in the Stupid Bowl this year who were black (mulatto), and more was made about their color than the fact that they had worked hard and long to get there. Each man deserved his spot because he’d paid his dues in the lower ranks and proved himself. Would he have been in that position if it’d been given to him because of his color, most likely not. I’m not saying there aren’t racist people out there, but most people at the top want to promote those who can make them more money, regardless of race or gender. Put the race card away! All we are doing by lifting up one group and holding down another is empowering the race card.
Let's all just work. If the wages aren't fair, fire the HR person, get the board to can the CEO. We are all equal; we can't treat each other as if we aren't. That is what history has shown us. You talk about stopping the powerful by enhancing some, but not all, of the weak. That just creates new power structures.
I'll ask this to you again, but you don't have to answer since your wife may be reading. Can a woman do anything a man can do given the fair chance to work? If yes, the woman doesn't need an artificial boost. Correct?
You can read the original post and responses here
I will continue...
Baldie: I agree in much of what you are saying, but I think we are looking at two different ways to solve this problem. If you want to take down the powerful man, take him down. You can't do that by promoting one group because then they feel they deserve it, hoping they will someday be on par with the MAN.
What I'm saying is that if you and Kerri were each given a bunch of string and some beads you would each have the same chance at producing something sellable (aside from any natural personal artistic abilities). On this area we are all level. Now to say, I'm going to sell Kerri's necklace because she's a woman and woman have a tougher time than you as a man who could/should be doing something more meaningful, that's wrong.
If you want to get rid of the MAN who is holding down the people you need to look at who the MAN is. Who is it in those 3rd world countries? Is it the "FairTrade" people who give only 1/3 to 1/4 of the PROFIT back to the producers? That doesn't sound fair to me? Is it the religions (IE. Muslim, Christian, local, etc) who have for centuries said that women don't need to work outside the home for living wages? Is it the white society? Honestly, I don't know.
I'm sick and tired of the whole, "Why aren't there more black NFL coaches?" Why? Maybe because there haven't been enough black people who have proven themselves. When will we ever have enough? When will that argument go away? We had two coaches in the Stupid Bowl this year who were black (mulatto), and more was made about their color than the fact that they had worked hard and long to get there. Each man deserved his spot because he’d paid his dues in the lower ranks and proved himself. Would he have been in that position if it’d been given to him because of his color, most likely not. I’m not saying there aren’t racist people out there, but most people at the top want to promote those who can make them more money, regardless of race or gender. Put the race card away! All we are doing by lifting up one group and holding down another is empowering the race card.
Let's all just work. If the wages aren't fair, fire the HR person, get the board to can the CEO. We are all equal; we can't treat each other as if we aren't. That is what history has shown us. You talk about stopping the powerful by enhancing some, but not all, of the weak. That just creates new power structures.
I'll ask this to you again, but you don't have to answer since your wife may be reading. Can a woman do anything a man can do given the fair chance to work? If yes, the woman doesn't need an artificial boost. Correct?
Labels: Bald Man, empowerment, Mynameismommy, race
Comments:
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OK, I'm finally at home with time to respond.
There seems to be the assumption in your arguments that Kerri and I (to continue your initial example) are given the same opportunities to make and sell our necklaces. Reality is the playing field isn't level. She, as a woman, too often isn't given the opportunity to sell her necklaces... or even given access to the raw materials... or worse she is "loaned" the raw materials then denied the opportunity to sell the finished goods so that she becomes enslaved by debt because she is unable to repay the loan.
The world isn't a meritocracy; the best qualified, most industrious don't always succeed. On the contrary, those with power have gotten awfully good at maintaining and consolidating even more power. There are a hundred reasons why we are where we are - you mention a few contributing factors. The only way to make a change is for those with power to give it away.
There seems to be the assumption in your arguments that Kerri and I (to continue your initial example) are given the same opportunities to make and sell our necklaces. Reality is the playing field isn't level. She, as a woman, too often isn't given the opportunity to sell her necklaces... or even given access to the raw materials... or worse she is "loaned" the raw materials then denied the opportunity to sell the finished goods so that she becomes enslaved by debt because she is unable to repay the loan.
The world isn't a meritocracy; the best qualified, most industrious don't always succeed. On the contrary, those with power have gotten awfully good at maintaining and consolidating even more power. There are a hundred reasons why we are where we are - you mention a few contributing factors. The only way to make a change is for those with power to give it away.
# posted by 
: 10:33 PM
: 10:33 PM
I am going to make an assumption here. When businesses like FairTrade set up shops where their women can make their products, can they not set them up so that men and women can work side by side? I'm going to assume that in these third world countries where all these types of products are being produced they have not been making these things in mass quantities for centuries. These plants where this stuff comes from is a new thing. That is why I'm going on the assumption that we can set these up in a situation which is different from the situation which we have here in the US.
Most of the products sold Fair Trade aren't from factories. They're hand made by micro-enterprises, locally owned and operated. Distribution is handled by organizations that voluntarily charge less than they have the power to. (20-30% might not seem like much, but it's a helluva lot more than they get under the "free trade" system.)
They are frequently set up in places where women are denied the right or opportunity to work within the existing economy.
The existing factory infrastructure is usually part of the problem, because they already possess the power and are unwilling to give any away.
They are frequently set up in places where women are denied the right or opportunity to work within the existing economy.
The existing factory infrastructure is usually part of the problem, because they already possess the power and are unwilling to give any away.
# posted by : 10:00 PM
: 10:00 PM
But my point, which you don't seem to want to acknowledge, is that these people who set up the micro-enterprises can set up a system where men and women are equal. They can beat the system by not playing the game by existing rules. Anyone can say, I can anything you can do better. A true new system is breaking down what is in place and replacing it with something completely new.
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