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The comrade's remarks are just lacking knowledge about Oprah Winfrey. She was born and grew up in poverty in Mississippi under Jim Crow. And most people know this and that she was herself molested as a child and raped and had a child that died while she a teenager in poverty. Oprah Winfrey gave a wonderful inspiring speech at the Golden Globes. The critique in general about how she urges adaption instead of total revolution is legitimate concern, since she is no longer of the working class or views that class as what is needed to make much needed change enacted to end exploitation and destruction of all life on this planet. But as a woman and a Black Woman, who has grown up in this patriarchal sexist and racist society, she has every right to speak out and say what she did. And she knew Recy Taylor and brought that terrible violence to that woman, to the nation's attention - that helped all women threatened with violence and abuse. This is 2018, and it would be nice for self proclaimed progressive men to stop declaring what oppression and to whom matters and that others do not. The psychological and physical assault that many women face, are all horrible. That poor disabled Black Lesbians have less power and support is clear, to not only those who view themselves as Marxists, but to most people in general. But no woman or man should be sexually assaulted, whether rich or poor. And being raped or threatened with sexual assault is real for many and is not to be dismissed or proclaimed "as less oppressive" than other deplorable acts. I left the YSA/SWP over its nonsense (That was insulting) when Jack Barnes cult followers proclaimed Gays and Lesbians had "little social weight". The same thinking about "comparing" oppression and not acknowledging it was the patriarchal system that enforced women of all classes isolation and all being potential sexual victims, even those with maids. Because it was those wealthy and powerful men who had control and carried out terror against rich and poor women. And yes some wealthy women condoned this for their own financial and societal status (but not all) and yes rich women can hire lawyers and might gain more voice and acknowledgement (but not all) and many remained silent not because as the comrade wrongly writes, but as Oprah Winfrey stated and has for many years - the fear of shame, rejection and isolation, if they did not. Psychological control is a major way to continue people oppressed and it affects people across the class lines too! I assume most men on this list want to get rid of the patriarchy and to also reject bourgeois feminists like Hillary Clinton. But socialist feminists should not decry women in film and media and other professions with more wealth and power than poor women and men wage workers, being able to challenge and question the patriarchy. Removing Roger Ailes, Bill O'Reiley, Charlie Rose, Matt Laer, etc. from power does not harm us poorer wage workers, It weakens the patriarchy and thus creates a more weakened institution and system - not a stronger one. Class is the prime concern for us, but it should not be the only, since ending capitalism does not end all sexism, racism, etc. and ending patriarchy is a good thing! Margaret Thatcher and Hillary Clinton relied on the patriarchy for their own power and wealth. Long overdue to have the Third Wave of Feminism sweep away much needed foundations of oppression. It will only lead to more class awareness by women laborers who will not be satisfied with the continuing inequality and oppression against them, due to their status and exploitation. Would this nation and world be better off if Oprah Winfrey did not give that speech at the Golden Globes yesterday that was seen by millions around the world, as the comrade's criticism seems to suggest? Keeping things as they were or only waiting for a class revolution, is not the only options and it might seem irrelevant or unimportant to the writer, but it is not and very real to many others. We will not have a successful needed revolution without Women of Color's leadership and getting rid of the patriarchy. ________________________________ I have to admit that I purposely ignored the Golden Globes and all of its Hollywood Rich Women’s #MeToo moments. However, I was more than insulted listening online this morning to Oprah compare the violent and brutal pain of rapes and even murders that Black women endured by racist white men during Jim Crow to that of rich white women in Hollywood and business. The brutal gang rape of Recy Taylor by six white men in Alabama is not comparable to the alleged sexual assaults that rich white women* (often times purposely endured for fame and money) *are fighting in their new #TimesUp and #MeToo movements. To compare the savagery and racism that fueled the many rapes and abuse that Black women had to endure by the hands of racist white men to that of rich white women’s new fight for dominance and power is a shameful erasure, even for Oprah. These rich women weren’t raped, beaten, bloodied and left to die because of hate and white power, these rich women chose silence out of fear of their careers and wealth, Black women who chose silence during Jim Crow etc., chose silence out of fear for their very lives and that of their families. _________________________________________________________ Full posting guidelines at: http://www.marxmail.org/sub.htm Set your options at: http://lists.csbs.utah.edu/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
