Who Was Responsible For Feminism

The general consensus these days seems to be that women are solely responsible for feminism. Of course, the most prominent XXth century feminists were all women, however,  feminism doesn't exist on its own and it didn't appear out of vacuum. Modern feminism only became possible due to the overthrow of the traditional order in the West, starting with the French Revolution, with its slogan of fraternite, egalite, liberte. Through the whole XIXth and the beginning of the XXth centuries men were fighting other men trying to establish a new world order based on the ideas of equality and humanism.

Since I'm interested in history it appeared a good idea to me to write several posts dealing with men behind feminism movement, in the name of fairness and equality. Women were not the only ones responsible for feminism, and I'm convinced that without men, the whole feminist project would have been doomed to failure.

If we travel back in time to 1848, we'll find out that it was the year of the revolutions in practically the whole of Europe. It began in France (where else?) and spread to most of Europe and even Latin America. Some of those who participated in these events were nationalists desiring freedom from foreign oppression, while others were socialists and supporters of democracy and universal (male) suffrage. European men in Victorian times were an adventurous lot and some apparently joined the rebels simply for the thrill of it all.

I first became interested in the topic after visiting Hungary, and while perusing Wiki articles about different men who had participated in the events, I found out that some of them were feminist as well. There was, for instance, one Robert Blum, a German by birth, who among other things, supported the equality of sexes. Though a Catholic himself, he stood at the beginning of Germany's humanist movement. He was also the leader of the radical liberal (left) fraction of the parliament of Frankfurt, and not surprisingly, a member of a freemason lodge.

When the revolution started in 1848, he was already over 40 years old, and should have known better, but he still decided to travel to Vienna and join the revolutionary forces, with rather disastrous results. He was arrested and brought before a military tribunal, which promptly sentenced him to death. At this point, unfortunate Robert tried to plead his privilege as an MP which should have given  him diplomatic immunity, but it didn't help and he was executed. (If you want to know more, you can read about his life and career here).

He was one of the many young and not-so-young men who gave his life for things which he believed in, and I can respect that, even though I disagree with his politics, however, I find it rather amusing that XIXth century men were ready to fight and die for such a thing as the equality of sexes.

Breaking News

Here is some personal news: my book is now also available as a PDF file from Lulu. com, for the price of only 3.00 euros.

Here is the link:
The Long Way Home ebook

It's also available on Amazon, with a discount and free shipping:
The Long Way Home on Amazon.com

I added the links to the side bar, under "More Recommended Reading"

La Donna E Mobile

English text

In Defence Of Marriage

I'd like to draw your attention to this article in Daily Mail:
Most family breakups involve unmarried parents

It provides data supporting the claims which have been made by various Christian organisations, namely, that cohabitation is one of the chief reasons for the breakdown of the modern family (no-fault divorce is another one). According to Daily Mail, unmarried parents are four times more likely to split up than those who have wed. 

The picture they used is clearly showing modern bias in portraying women as eternal victims (because we all know that only men can be verbally abusive), however, the article itself is very good. It contains a warning to those who are planning to cohabit: 

"We have an epidemic of family breakdown because so few people realise how badly the odds of  success are stacked against unmarried co-habitees.‘If you’re living together as unmarried parents, you’re four times more likely to split up than married parents."


The author of the article speculates further on what could be the reasons behind it:
‘It is frequently said that low income and poor education are the main reasons behind family breakdown. But, if anything, the average income and level in education has improved since the 1980s while family breakdown has doubled.

And then comes to a surprisingly correct answer:

 We haven'’t been getting poorer or less well-educated but we have become less willing to commit to our families.

The real issue is the lack of commitment. It's really that simple, cohabitation is not marriage, even though a lot of people try to persuade themselves and others otherwise. When you marry, you promise to have and to hold, for better for worse, till death do us part. When you cohabit, you normally don't make any promises, you just stay together as long as it suits both of you.

Even the government seems to be paying attention:

Last month, the Institute for  Fiscal Studies said it was wrong to suggest two years ago that  marriage had no bearing on whether or not couples break up.
The think-tank admitted that money, education and social factors do not explain family failure.
More than 2.5million lower-income married  couples are in line for a tax break of up to £200 a year.
But increasing evidence that being wed helps keeps families united is adding to pressure on David Cameron to do more.

If you want to raise your children in stable environment, the best thing you can do is to marry and to stay married.

The Peace And Quiet Of Home

May be I'm too young to write about peace and quiet, but I'll give it a try anyway:)

There is a Scandinavian legend about a man who fell in love with a Valkirie. They got married and she became a normal housewife but in the end couldn't stand the quiet domestic life and flew away to the battlefields, leaving her husband behind with a child. That's what often happens with women nowadays. They will seek the excitement and thrill and find a normal life at home boring.

It's actually easier nowadays than ever before because with the advent of Internet one can be physically at home, but mentally far away, fighting Internet battles instead of doing the dishes. Mind you that I don't mean anyone in particular, as I have been guilty of it myself at times.

Not so long ago there was a distinction between the male and female spheres of influence, and politics was the domain of men. Consider this quote by Queen Victorian of England:

I love peace and quiet, I hate politics and turmoil. We women are not made for governing, and if we are good women, we must dislike these masculine occupations.”  (taken from her famous quote on feminism, read it in full over here )

Please, think of it. She was a queen, and governing was her occupation and yet she wrote that she hated politics and turmoil. Why do so many women today love it? There are also men who expect women to fight their battles for them and demand to know why so few traditional women join their political movements. The answer is simple, a traditional woman prefers knitting (or sewing or gardening) to going to the barricades. I can't think of something less feminine than spending endless hours in political debates with strange men on the internet.

I don't want to say that a woman can't be interested in politics at all, or can't express her opinion on things, or can't have a site debating feminism, for instance. I do it myself sometimes, and through the years I learned a lot of things from the web. It's just that the traditional woman realises that the most important thing in her life is to create a peaceful and cosy environment at home so that she can nurture her children and take a good care of her husband. He spends his whole day breaking his back at work (at least, mine does), and when he finally comes home he wants some peace and quiet, not debating politics with his wife or listening to her complaints about how everything around sucks and how the world is going to end tomorrow.

Have you ever read When The Queens Ride By? If not, you can read it over here. The older I become the more I understand how true the story is. It's a woman's role, to play the queen. Let men go to the barricades and fight their battles, and when they return home, you'll provide them with a nice cup of tea and a good dinner for their efforts. Be a woman, not a brother in arms; in the end they will appreciate you much more for this!

You see, by fulfilling her supportive domestic role and keeping the home fires burning, a woman frees men to go out and do their part, and together they will make this world a better place.

It's Time For Tea...

And tea bread with thyme!

Thyme is a herb known from ancient times, and it has a lot of health benefits. It can be added to a variety of dishes; or, as in this recipe, to a cake.

You will need:

3/4c milk
1tsp dried thyme (1tbsp fresh thyme)
1/2c soft butter
1c sugar
2 eggs
2c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1tbsp lemon juice
1tbsp grated lemon peel

and for the glaze:
1/2c powder sugar
1tbsp lemon juice

In a pan, combine milk and thyme, bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, let stand for ab. 5 minutes, covered. Cool.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, add eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and add to the mixture alternatively with milk. Stir in lemon juice and peel, transfer to a greased loaf pan ( I used a pan for cake), and bake at about 175*C for 40 till 45 minutes.

For the glaze, combine powder sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over the cake. You can eat it for dessert or with a cup of tea.

Feminine Clothes Don't Have To Be Expensive

Feminine clothes don't have to cost a fortune!

The result of my visiting a Goodwill store last week - the cardi and dress together cost under 20 euros.  The cardi is made from mohair blend, and it is very warm and cosy. If you have always wanted to dress more feminine but lack money to buy expensive stuff, a goodwill type of store is a real solution, and since it's basicaly recycling, it's environmentally friendly, too!:)

The Dangers Of Alcohol

Some time ago I wrote a post discussing health benefits of alcohol, which probably cost me some readers, so today I'm going to write another one, this time about the dangers of (excessive) alcohol consumption.

While moderate drinking can probably have at least some health benefits as I mentioned before, there are several problems with alcohol. First, it is addictive, and because it is legal, people tend to overindulge, and many are not aware that alcohol withdrawal may be fatal.

Another problem with alcohol is that it removes inhibitions and makes people do stupid things they will most certainly regret later, like getting into fights or sleeping around. I think we all have heard about "beer goggles" (I think this song gives a pretty good summary of why you shouldn't drink) which make every woman beautiful, but while Western men were getting drunk for centuries, until recently the only females who kept them company, were "ladies of easy leisure".

However, nowadays drinking among teenage girls and young women seems pretty much the norm, and as this blogger points out may be one of the reasons of increased female promiscuity. It's a good idea to teach your daughters not to get drunk, especially in company of (strange) men.

More On Decoration

With the 12 days of Christmas officially behind us, I finally took away all the Christmasy decorations, with the exception of the Christmas Angels which you still can see in the picture. I didn't get rid of the tree until after Epiphany though it appears that officially the Christmas season doesn't end until the 2nd of February! I agree with Will S. that we should celebrate winter, but here in Holland we haven't had much of it this year:)

My husband brought me this hyacinth from work. Isn't he sweet?:)I thought it would look nice with the white candles and the green tablecloth. Sometimes just adding a little detail can make your house cosier, and it will feel more like home. After all, it's often the little things in life which matter most.