September 10, 2004
Ruth
First attempt to clear up a few issues.
"Therapy-monger despatched with the same Ruthless, sorry ruthless, efficiency as Arnie takes out the oedipeddlar... or leon takes out the blade runner... 'let me tell you about my mother....'"
Quoted from Mark's blog, taken from his list of people he has argued against, Socrates style, or rather shouted at until they give up.
I don't know what 'Therapy-monger' is meant to mean, but anyhow, I suppose he's talking about bringing Germaine Greer into play against the 'cyber female'? Mark implies that he has argued against me successfully, however, it's quite clear to me that he hasn't engaged in anything I've said (at least Socrates always does manage to do this, even in the most annoying way possible!). It's obviously impossible to have an argument in this case, as it's obvious there is going to be no resolution or giving way. I'm also not clear about what I am arguing against. My criticism of the content was not acceptable because I was not engaging with the theory behind it - but I am in still no way clear what the theory is, so can't argue against it.
I've been planning to write about Germaine Greer for ages now, anyway, so hopefully I will be able to steer some people in her direction and maybe show what is wrong with this idea that there is nothing further for women to "moan" about, because of the 'cyber female', and "even Sadie Plant says so". (Mark brings up cyberfeminism in his defence now after a decade of slagging off Sadie's work, of course)
I have only just started re-reading The Whole Woman, but would like to quote her a few times in what I have read so far. I do this for men, and but obviously, especially women because "A woman's first duty to herself is to survive this process [to be described in The Whole Woman], then to recognize it, then to take measures to defend herself against it."
"Post-Modernists are proud and pleased that gender now justifies fewer suppositions about an individual than ever before, but for women still wrestling with the same physical realities this new silence about their visceral experiences is the same old rapist's hand clamped ocross their mouths. Real women are being phased out; the first step, persuading them to deny their own existence, is almost complete.""The future is female, we are told. Feminism has served its purpose and should now eff off. Feminism was long hair, dungarees and dangling errings; post-feminism was business suits, big hari and lipstick; post-post-feminsm was ostentatious sluttishness and disorderly behaviour."
"...the causes of female suffering can be grouped under the heading 'contradictory expectations'."
I will mention one of these expectations now - it is particularly relevant, and important to me because of my name: Caring.
"Women have historically been committed to caring; if they are now condemned to be uncaring can this be a liberation? Or should feminists establish the female principle of caring as a political principal? To do that would be to became that most absurd and outmoded of beings, a socialist... . Should we accept altruism as part of the psychological make-up of the whole woman, or should we politicize the principle of altruism on the grounds that it is no more than enlightened self-interest? We live in this world together and how we live together affects the way we live alone"
This is particularly pertinent, given that the example of one success - Grace Jones - is used to justify the position that 'everything's ok', (in the same way does Richard Branson's success justify the position that 'everything's ok' with capitalism - isn't that the opposite of mark's position?)
As undercurrent reminded me, Mark is not the the first person to imply that Ruthlessness, as well as ruthlessness is what is needed philosphically. I most certainly take exception to this. It was a devastating moment, aged 18, to be told this by the (then) well respected Nick Land. He did tell me to my face, though, and made no secret of his feeling towards me, which changed gradually into what I felt to be revulsion around the time of the CCRU. At first, his behaviour towards me was very playful - "penny for your thoughts", is something he once said to me, I swear!, so the change was clear.
Anyway, I was gutted by his analysis of my character, and took it to mean: destroy yourself: your love, your compassion disgusts me. Neither did I really understand where I was meant to start. I felt myself to be mentally very strong, and also ruthless, intellectually: ie, intelligent. At any rate, I began to engage with my name, and began to consider what it meant to me. Perhaps other girls with different names would not do this - to me, I am Ruth*. Luckily, this gave me strength against Nick's well-aimed assult on my personality. And it still gives me strength now, against the same from Mark's. These people who spit in the face of compassion don't realise how strong the compassionate need to be: to contain themselves, and persevere in fruitful ways. (See this at undercurrent).
In the early days of the CCRU formation at Warwick, I saw Mark coming out of a room in the Philosophy Department corridor. He looked so sad that I put my arms around him, an irrepressible urge to comfort him that overcame me. The worst accusation that can be made to me is that, like Nietzsche with his fallen horse, I am compassionate. At the other extreme attacking someone for falling short of your hopes, even when they are totally confident, is also an act of compassion, not sabotage.
I think compassion is crucial to think about, and that is why I have put the above Greer quotes in. Obviously, there is tonnes more thinking to be done - not only on compassion, which is closer to my heart than beauty, and the other important areas of interest Greer highlights - but got to start somewhere.
* I know this all sounds a bit, "but I'm Michelle, she's Shell, if she becomes me, then who am I??" wide eyed confusion from "Big Brother's Michelle", as she is known. But there we are.
Dictionary definition of Ruth (from the very useful dictionary.com site):
1) Compassion or pity for another.
2) Sorrow or misery about one's own misdeeds or flaws.