Having just completed a post on “rape” as it will now be defined in the UK, allow me to link to a semi-related discussion on “the “Muslim rape epidemic, reaction of the West, clash of cultures, adaptation/submission of western culture to the he-man woman hating (or just plain rights-of-the-indivdual hating club) that is traditional Islam.”
Does each culture get to define “rape” in its own way? Or is there some objective notion of rape that is universal—or, if you prefer, that should be promoted as universal?
Recall Yale feminist Della Sentilles’ words quoted here yesterday: “As a white American feminist, I do not feel comfortable making statements or judgments about other cultures, especially statements that suggest one culture is more sexist and repressive than another […] American feminism is often linked to and manipulated by the state in order to further its own imperialist ends.â€Â
As with “torture,” it seems to me that steadily defining down actions that are characterized as rape diminish the very concept and relativize it to the point where individual cultures can make claims to coercive sexual behaviors that other cultures cannot presume to judge. Is this where multiculturalism and modern feminism that adheres to multiculturalist tenets has led us?
(h/t Sarah W)
Come on, Jeff. No can even agree on a definition of feminism. How can you expect them to agree on a definition of rape?
I’m being snarky, of course. Excellent post, as usual.
TV (Harry)
tw: asked. I asked her if it was OK; she said yes; but said no afterwards. I must be guilty.
Why not just keep things simple and use the legal standard of ‘rape’ that applies when making decisions about abortion?
Where to start?
We have been told, consistently, that rape is not a crime involving “sex”; it is a crime of violence, that is, an assault.
Where does “consent” fit in with that?
And I once heard a feminist student at an Ivy League college complain about a fellow student – with the emphasis on “fellow” – that he had “raped her with his eyes.” Obviously without her consent. And she was quite serious, expecting some sanction to be levied by college officials against the fellow.
It’s what happens when meaning is removed from a word that we always thought we understood, in order to serve an agenda.
Seems to me that the same considerations which supposedly prevent us comparing one culture to another would also (and all the more so) prevent us comparing our own culture to what our own culture ought to be. And so, goodbye faminism (among other things).
I guess sexual “Buyer’s Remorse” is now rape. The only thing I can tell you, guys, is you had better take a couple of courses like, Pleasing the Female 101 and An Introduction to Snuggling After the Act and various others. Either that or get your attorney to draw up a Precoital Agreement.
As for us fortunate enough to be in a “continuing” relationship, I think we will be OK. Sort of hard to claim “Buyer’s Remorse” after you’ve used it beyond the warranty.
There are many obvious cases of rape. There are some obvious cases of claimed rape that are not rape. There are many in which the degree of coercion is difficult to quantify. To some extent that is complicated by cultural norms.
This is controversial? This is a political issue that divides conservatives and liberals? How so?
Tristero –
Set your wayback machine to 1980. Relive the last 26 years, and this time pay attention.
tristero, you never did answer my question as to why you pronounced even money odds that Michael Totten would be murdered in Beirut on your blog.
I think it was because you are jealous that Totten has balls or because you have a tiny dick in addition to having no balls.
According to Mark Steyn, whose judgement on matters near and far seems to me to be pretty sound, Europe is quickly becoming Eurabia mostly because of unassimilated immigration, which is at least partially due to the vacuum created by a sub-maintenance population growth. And now the Brits want to take alcohol out of the mating process? In a country where the majority of people have bad teeth and an unfortunate overabundance of freckles? Have they really thought this through?
Just run with it.
If there’s no objective standard, and it is completely up to the individual culture – then there’s no reason why we have to go with this whole women’s/minority rights thing either.
Moving away would simple be the progression of our own culture, not the repeal of universal rights. It is simply political spoils, to be repealed whenever we get the majority and popular movement.
Errr wait, you leftists thought your rights were above reproach, as opposed to theirs?
Everyman â€â€
Yeah, well the Pope says it’s sin to use Visine after…
The other thing to remember of you rape someone with your eyes is the risk of contracting Visual AIDS.
– And here I thought visual AIDS were only used during oral exams…..
Holy shit, I just read Della Sentilles’ quote three times, and I don’t think I get it. Is it the ultimate multi-cultural moral equivocation ? Is she just telling us what makes her squeamish ? Is she saying she is incapable of passing judgement on a people who view rape a a rite of passage ? Rape is A-OK as long as you’re dumb enough to believe it is a good way to cure AIDS ?
Shorter Della Sentilles: Only white Western males are responsible for rape. All rapes. Did my translation lose something?
I slept on it, and I think I got it wrong. Sentilles isn’t renouncing her self described feminist bona fides, she still believes rape is wrong. Its just that if we were to judge these rapes as wrong, feelings of smugness and cultural superiority might surface and this inevitably leds to imperialism. Or something.
As for us fortunate enough to be in a “continuing†relationship, I think we will be OK. Sort of hard to claim “Buyer’s Remorse†after you’ve used it beyond the warranty.
Wow! Whoever is in that “continuing” relationship with you is one lucky lady. Every woman should be fortunate enough to find that level of respect in a man.
As we are continually hammered by the Left that we must be tolerant of Islam, are the rapes allowed under Sharia law to be tolerated as well?
I see a cold war between those who fight for what they call sexual freedom, and those who fight against rape, and both sides are often the same side. If they do not realize, soon, that they are at war with themselves, then I think that they’ll soon discover themselves in a world where men and women cannot have sex with each other without entering an explicit, witnessed contract with each other, in order to avoid the threat of a rape charge. Of course, said contract would necessarily have to make explicit all permitted and forbidden sexual acts, and while it’s doing so, it will probably codify the entire social relationship between any set of sexual partners, all in the name of preventing rape.
If only we had a system for enforcing contracts of this nature today…
For a rapid remedy for Muslim rape of unveiled free women, please see
http://islamic-danger.blogspot.com/2007/04/disease-muslim-males-raping-non-muslim.html
also
http://islamic-danger.blogspot.com/2007/04/sex-sells-always-did-always-will.html
and
http://islamic-danger.blogspot.com/2007/04/rape-and-muslim-psyche-new-stuff.html