“History doesn’t repeat. It rhymes.”

-Ken Burns

At its core, feminism was a struggle for equality. To ensure that a female had the same right as a male to vote, to obtain a job, to get paid equally in that job. A noble struggle, it was, for egalitarianism. But in the modern era, this once-noble cause has shifted toward demonization of men, rather than its intended course of females being equal to men.

In a 2016 Buzzfeed video titled 36 Questions Women Have For Men, the sexism of the new feminism was shown. The women in the videos asked questions like, “How does it feel to be the same sex as Donald Trump?” or “In what world does no mean yes?” or “Why are you always trying to prove your masculinity to me?” or “Why isn’t it weird that there’s a bunch of old white men sitting in a room making legislation about what I can and can’t do with my body?” or “Why are you so afraid of gender equality?” or “Why do I deserve to get paid less than you?”

“I am aware of the forces of the unconscious masculine physic that… seek to dominate the feminine”, is one quote in a 2011 video called Dear Women, which featured men apologizing to women.

In this modern feminism, men have not been seen as counterparts in the fight for equality, but oppressors, whom have held back this fight. Not only is this demonization wrong, but it is destructive to the cause of equality.

Modern feminism is now portraying feminism as a male versus female war, a rebellion against tyranny. However, social change usually does not work this way. Cite the Black Lives Matter movement. While its motives are reasonable, the way it achieves those is wholly ineffective. By turning the problem into cop versus minorities, the movement has caused much tension between the two groups. With this method, the movement has created little change. According to the Washington Post, in 2015, 991 police shootings occurred, while in 2016, 963 did. At this rate of decline, it would take until 2053 for this number to reach 0.

Modern feminism is another case. Through it, little has changed. For example, the wage gap is still a pressing issue, whereas the inclusive model of feminism has achieved all we think about when we hear the word ‘feminism’.

Modern feminism is like radical Islam. Perverted, but based on a noble foundation. All that is needed is a return to that place. For modern feminism, it needs to return to its egalitarian feminist roots.

Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/national/police-shootings-2017/