Distraction politics

Megolomania

I’ve been thinking about many hot political issues lately as a sidestepping of any real issues or questions that people might unite under.

Some examples:

Distraction
Pro vs anti abortion
Real issues: Why do women feel they have to have an abortion or put off having kids to keep up with their career trajectory? Why do we believe women should have a stable marriage and finances before having kids rather than say having kids young and living with her parents to help raise the kids then start a career when the kids start school. Why can’t most families live on a single income anymore? What are all the factors driving down wages and driving up cost of living? How much wealth is enough to raise well adjusted well educated children? Why do parents feel the need to start saving for their kids college before they even get pregnant? Why are we willing to accept that kids need to go to college if it costs more than starting a small business? Why are women unable or unwilling to access/use birth control? Is birth control failing? Do the current birth control options have too many side effects?

Distraction
College loan forgiveness/ free college
Real issues
What factors have led to the substantial increase in college tuition? Who is profiting from the current system? Who is getting screwed? Does the current college model work better than on the job training for career preparation? Is college necessary when someone could learn from books and the internet? Why does the public school system not teach kids to seek out information on their own and instead expect to be spoon fed by teachers and professors?

Distraction
If your child likes things of the opposite gender they might be transgender and you must respect that.
Real issue
What gender roles and stereotypes are valid and which are arbitrary? Why not just do away with the arbitrary gender norms and let people be themselves without gender being the defining factor of their identity? Who is profiting from the proliferation of extreme gender roles? ( toy companies, clothing companies etc..).

Pfhorrest

Distraction
Pro vs anti abortion
Real issues: Why do women feel they have to have an abortion or put off having kids to keep up with their career trajectory? Why do we believe women should have a stable marriage and finances before having kids rather than say having kids young and living with her parents to help raise the kids then start a career when the kids start school. Why can’t most families live on a single income anymore? What are all the factors driving down wages and driving up cost of living? How much wealth is enough to raise well adjusted well educated children? Why do parents feel the need to start saving for their kids college before they even get pregnant? Why are we willing to accept that kids need to go to college if it costs more than starting a small business? Why are women unable or unwilling to access/use birth control? Is birth control failing? Do the current birth control options have too many side effects? — Megolomania

This is basically the position of most pro-choice people: we should increase access to birth control and decrease the circumstances in which women would fear to become mothers, so that fewer people want to have abortions; but those who need them, can still get them. The so-called "pro-life" (anti-choice) side generally favor policies that lead to an increase in circumstances where women would want to have abortions (because they're in circumstances where they wouldn't want to have kids, but they got pregnant anyway), and then deny access to them, instead blaming the women for their promiscuity.

Distraction
If your child likes things of the opposite gender they might be transgender and you must respect that.
Real issue
What gender roles and stereotypes are valid and which are arbitrary? Why not just do away with the arbitrary gender norms and let people be themselves without gender being the defining factor of their identity? Who is profiting from the proliferation of extreme gender roles? ( toy companies, clothing companies etc..). — Megolomania

This is actually a misunderstanding of the whole transgender concept, which is not just about adopting the sociological gender role and presentation of the opposite sex, but about a psychological discomfort with one's physical body.

What you're saying is basically the misunderstanding that drives TERFs to thinking that "the trans agenda" is counteracting feminist progress. (Not that I'm accusing you of being one, just noting that you misunderstand in the same way that they do. I think the language of "transgender" really contributes to that misunderstanding, and I suggest a disambiguation of it to solve that problem).

Megolomania

I see your point about pro choice being more aware of some of these issues. But I don’t see too many pro choice people questioning weather a woman should be following the traditional career trajectory that was created by men for men at a time when women were home taking care of children.

One side of the false dichotomy presented by the politicians/ media is probably more ‘right’. But I think taking little steps to solve the big problems of a society that is changing faster than policy can keep up is a bit like putting a band aid on a gaping wound. It’s a wasted effort that could be going towards a more effective and wholistic solution. The short term solution stifles conversation on the whole issue. I think the conservative side may potentially represent some interests of women in small towns, or women who choose to be homemakers who are being ignored by the liberals.

Distraction politics

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