Men, Women, Propaganda

You guys have no idea how hard it was not to title this post “It’s all so tiresome.”

Some days it’s not safe to post on X even the most innocuous stuff. You immediately attract a vast army of propaganda bots. At least I hope they were bots. Or foreign. Or perhaps foreign bots. Except for the woman who was certainly a feminist bot, but that appeared to be a self-administered lobotomy with a wooden spoon composed of half indoctrination and half native stupidity. Because if those weren’t mostly foreign and mostly bots…. allow me to quote Heinlein. “I weep for the whole human race.”

Anyway, you think it would be safe, given my audience, to quote-share an idiot testifying in congress — I swear to living Bob (the registered) I’m not making this up — saying that men and women are exactly as strong as each other, so only the rankest transphobia could cause people to oppose transwomen competing with women in sports. I share quoted it with a bog standard normal thing about how women’s bodies are actually better in many ways, such as the ability to create life within ourselves, but that in the service of that biological capacity there were other things sacrificed, such as the raw strength and agility of the male body. And that those differences start in the womb. (Not said, as I assumed basic knowledge of biology those differences get more marked every year, and sealed past puberty. I assumed this was known since it’s the biological fact recruited to justify pre-puberty (and toddler!) medical sex changes. From a physiological point of view that’s the best you can do. But knowing that kids don’t know if they want to — or can — be trains or dogs it’s a complete abomination for which our age will be judged harshly. (I thought I’d grow up to be a cat for a while in early childhood.))

Never have I ever — till that moment — been called a thot, a (though the fem-bot didn’t have enough vocabulary for that. But it’s what she meant) slave of the patriarchy AND a female supremacist in the exact same post before. (Being called a communist and an anarchist is bog standard. I assume it’s short hand for “I don’t understand your political positions, and I must scream.”)

If these weren’t — mostly — bots, there’s a great wave of mental illness stalking this great land of ours, and it’s all spiraling around the most basic of our groupings: men versus women. In fact, if these weren’t all or mostly fifty cent army or bots, I’m no longer surprised the birth rate is falling. I’m surprised it EXISTS.

And the worst part of it is that it’s all based on massive crazy. On swallowing story wholesale. On seeing people as widgets who belong to groups of widgets on a characteristic only. On completely lacking a theory of mind and thinking that whatever obsesses one is in fact the crux of existence for everyone. More importantly, on a lot of crap absorbed from a lot of “education” and “mass media.” That being the two that I suspect were not bots at all, just self-maimed individuals.

It started with the almost certainly fifty cent army. One after the other they came by to inform me I had failed biology, because women can’t create life without male contribution. Look at what I said. WHERE did I say women created life ex-nihilo and not from the (thank you guys!) gracious contribution of the male added to their own ova? Yes, I could have been more precise and said “grow life” but the creation in fact happens inside us, and again, everything we are physiologically — even people who would never on their craziest moments consider being moms — designed to do. It’s what our bodies DO. It’s what we are as members of the human species. Even those who for some reason have some defect that renders them unable to, physically (I almost was) are made on the same basic template, and designed for that, which affects our entire bodies down to cellular structure.

But apparently this was heretical and I had failed biology. I was scathing. I pointed out “created” was poetic license. I didn’t say “As opposed to saying: conceive, grow and nourish because that would be too long, you arrant fools.” I was, you understand, by way of being restrained. It happens rarely, so yes, I would like a medal. Please and thank you.

Honorable mention to the almost certainly foreigner (there is one religious book that SPECIFIES this is what happens, so you know…) who was very upset, because women create nothing. Women just take the sperm and incubate it into a baby. He was either foreigner or a visitor from the middle ages. I’m too late in the day (the cats had a field day peeing behind the computer in the living room. No, I don’t know why but I assume Havey did it because he piddles on himself, and the others decided this was the new pissoir. There was much cleaning and there’s STILL eau de cat. Sigh.) to search the Medieval medical illustrations. They were however hilarious. Note the Greeks also thought this, and also that a woman could get pregnant by eating beans. Honestly, I’m almost shocked no one answered with that. It’s the type of thing an AI would find.

Another honorable mention to the religious gentleman who’s been reading the Bible in stupid and who doesn’t understand words. He kept screaming at us that women (and presumably men) had nothing to do with making babies. G-d made babies, period. He seemed to think that’s what the word “conceived” meant and so far forgot himself as to post a screen shot of the word conceive in the dictionary and a case use which was something like “Peggy conceived three months ago.” I had to point out to him only one woman ever conceived without having sex and she doesn’t have an x account. (I THINK. I mean, who am I to say?)

Next came the bizarre wave, like a new instruction had come out, to inform me that being able to have babies is nothing special. All sorts of animals (emphasis on the grossest ones. One of the responses used cockroaches) can have babies. So what. To which I got so upset by the bizarre and besides the point stupidity that I told one of the guys that this was fine. He should try to do it himself.

Honorable mention here goes to the feminist bot that started that way but that informed me — as though this had anything to do with the fact this is what we’re naturally designed to do — that not only could every animal do this, but the important thing was for women to use their minds to innovate.

I’ll give the medal back if you wish, but by then I was not being restrained at all, so I informed her that yes, sure. However if no one has babies there will be no one to give a hang about innovations, no matter who creates them. And because by then I was feeling mean (yes, I must go to confession today or tomorrow) I pointed out it also depends on what she means by innovation. Because if this means another paper on gender studies then really she had no reason to live.

She never told me what the great innovation was, but came back to tell me “I’m sorry you were indoctrinated that the most important part of you is between your legs, babe. Particularly as you advertise yourself as a writer.”

Points for glancing at my page. Points withdrawn for not realizing I do FAR MORE than “advertise” myself as a writer, and also that I’m not posting racy pictures of myself, mostly because I don’t want to damage the eyes of the unsuspecting public. Further points withdrawn for not realizing that what I was talking about was growing babies, and that the apparatus to do so is not BETWEEN YOUR LEGS. I don’t know. Maybe she is deformed and carries her uterus and ovaries in a discrete little purse tied between her legs. MAYBE that’s her innovation. I might have called her sweetie in my answer. And something else, almost certainly not pumpkin, to show my appreciation for her calling me baby. It should have been “pumpkin” for several reasons. I did point out that yes, I was indoctrinated. Most people my age and up to ten years older were. We were propagandized to consider having children a vocation only for those who couldn’t cut it intellectually, and raising them almost an admission you were brain damaged. But fortunately I’d overcome it and realized that I could both have children and work with my mind, and be a fully realized human being.

I DID NOT finish the comment with “Fortunately no one will remember your name.” Which shows some greatness of mind. (Give me back my medal!)

Then came the champion of craziness in this whole bizarre exhibition. He — for reasons that live between his ears — decided that I was pleading for sympathy because…. hold on a minute…. because women had lost the Battle of the Sexes tennis game recently. this apparently had sobered me up after gloating over the other Battle of the Sexis tennis game.

People! You probably know me fairly well after years of reading this blog. Does any of you think I follow tennis? Battle of sexes, battle of the stars, battle of the countries or battle of the oppossums, for that matter?

I used to play badminton as a young woman, but even then I don’t think I ever followed competitions. I just liked playing it, because it was an amazing work out and it was… well, fun.

I mean I will confess to periodically cheering on Porto’s soccer club, virtually, because I know dad is happy when they win. And I have been happy when the Broncos win a big game or — hasn’t happened in forever — the superbowl because Denver is my hometown and because I have fond memories of parties to celebrate such wins. BUT I’m as likely as not NOT to watch the game, because I don’t care enough. Also this is the sum total of my involvement with team sports.

I had to deputize Foxfier, who was hanging about doing nothing (I mean she only has a small tribe of kids. How busy can she be) to figure out what the gentleidiot was screaming about.

Apparently there have been a series of battles of the sexes tennis matches, in which the male is handicapped to give the female a chance (no surprise to anyone who knows biology) and the first (?) maybe one in the seventies (maybe. Sorry Fox, the details have leaked from my ears during the night) was won by the woman, but the latest one was won by the man.

Which is why this guy thought I was trying to ingratiate myself with men because otherwise… I don’t know? Some other guy — handicapped so the woman will be competitive — will win another tennis match I probably won’t even hear about as I’m working on some two or three novels (yes, at once. Shush you.)? OR because I’m afraid random men will come to my door and challenge me to tennis matches? Because let me tell you, that is in fact a terrifying prospect, because I could never play tennis and am in dreadful shape after several years of upper respiratory infections. (Yes, coming back from that is on the schedule, and working on it in a small measure while I kick this latest.) Fortunately I DO still own guns and knives and axes and anyone coming to my door and demanding I play tennis with him (Or let’s face it her or small furry animal) will be chased off the lawn at gun point and have an ax thrown after him. (Or more likely, I won’t even answer the door because I’m upstairs and writing with headphones on, and Dan will look at the cam of the guy in Tennis Whites with a racket and go “Uh. Another weirdo. We’re not answering that.”

The point here being, note this man heard somewhere that women were gloating over this tennis game and now that women lost I must be suing for mercy. He drank the story so deeply, by the bucketfull that it never occurred to him women — like men — are in fact individuals. Women — in general, with massive exceptions (younger DIL likes baseball. Who knows why?) — are less interested in sports than men (unless our men are interested in sports. Mine is interested in mathematics. I do have to tell you he talks a lot about it. I can’t say I retain much as it all flies over my head at mach speeds. But it’s entertaining while he’s talking.) More importantly that women — in general — aren’t really in some imaginary war of the sexes, and cheering on every little victory and ruing every defeat.

I actually wrote a thing about it afterwards, on why we’re complementary, not opposites, but before that let me point out something:

Yes, you might hear more women acting like Ms. Feminist Bot above and it’s possible for men or bots who lack the company of women who trust them to believe that all of us are fully invested in this war of the sexes thing and think that we’re in some competition with men.

Look, yes, a lot more women will talk like that than men used to (that’s changed because indoctrination, foreign bots, and guzzling story.)

First, for both sexes, given them till they’re in their late twenties, please. More if they have advanced degrees. They are propagandized into the war of the sexes, and women particularly are told they will be traitors if they’re not feminist first and humans second, all through their schooling, and it takes a while for this to shed. (Apparently some people never do.)

Second, more women will SAY that, if caught unawares and asked this stuff for a poll or an interview. Look, first think of which of the sides — right or left — is violent, and you’ll understand why women who are physically weaker and more socially inclined “talk left” in public and repeat back received words, even if it has nothing to do with what they think.

I’ll be honest with you, guys, if I’m cornered in public as a sixty three year old woman currently out of shape, I WILL answer with the answer the person cornering me wants. And note THIS IS ME not some little conflict-avoidant co-ed. Because in public I am conscious I AM IN FACT WEAKER and highly dislike being beaten up (even more than being forced to play tennis.) For other women, particularly those with small kids? They are going to talk left really hard. Why? Because the LEFT IS VIOLENT. And none of us trusts polls to be secure. That’s why.

As Avi Loeb said about his graduate students sometimes having to deny they helped him or trust him or believe in him “I understand. If they didn’t they wouldn’t be able to have careers in the field.” Some people are constrained and therefore the data is caca.

Are more women than men leftists? I don’t know. All the data is polluted, because people — particularly on the left — would like you to believe so. Because… well, they’re all about dividing and conquering. Yes, I know a large number of women — and men — who appear to be lefty bots. I also have been surprised by more women than men coming out as conservative once they feel safe to do so. BUT this could be a sampling error. Honestly, it’s probably the same. I suspect the difference in the votes comes from fraud. I suspect imaginary, dead and not supposed to be here women vote overwhelmingly for the left. And despite my daft (I say what I mean) hand with imaginary characters, I can’t fix those.

Anyway, what I do know is that women in general are NOT in fact constructs of someone’s mind. Women are no more widgets than men are.

We are individuals, with our own path, our own thoughts and our own abilities. I have no grudge against women who never found someone to have children with or who, for reasons of force majeure (including physical or mental conditions) believe they should not be mothers. I feel a little sad for them, because it was the most amazing adventure of MY life (and I’ve had an adventurous life) but they have agency and can make their own decisions.

None of which changes the fact I set out to make when I — foolishly — quote-tweeted an idiot. Our bodies are made on a template wholly designed by millions of years of evolution to conceive, incubate and nurture new life.

Of course, we are sentient beings, so we are also capable of living our lives for other purposes, including, yes, scientific innovation or artistic or athletic pursuits or whatever tickles our grey matter. (I will take exception at living your life for gender studies. Repeat after me: NO ONE WILL REMEMBER THEIR NAMES. It’s like auto damnatio memoria.)

As are men. Men and women ARE NOT THE SAME. The same forces that shape muscles and bodies wholly differently into two general models (with variations and of course glitches) also shape our brains from the moment of conception (just about.) Men and women use their brains differently. I’m reminded of this daily as Dan and I take wildly opposed paths and often (more often than not) come to the same conclusion.

Men think more directly, from point to point. Women think in webs. (Now keep in mind like all characteristics this is a spectrum. But in general these being the effect of testosterone and estrogen, the most webby of men will be more direct in his thoughts than the most linear of women. But they can be close enough.)

There are other differences, too, but this is not a class on biology, and there must be still some unpolluted biology books. Find one from the eighties, maybe?

For various tasks, but more importantly for the one of creating and nurturing children, it is better to have both. We’re complementary. He watched my back and warded off threats as I waddled about 8 months pregnant and unable to see my feet, for instance.

Does this mean I believe we should have quotes for hiring women? Are you joking now?

I think we should get rid of all quotas and ALL indoctrination in what men and women SHOULD do, and hire the most capable people for whatever, letting the chips fall where they may.

If — as I predict — most engineers will be male and most nurses female, so what? ARE THEY THE BEST PEOPLE FOR THE JOB? THEN HIRE THEM.

Because people aren’t widgets. And if you let them choose without trying to social engineer them, most people gravitate towards what they’re good at, or at least can do with the least effort/pain. (Humans, in common with nematodes, don’t like pain.)

Yes, you’ll find out that some women like refinishing pianos, some men like playing them. (In my case, because I was grandad’s shadow when he did carpentry jobs. In his because music and math seem to be linked very deeply in his brain.)

BUT the way to bet is the other way. Because of that difference thing. And that’s okay, because female jobs aren’t superior, male jobs aren’t superior, and there is no percentage in pushing one into the job of the other.

Yes, you might find, either formally or informally, as the engineer goes home and talks the problem over with his wife, that women can bring new perspectives to some problems, and vice versa. But let that happen naturally.

HIRE THE BEST PEOPLE.

The only women jobs males can’t do is that growing a baby thing. And the only men jobs women can’t do is impregnate someone. Other than that…. we can try. Sometimes the results will just be inferior. But that might be the only person willing to do it at that time, too. Again, merit not sex. Hire individuals, not groups.

AND stop believing the other sex is a vast, formless group. Even our Bob knows better. That’s actually and for real crazy cakes.

If you think that, go out and talk to a dozen women. Provided you don’t do it when they’re all together, you’ll find vastly different people. And the same for women talking to men.

What you do with it, afterwards, is your problem. Just stop being stupid.