BDSM, Feminism, and Politics

[leo9]

I seemed so, from the references to the Republic and States.

Yes, I could see that was misleading with hindsight.

Historical analysis is difficult because of context and hindsight. It's easy to say something like "See, such-and-such wasn't necessary or useful" hundreds of years later or ignoring the changes in societies, the world and technology that made such-and-such no longer useful or necessary. ...

Just because slavery was ended in Year X without the collapse of civilization, one can't draw the conclusion that it could have been abolished in Year Y (or never been instituted at all), without catastrophic impact to general civilization.

And I did not intend any such conclusion. When I refered to those who pointed out the antiquity of slavery, and who concluded that because it had lasted for so long it must and should last forever, my point was that they failed to recognise that the world had changed. Whether or not slavery was a good thing in Classical times, that was not a justification for it in the Nineteenth Century.

By the same token, the fact that many (not all) past civilisations have been male-dominated does not prove that such a culture is morally or practically desirable in the Twentyfirst Century.

[Ragoczy]

And I did not intend any such conclusion. When I refered to those who pointed out the antiquity of slavery, and who concluded that because it had lasted for so long it must and should last forever, my point was that they failed to recognise that the world had changed. Whether or not slavery was a good thing in Classical times, that was not a justification for it in the Nineteenth Century.

By the same token, the fact that many (not all) past civilisations have been male-dominated does not prove that such a culture is morally or practically desirable in the Twentyfirst Century.

This I agree with, thank you for clarifying.