[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by glider at 21 Nov 2002 22:51:44: Re: What rubbish...
As an answer to: What rubbish... written by AJ at 21 Nov 2002 12:17:54:
Don't agree. I don't think what you call speculation is idiotic, or even entirely speculation. There is some published work suggesting intact is often superior. (Refs if you want - at CIRP).
I don't think the discussion is necessarily motivated by racism or anti-semitism either. There is also the view that the procedures often referred to as genital mutilation are connected with patriarchal culture - which is almost as oppressive to men as it is to women. These alterations tend to be opposed by people who are opposed to patriarchal culture. This may all sound rather academic, but it isn't really.
Democracy is opposed to patriarchal culture. In Europe, thanks to relatively secure and transparent democracy, patriarchy is just about dead, and a good thing too many would say. But it isn't dead in other places, and some of the troubles people face today have to do with the conflict between patriachal, authoritarian societies and non-patriarchal societies.