I don't actually think all men are creeps, but you can believe that if you want. I don't care. Die mad about what you think I think. Your regard for women and your reluctance to hold men accountable has nothing to do with me.
The vast majority of you are absolutely fine with the pain women and girls go through for millennia at the hands of violent men and men in positions of power to do anything about it who turn a blind eye. At even the slightest hint that some men might be experiencing discomfort at the #metoo movement, you cry like fucking little bitches. So fine, don't help, but don't fucking cry when what's necessary to make actual change in the world becomes painful for you. It doesn't have to be painful for you. No one particularly wants it to be, but if that's what it takes...
We're done making things comfortable for people who don't give a flying crap about half the human race. (Actually a lot more than half, but we're only talking about women and girls here.)
I don't think it's true that men turn a blind eye. I think it's the other way around. Men are almost always proactively working to prevent it. It's like a conspiracy of the patriarchy to prevent creepy men to creep or worse. Its just that non-creepy men can't be everywhere all the time and that it's going to be a problem even with the best efforts of decent guys. And that's what's common.
Add to that cultures (historical and contemporary) that are straight up sexist and misogynist. I'm not arguing against those existing.
What I'm trying to say is that the vast majority of men are actually decent and are willing to, at great personal risk, protect women around them.
Sure, decent and willing in principle, but not so much in action. If they were principled in action, there would be just as many men at protests as women. There would be very few places where misogynist jokes could happen without a slap down.
The Weisswürste is very sympathetic on paper but making it a part of their life to fight and speak out and send that message to the Weisswürste that they will not tolerate disrespect of girls and women.
You might think it, but you don't think anything should be done to the point of making powerful white men uncomfortable.
Let's switch to racism for a moment. In Australia, the vast majority of white people are anti-racism and believe in equality in all things, but thinking it doesn't mean they do anything that could change the overall zeitgeist that doesn't work that hard to actually change anything.
But some Australians have started a trend that I love and I think it's a powerful movement that serves as an antidote to silence. From podcasters to youtubers to public figures and celebrities, they are starting their speeches and videos with the statement, "I'd like to acknowledge the original owners of this land."
Very simple, but at the start, automatically puts the idea of respecting Indigenous peoples in the minds of whoever is listening.
We can do this for racism, misogyny, and prejudice of all kinds. As it is, it doesn't matter much that the majority of men have no ill will toward women, sympathize with our fight, and would never in a million years be a creep much less an abuser, but the fact that 99.99999999999...% of the time, they are not saying squat to send a message to other men that disrespect of women and girls is unacceptable.
Abusers not only love that blank space, they take the silence as acceptance. This is important to understand. Abusers and bigots of all kinds
believe that everyone else really thinks the way they do but are just pretending not to, or they're scared to speak because "tEh LeFt wOkEnEsS is trampling our right to free speech!" or some shit. (If they were smart enough to recognize that others don't always think the way they do, they might be entirely different people, more self aware.)
If you had a podcast, you could start every episode with "I'd like to start today's podcast with a message to girls and women, that you deserve respect and to live free from fear of harassment, inequality, and abuse. Also a message to men and boys that disrespect of girls and women is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it in my presence."
Or a message about POC, or a message about LGBTQ+, etc.
So hopefully I have described the "well meaning" silence of men who want to talk about anything else and, as this thread and others like it show, will say anything to shut down a woman's voice because they haven't figured out how to not take it personally, and very likely some even having good reason to feel attacked.
So that's what I mean when I say no one should care about powerful white men losing their power because they are so privileged as to make flippant, casual sexist comments a matter of a man's rights. When that kind of mentality is in powerful positions in society, is it any wonder that women and girls are abused every minute of every day? Is it any wonder in the US that a number of our states are working overtime to legalize executing women for having abortions?
So, sure, if something blatant happens in front of you, an assault or something, sure, you'll most likely try to do something and not run away and "not get involved." But the world is much bigger and complex than the blatant, obvious transgressions that anyone can point to and condemn. But those things don't just sprout up out of nowhere. They can't happen at the rate they do in a society that puts its collective foot down on the
attitudes that give rise to widespread abuse.
So for the record, if you're here saying:
"it's not fair to individual powerful white men..."
"you're not being nice/attractive/accommodating, we won't help unless you smile..."
"even one instance of your movement causing pain to a powerful white man makes you wrong/a hypocrite/the thing you condemn..."
"#notallmen..."
"you hate men..."
then you, yes you, are the problem.
Stop telling women what to think or say or do. The Weisswürste flex is to bloviate your golden opinions on anyone around you, so recognize that you're not in charge of women or anyone else but yourself. That hubris you've developed through no fault of your own will be your downfall if you insist on clinging to it. And don't take it personally.