Essay:Why debating anti-feminists is counter - productive

Someone is wrong on the internet!

Earlier this year, in the days leading up to International Women's Day, nine women's rights activists and feminists were arrested in three cities across China: Beijing, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou. Across the world, women are subjected to immoral and sometimes bizarre marriage rituals, as well as genital mutilation at an early age. In the United States and the Americas, porn actors and sex workers are exploited and their humanity deminished by aloof producers and unscrupulous employers.

None of these problems are easy to solve by any means. Despite what some would say, there is no centralized morality system across the world that says "That is wrong." Some would say to western attempts to help womens rights: "No! This is our way of doing things. Don't impose your standards on us." And they're right. There is no white feminist savior. There is no solution to these issues that will magically come apparent to feminist philosophers and world leaders. In the United States, there is plenty more to do for women's rights. There is still a wage gap. There is still a pervasive, omnipresent rape culture. Most positions of power, most representation in the media, is centered on men. And this is before we factor in the intersectional issues, the trials faced by women of color, by LGBT+ individuals. This is before we talk about the transgender women of color who are killed daily.

Of course reactionaries will stand in the way of progress. The primarily white populations of websites such as reddit and 8chan are enamoured with the stereotype of the evil feminazi bitch who wants to take away your freedom of speech. It's easier, after all, to stay blind to your own privilege than to acknowledge it and use this knowledge to help better our society, make our society a fair place for everyone. This factor of ignoring privilege is what enamours anti-feminists to reactionaries who happen to be women, people of color, and other minorities - Gamergate and #NotYourShield showed us as much.

It's true that, despite claims to the contrary, debating people is a valid and effective method of encouraging discourse and to challenge views on both sides of the issue. But feminists have humored these people for too long. Just like conspiracy theorists, their confirmation bias renders them immune to contrary points of view. Every rebuttal, every counterpoint, just bolsters them. From the run-of-the-mill "I'm not a feminist because I support real equality" crowd, to the full - blown reactionary harrassers, what can be described as the Men's Rights Movement and Gamergate is nothing but an anti-feminist circlejerk. On the fundamental level, the groups that purport to be critics of feminists are nothing of the sort. Most of the people in these movements are motivated by a poor understanding of simple sociological concepts and feminist theory. That's why so many people identify as anti-feminist in the first place: instead of taking the time to educate themselves, anti-feminists would rather be needlessly oppositional, based on their presupposition about feminists being politically correct nazis.

There are plenty of valid criticisms of feminism. There are plenty of things to disagree about. No one agrees with every single thing that Anita Sarkeesian or Laci Green say. There are problems with the ideology, just like every other ideology. But valid criticisms of the movement are rare from the MRA crowd. After all, why challenge Anita Sarkeesian's views in a constructive dialogue when you can call her a bitch and a scam artist instead? The amount of hatred and vitriol directed at women who speak their minds about feminism is apalling, no matter who's doing it.

By now, the token Gator will come in and say "Well, not ALL Gamergaters!" At which point, all I need to do is point them to wherever Gators tend to congregate - that is, /r/KotakuInAction, 8chan, #GamerGate on twitter - where even those who don't actively harrass feminists turn a blind eye and tacitly excuse the behavior of a supposed "fringe minority" of abusers. The opposite is true - if anything, the "moderate" MRA's and GGr's (The ones who aren't disgusting misogynists) are the fringe minority! The figureheads of Gamergate include the likes of Jordan Owen, Sargon of Akkad, and Thunderf00t; white cisgender men who, blind to their own privilege, would gladly libel people like Sarkeesian and cash in on the views of credulous, ignorant, and angry people on Youtube who believe that the SJW's have laid the white man low, and then have the Galt gall to beg for donations on Patreon.

The anti-feminist reaction in general - not the same as MRA's or GG, but foundational to those two groups - is counterproductive and pedantic, as is debating or engaging them in conversation. It's not that the act of debating that lends them credence or legitimacy, but rather the fact that such debate is a complete waste of time and energy. Instead of helping to improve feminism by contributing their thoughts and bringing a real discussion to the table, anti-feminists choose to splinter off entirely, convince themselves that they are 100% right and enlightened, and do nothing for the common good of the people. Sure, maybe some charities from /r/mensrights, but on the movement level, that's pitiful. The narrative that feminists are mean, evil people who don't care whatsoever about men's problems and how our heteronormative binary society negatively effects men is a strawman, simple as that. It is a demonstrably false one, as well, as can be proven by cracking a book on feminist theory.

Human thought is not a one - player sport. In fact, it's not a sport. There is no black and white. But in this, the one year since Gamergate began, and the pitifully small amount of productive discourse and ideas that came from the whole debacle (at least, intentionally) is enough to drive many feminists to cynicism. There are so many issues with our society that need fixing. There are so many human rights violations and incarcerations in the United States alone, let alone the rest of the world. A petty mud - throwing contest with reactionaries is not the path to change. It is compelling to fantasize about what this era will look like in the history classes of the next generation, almost existential to think about how much - or how little - impact each of us humans will have over the course of history.

So, do you want to humor people like the Amazing Athiest or Davis Aurini? Or will you help save our people from school shootings by frustrated white men on /r9k or /r/redpill, take a stand against the naked injustices facing women at every social situation, take a stand against those who say "She asked for it," and spread awareness and help the philosophy and ideology of feminism, to open it up further to men and minorities? Pay no mind to the pedants, the reactionaries, the time - wasters, and instead challenge the establisment that bred their ignorance and encouraged it. Let's change the world, not the mind of someone on the internet.

In which I renege and flip - flop on the whole thing
...All that said, I had a few interactions on Twitter that changed my heart. Very recently, I interacted briefly with renowned youtube pundit Sargon Of Akkad in a discussion regarding harrassment from the Gamergate crowd. His point was basically the "aye, not all gamergaters," cliche, as well as the classic tu quoque "Well, aGG sends harrassment too, sooooooo..." And I got to thinking. Maybe I'm attacking this wrong. We don't live in a world of absolutes. Sure, for simplicity's sake, acceptable generalizations can be made, but to rule out debating or challenging a group entirely is, in retrospect, absurd. Because when that happens, an echo chamber is sure to follow. Feminism, as I say to Gamergate goons, is not a circlejerk. By rejecting what GG has to say out of hand, the attitude can only become more closed and less exposed to outside criticism. Despite the virulent and toxic disposition of Gamergaters in general, it's vital that they be taken on head - on, and systematically debunked, not rebuked. The only ones who should be ignored are the ones with the black - and - white mindset; the same day as the Sargon affair, I had a disturbing encounter with a GGer who claimed complete moral superiority to feminists and aGG. What is disturbing is not the warped worldview intrinsic of seeing your ideological opponents as inherently evil, but rather the fact that these people continue to think of themselves as rationalists. Those who point the finger and yell "Paedo - supporter!" because you don't align with GG do not merit discussion. Recently, there has been drama on youtube dot com, home of the smart, wherein one theLaughingWitch was accused by Sargon of stalking. Yet another pedantic dick measuring contest ensues, and I'm left to think long and hard about my beliefs. The question, I suppose, is more along the lines of, will you debate, or will you name - call?