Feminists have to question, not just all of Western culture, but the organization of culture itself, and further, even the very organization of nature. Many women give up in despair: if that's how deep it goes they don't want to know. Shulamith Firestone More Quotes by Shulamith Firestone More Quotes From Shulamith Firestone Power, however it has evolved, whatever its origins, will not be given up without a struggle. Shulamith Firestone given-up given struggle In my own case, I had to train myself out of that phony smile, which is like a nervous tic on every teenage girl. And this meant that I smiled rarely, for in truth, when it came down to real smiling, I had less to smile about. My 'dream' action for the women's liberation movement: a smile boycott, at which declaration all women would instantly abandon their 'pleasing' smiles, henceforth smiling only when something pleased them. Shulamith Firestone smile girl dream Just as the end goal of socialist revolution was not only the elimination of the economic class privilege but of the economic class distinction itself, so the end goal of feminist revolution must be, ... not just the elimination of the male privilege, but of the sex distinction itself; genital differences between human beings would no longer matter culturally. Shulamith Firestone differences class sex Women were the slave class that maintained the species in order to free the other half for the business of the world. Shulamith Firestone women class order Romanticism is a cultural tool of male power to keep women from knowing their conditions. Shulamith Firestone males tools knowing Feminism, when it truly achieves its goals, will crack through the most basic structures of our society. Shulamith Firestone feminism our-society goal (Male) culture was (and is) parasitical, feeding on the emotional strength of women without reciprocity. Shulamith Firestone males emotional culture Men are thinking, writing, and creating, because women were pouring their energy into those men; women are not creating culture because they are occupied with love. Shulamith Firestone writing men thinking If women are differentiated only by superficial physical attributes, men appear more individual and irreplaceable than they really are. Shulamith Firestone superficial individual men He has let her in not because he genuinely loved her, but only because she played so well into his preconceived fantasies. Shulamith Firestone fantasy wells The best way to raise a child is to LAY OFF! Shulamith Firestone raises children way The 'natural' is not necessarily a 'human' value. Humanity has begun to transcend nature: we can no longer justify the maintenance of a discriminatory sex class system on grounds of its origins in nature. Indeed, for pragmatic reasons alone it is beginning to look as if we must get rid of it. Shulamith Firestone humanity class sex The separation of sex from emotion is at the very foundations of Western culture and civilization. Shulamith Firestone civilization culture sex All men are selfish, brutal and inconsiderate--and I wish I could find one. Shulamith Firestone selfish wish men Thus her whole identity hangs in the balance of her love life. She is allowed to love herself only if a man finds her worthy of love. Shulamith Firestone love-life identity men [U]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle the apparatus of oppression. Shulamith Firestone self running long To be worshiped is not freedom. Shulamith Firestone We should keep in mind that Revolutions anywhere are always glad to use any help they can get, even from women. But unless women also use the Revolution to further their own interests as well as everyone else's, unless they make it consistently clear that all help given now is expected to be returned, both now and after the Revolution, they will be sold out again and again. Shulamith Firestone revolution use mind Women and love are underpinnings. Examine them and you threaten the very structure of culture. Shulamith Firestone structure and-love culture The classic trap for any revolutionary is always, “What's your alternative?” But even if you could provide the interrogator with a blueprint, this does not mean he would use it: in most cases he is not sincere in wanting to know. In fact this is a common offensive, a technique to reflect revolutionary anger and turn it against itself. Moreover, the oppressed have no job to convince all people. All they need know is that the present system is destroying them. Shulamith Firestone jobs mean people
