Schmelzer
Valued Senior Member
But you defend here a particular interpretation of its meaning. And this meaning is, IMHO, a quite wide one for a character flaw. Because it seems to include also people who prefer, for whatever reasons, some traditional cutural values which require to handle different genders differently. Or which believe, for whatever reasons, into some prejudices about gender differences. Above are clearly not character flaws.I didn't name it. I didn't invent this word, or the character flaw it names. I don't see how one can discuss degrees of misogyny without using terms laden with negative value.
This is what one would hope for.But it's not threat in the US - no one is in danger of being imprisoned for misogyny in the US, or any other such character flaw.
In the sense that a man accused of being this has, essentially, no possibility to prove his innocence. Which is what makes such things dangerous. Of course I do not think that one can justly apply this to all men.So you think a word that labels the holding of women in contempt or prejudicial disdain applies to all men.
Hitler's rise to power was a consequence of his winning democratic elections. One can think ot the Reichstagsbrand as a conspiracy, but it happened when Hitler was already Kanzler. South American fascism was nothing close to totalitarian, if you use it not simply as a bad word, but somehow close to what Hannah Arendt wrote.Sure they do. That's the most common way. Hitler's rise to power was practically a type specimen, as were many of the South American fascist takeovers.
I have nothing against discussing degrees of some type of behavior, which is prevalent and plays a big role in Western society. But I think it is not a good idea using a word for this which describes a character flaw. I think one has to distinguish several things: Character flaws, which are a problem of a small minority (or to present it like a "character flaw" is not correct). Then beliefs about typical properties of women, which may be wrong, "prejudices", overgeneralizations of a few own experiences, whatever - but they are certainly not character flaws, even if wrong. And support of some cultural values. You have any right not to like these cultures. But this does not define a character flaw of those who prefer them.Your attempted coercive redefinition of "misogyny" so that the rest of us cannot discuss degrees of misogyny in this thread, and so that you can deny its prevalence and influence and role in Western society, would be an example of something Orwell spent more effort and time warning against. (Note that no one here is trying to forbid any words).
Words which combine such very different meanings are very problematic in discussions. Because one word for many different things provokes misunderstandings. Scientists have a simple solution for such problems: Invent different words for different things.
And let's clarify again: I do not want to redefine anything. I was starting with the standard German meanings of the translations of misogynist, I have not found many variants of these translations. Moreover, I doubt that your understanding is supported by the majority, even in the forum.
Nice try to reduce this to something personal. But don't worry, it is wrong. Why should I feel threatened by American stupidity, if I do not plan even to travel to US already now? Then, I'm not a misogynist myself, thus, not personally threatened. The thing I feel threatened is of the US becoming totalitarian. In this case, for those who live in that society it does not make a difference, how the subhuman status is named, enemy of the people, or enemy of the animals, or misogynist - one has to be afraid to be named that way, because it is fatal, and one cannot defend oneself. But even if I would commiserate with the poor Americans, this would not be my main concern. I would be afraid because the US is the largest military power, thus, this is dangerous for the survival of the mankind as a whole.You feel threatened by the standard meaning of the term "misogyny", that's obvious. But that's a personal problem.