Sexism; Women -- Social and moral questions; Women -- Social conditions
But as women, gaining economic autonomy, meet men in progressively
bitterer competition, the rising masculine distrust and fear of them
will be reflected even in the enchanted domain of marriage, and the
husband, having yielded up most of his old rights, will begin to reveal
a new jealousy of those that remain, and particularly of the right to a
fair quid pro quo for his own docile industry. In brief, as women shake
off their ancient disabilities they will also shake off some of their
ancient immunities, and their doings will come to be regarded with a
soberer and more exigent scrutiny than now prevails. The extension of
the suffrage, I believe, will encourage this awakening; in wresting it
from the reluctant male the women of the western world have planted
dragons’ teeth, the which will presently leap up and gnaw them. Now
that women have the political power to obtain their just rights, they
will begin to lose their old power to obtain special privileges by
sentimental appeals. Men, facing them squarely, will consider them
anew, not as romantic political and social invalids, to be coddled and
caressed, but as free competitors in a harsh world. When that
reconsideration gets under way there will be a general overhauling of
the relations between the sexes, and some of the fair ones, I suspect,
will begin to wonder why they didn’t let well enough alone.
45. Effects of the War
The present series of wars, it seems likely, will continue for twenty
or thirty years, and perhaps longer. That the first clash was
inconclusive was shown brilliantly by the preposterous nature of the
peace finally reached—a peace so artificial and dishonest that the
signing of it was almost equivalent to a new declaration of war. At
least three new contests in the grand manner are plainly insight—one
between Germany and France to rectify the unnatural tyranny of a weak
and incompetent nation over a strong and enterprising nation, one
between Japan and the United States for the mastery of the Pacific, and
one between England and the United States for the control of the sea.
To these must be added various minor struggles, and perhaps one or two
of almost major character: the effort of Russia to regain her old unity
and power, the effort of the Turks to put down the slave rebellion (of
Greeks, Armenians, Arabs, etc.)which now menaces them, the effort of
the Latin-Americans to throw off the galling Yankee yoke, and the joint
effort of Russia and Germany (perhaps with England and Italy aiding) to
get rid of such international nuisances as the insane Polish republic,
the petty states of the Baltic, and perhaps also most of the Balkan
states. I pass over the probability of a new mutiny in India, of the
rising of China against the Japanese, and of a general struggle for a
new alignment of boundaries in South America. All of these wars, great
and small, are probable; most of them are humanly certain. They will be
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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