General Discussion

kpete

(71,982 posts) Sun Jun 1, 2014, 04:58 PM Jun 2014

"Everything that we know about the war we were told by men."

War's Unwomanly Face
by Svetlana Alexievich
............................................

We usually think of wars as something that men do. Boys play with toy soldiers and toy guns, and play with real things when they get older, right? But women have been fighting in wars throughout history. We just don't know their stories. We know the stories of men. The women remain in the background, mostly silent, occasionally telling the stories of the war from the accepted 'manly' perspective. Until now.

"Everything that we know about the war we were told by men. We are the prisoners of "manly" impressions and "manly" experiences of war. "Manly" words. Women always remain silent, and if they suddenly begin to speak they tell not about their war but the war of others. Adjust to the language that is not theirs. Adjust to the unbreakable canon of men[...]

We think we know everything about the war. But listening to these women - from villages and cities, simple and educated, those who saved the wounded and those who wounded the others - I can attest that this is not true. A big misconception. There is another war, unfamiliar to us. I want to write the story of that war. The story of women's war... "

........

Much MORE (older post, but relevant due to New Warmongering:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/239281694

9 replies

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"Everything that we know about the war we were told by men." (Original Post) kpete Jun 2014 OP

you must have missed riverbend Egnever Jun 2014 #1

love exceptions you have to dig for, they prove the rule. bettyellen Jun 2014 #2

dig for? Egnever Jun 2014 #3

I loved reading Riverbend's blog kpete Jun 2014 #4

I totally agree Egnever Jun 2014 #5

No, you said the premise of OP was garbge- and the OP missed many glaring examples- LOL bettyellen Jun 2014 #6

LOL you can't even get your quotes right Egnever Jun 2014 #7

the headline lays out the entire premise of the article. too few women's voice's. not two women's. bettyellen Jun 2014 #9

not about mercuryblues Jun 2014 #8

Egnever

(21,506 posts)

1. you must have missed riverbend

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Jun 1, 2014, 05:09 PM

Jun 2014

Just one glaring example that pops into my head.

bettyellen

(47,209 posts)

2. love exceptions you have to dig for, they prove the rule.

Reply to Egnever (Reply #1)

Sun Jun 1, 2014, 06:24 PM

Jun 2014

more please!

Egnever

(21,506 posts)

3. dig for?

Reply to bettyellen (Reply #2)

Sun Jun 1, 2014, 06:40 PM

Jun 2014

She was just one of my favorites and immediately came to mind.
There are many more and you know it.

Christiane Amanpour has been a dominant voice in international affairs for a couple of decades now. In fact I would possit that you can not point to a male journalist with her level of gravitas in that arena.

Your answer as usual is garbage as is the premise of the op headline.

kpete

(71,982 posts)

4. I loved reading Riverbend's blog

Reply to Egnever (Reply #3)

Sun Jun 1, 2014, 06:44 PM

Jun 2014

and Christiane Amanpour is xlnt most of the time

however, I just think women, in general have a great deal to share
especially regarding war & peace

I wish their opinions were more available and not so difficult to find

When I do find something, I like to share

peace, kp

Egnever

(21,506 posts)

5. I totally agree

Reply to kpete (Reply #4)

Sun Jun 1, 2014, 06:48 PM

Jun 2014

Women have much to share. I just found the headline ridiculous when there are so many incredible women journalists you can point to.

bettyellen

(47,209 posts)

6. No, you said the premise of OP was garbge- and the OP missed many glaring examples- LOL

Reply to Egnever (Reply #5)

Sun Jun 1, 2014, 07:28 PM

Jun 2014

"Your answer as usual is garbage as is the premise of the op headline. "

Wow, one woman reporter and one blog. You're so funny! And pretty transparent, "as usual".

Egnever

(21,506 posts)

7. LOL you can't even get your quotes right

Reply to bettyellen (Reply #6)

Sun Jun 1, 2014, 07:33 PM

Jun 2014

Notice the word headline..

Long past time to stop taking your ravings seriously.

bettyellen

(47,209 posts)

9. the headline lays out the entire premise of the article. too few women's voice's. not two women's.

Reply to Egnever (Reply #7)

Sun Jun 1, 2014, 08:08 PM

Jun 2014

and not journalists. Did you even read it before deciding there were plenty of women?

mercuryblues

(14,530 posts)

8. not about

Reply to kpete (Original post)

Sun Jun 1, 2014, 07:37 PM

Jun 2014

journalsists reporting on war. Instead about women who actually fought in wars:

"At the age of nineteen I had a medal "For courage". At the age of nineteeen, my hair turned grey. At the age of nineteen in my last battle I was shot through both lungs, the bullet went in between two vertebrae. My legs were paralysed... They thought I was dead... At the age of nineteen... My granddaughter is this age now. I look at her in disbelief. Such a child!"
What I found unbelievably sad was the reluctance of many of these women to talk about what happened. While their fathers and husbands and brothers were proud of their veteran status, flaunting medals and stories about battles, most of these women preferred to stay in the background, acting like good wives and mothers, avoiding painful memories of having lived the "unwomanly" lives for the war years. Unwomanly lives. That's the perception. That's often the stigma they had to face.

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