Mackinnon the Man-Eater

Feminism

I don’t expect men’s circumstances to move [feminist Catharine] Mackinnon. But is there no significance to the fact that women continue to live longer than men, that many more men commit suicide, that men are more likely to be unemployed and less likely to get another job, and that they are more likely to suffer lethal industrial accidents? Is it of no experiential importance that of the 2,350 soldiers who’ve died so far in Iraq and the 18,000 who’ve been wounded, most are men? Not in Mackinnon’s static and stony universe. Here she is up to her clavicles in self-contradiction, a condition the Greek philosophers deemed “less than human, less than coherent, less than sane.” But then, they were of the patriarchy.

The excerpt is from my latest column, “Mackinnon the Man-Eater,” now on WorldNetDaily.com. (A more extensive review of Catharine Mackinnon’s book, written for The American Conservative is here.)

Liberty Fund Conference

Argument, Britain, Classical Liberalism, Free Speech, Ilana Mercer, Liberty, Political Economy, Political Philosophy

I was fortunate to be asked to attend a Liberty Fund colloquium entitled “History, Citizenship and Patriotism in Liberal Democracy.” Liberty Fund, Inc. is a private, educational foundation established to encourage the study of the ideal of a society of free and responsible individuals. The Foundation develops, supervises, and finances its own educational activities to foster thought and encourage discourse on enduring issues pertaining to liberty.”

In the idyllic and breathtaking setting of the Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield, West Sussex, England, I got to exchange ideas with some of the finest scholars in Britain (and the U.S., considering the dynamic presence of Liberty Fund’s representative). Oxbridge at its best. The intimate format—only fifteen people partook—was not only conducive to the exploration of ideas, but to the formations of, I hope, enduring friendships. The lovely English countryside and Elizabethan Manor house (to say nothing of the gourmet food with which we were plied) provided the perfect backdrop to what was a most exhilarating event.

I'm Abroad

Ilana Mercer

I’ve gone overseas. I’ve been invited to attend a conference abroad and will then be visiting family in Europe. I’ll be back on May 11.

My weekly column will appear as reliably as ever in cyberspace. To read Friday’s freshest fare, all you have to do is point your mouse at my WorldNetDaily archive, by clicking here.

Brand-new columns will also, as always, be posted every Monday at the Free-Market News Network.

Best wishes to all,

ILANA

I’m Abroad

Ilana Mercer

I’ve gone overseas. I’ve been invited to attend a conference abroad and will then be visiting family in Europe. I’ll be back on May 11.

My weekly column will appear as reliably as ever in cyberspace. To read Friday’s freshest fare, all you have to do is point your mouse at my WorldNetDaily archive, by clicking here.

Brand-new columns will also, as always, be posted every Monday at the Free-Market News Network.

Best wishes to all,

ILANA