[lbo-talk] We Will Bury You (Better Than China, Saudi Arabia, Etc.!)

[Wojtek Sokolowski]

Yoshie:
> Here are some hypothetical factors that social scientists might
> investigate:
> 
> *  The sorts of jobs that predominantly men held under socialism got
> destroyed by the restoration of capitalism more than the sorts of
> jobs that women did.
> 
> *  Men are in less demand than women in the sorts of industries
> (retail, tourism, personal service, etc.) that neoliberal capitalism
> tends to foster.
> 
> *  More men than women are socialized to think that wage labor is
> integral to their identity and self esteem, so unemployed men tend to
> get more depressed than unemployed women.
> 
> *  When angry or depressed, men are better at self destruction than
> women due to their socialization.
> 
> *  Biologically, men are the weaker sex, so they tend to conk out a
> lot sooner than women in a time of extreme adversity.  "We will bury
> you."

You certainly have a point here, Yoshie (finally, we agree on something :)),
but these factors operate universally, not just in the x-USSR.  I would say
that in any stressful condition, women have a much better chance of survival
than men - as for example evidenced by the fact that men are more likely to
be homeless or delinquent than women (e.g. in the US).  The only factor that
puts them ahead of women is they use of physical violence - which may
explain why they are so eager to use it .  After all, ot is the only
advantage they have.

Wojtek