<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=ISO-8859-1"> <title></title> </head> <body> <br> <br> Shak El wrote:<br> <blockquote type="cite" cite="mid20060316163607.56139.qmail@web54507.mail.yahoo.com"> <div>I remember reading a book on polgamy and the early Mormons in the 19th century whose thesis was that fopr woman Polygamy was a more pleasant lifestyle than monogamy. The main reason was that in monogamy a female usually was preganent at least every other year, had huge families, and frequently died during child birthing. Poligamous woman had fewer children usually 2-3, had other women to help in household choirs and had fewer deaths due to child birth.</div> </blockquote> Perhaps, but the problem is different with the availability of birth control. In that case, I still think monogamy or serial monogamy is a good option -- though I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of such happy unions. Failing that I think the best model is given by deer: males on the outside periphery, guarding the women and children & dipping in for the old slap and tickle now and again; women and children in the inner circle, nurturing and playing. This would keep the gene-pool rocking, provide safety, and not allow any one male a monopoly of females, which creates noxious power relations.<br> <blockquote type="cite" cite="mid20060316163607.56139.qmail@web54507.mail.yahoo.com"> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div>Poligamy in warfare socieities is often a way to deal with the problem of widows and ophans. If males are dying in huge numbers, then surviving males pick up the marriage slack.</div> </blockquote> Though it could also be argued that starving some males of females and intensifying the struggle for females would increase the chance of violence and war. I remember reading somewhere that a disproportion of men to women is a harbinger of war.<br> <br> Joanna<br> <blockquote type="cite" cite="mid20060316163607.56139.qmail@web54507.mail.yahoo.com"> <div> </div> <div> </div> <div> </div> <br> <br> Jim Davis<br> Ozark Bioregion, USA<br> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://anarchistozarks.blogspot.com/">http://anarchistozarks.blogspot.com/</a><br> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/left_n_Springfield/">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/left_n_Springfield/</a><br> <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://people.lulu.com/users/index.php?fHomepage=141735">http://people.lulu.com/users/index.php?fHomepage=141735</a> <pre wrap=""> <hr width="90%" size="4"> ___________________________________ <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk">http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk</a></pre> </blockquote> <br> </body> </html>