If I can, I would also say that you, in your replies,
do nothing to contrast my arguments, but instead
attack my way of and arguing, and not the argument
themselves.
two things here-
first- my understanding of the way that language and power works is
that the way things are expressed are inseparable from the thing that
is expressed. ("no language is neutral")
in fact, that is part of your problem with the manifesto, yes?
you find the choice of words and the tone vulgar and offensive?
second- i'm pretty sure i did offer some critiques of your arguments- i
questioned the notion of a gender neutral cyberspace- i proposed that
our gendered experience of the world informs the construction of
cyberspace- a linguistic liquid architecture- that we don't escape the
power structures there, but rather reproduce them.
right now, i'm agonizing over my participation in this conversation,
for example.
i have been socialized as a woman in my culture to clean up messes,
make peace not arguments. but i also have some hot european blood, like
you! so at times i come on strong, then feel guilt-ridden, then chide
myself for feeling guilt-ridden. if that sounds hopelessly neurotic, i
can assure you that i am not alone in experiencing this kind of anxiety
in a list discussion- and that many of my female friends go through the
same kinds of aporias- and we have come to understand that a great deal
of this stems from the ways that our behaviour is influenced by our
experiences in our off-line environments- which are informed by gender
and geographic regional practice- as you yourself point out. i think
any discussion you & i have about the need for cyberfeminism hinges on
our perceptions of the relative neutrality of cyberspace.
i was not offended by the use of "cunt" in the manifesto, but then i've
been reading kathy acker recently...
i remember a friend of mine, after a bunch of girls and i were
discussing something or other related to feminist practice recently,
turned to me excitedly and said, "these girls aren't about the vagina!
they're about the cunt!!"
i'm sorry to repeat the word if it disturbs you, but i would like to
ask Julianne about its use in the manifesto. what are the politics of
this word? what is its importance to cyberfeminist discourse?