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Nathanael Nerode's avatar

"Why male supremacy was so firmly established back in the Agrarian Age is something that is not obvious to me."

In the era when upper body strength equated to military might, the organization of armies made it relatively straightforward for male armies to do this. The constant deaths in pregnancy and disability during pregnancy made it hard for female armies to do this, despite the Scythians. It was not a coincidence that armies were known for rape. It was, obviously, advantageous in Darwinian reproduction terms for a man to rape hundreds of women who were forced to bear his children... so certain men who could do this, did this.

Technological development in the military eliminated the physical advantage of men in conquest. No strength needed to shoot or bomb people. And widespread reliable birth control and abortion eliminated the disability of constant pregnancy for women.

What you're seeing after 1870 is that education and expertise become the sources of military power.

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Nathanael Nerode's avatar

I should note that if you collaborate with the right people, you have the beginnings of a book on the economic history of women's rights, and its connection to the technology of birth control. I'm sure there have been others. But you could do a good one. Gotta cross the quad and talk to the women's studies departments and the history departments though...

I have probably noted before that H G Wells stated that Margaret Sanger would have more impact than any other reformer on changing the future. I believe he was right.

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