Really disappointed with Peter Boghossian

I mean, as a kind of clumsy, convoluted attempt at a gotcha.

I might be overthinking this- but that makes it make more sense to me than the bizarreness of the face value interpretation (that he actually thinks women should be doing these things to protect ourselves)

Having watched both Kara amd Julie interviews- I'm now wondering if what PB is really trying to suggest, (but can't bring himself to say outright), is this:

"If you feminists are genuinely worried about danger from men in your spaces, then you would all be arming yourselves and learning martial arts wouldn't you?" In other words; "I don't believe you do actually feel threatened. It's just posturing/feminism as identity politics"

Rather than that he thinks women should do those things to protect themselves if they are feeling under threat.

I could be wrong. It's just that's what occurred to me, and seems in line with the flavour of how Benjamin Boyce, and James Lindsay etc view feminists (They- BB et al are GC, but see gender ideology as an extension of feminism- and that feminists are to blame/are 'just as bad').

I’m beginning to think Boghossian would prefer women adopt this advice 😈

I am sure this could be adapted for women

Its quite simple. If you are in an enclosed space with someone and they verbally announce their intention to attack/rape you (as is procedure) you ask them to hold on a tic while you grab the gun from your bag, or assume a fighting stance. You then can shoot them/kung-fu kick them to oblivion in that period.

Of course some attackers don't give much warning, and won't wait patiently. Its not actually that easy to tell the difference from "creepy guy invading my personal space a bit" and attacker - and if women went around pre-emptively shooting every man that made them uncomfortable there would be an awful mess. In which case if you are in America you start singing the National Anthem. They will then either immediately stand to attention, or drop to one knee depending on political persuasion. At which point you can shoot them/mace them/kung-fu kick them. I don't know what the UK version would be.

I think it needs to be put to him whether he considers men who don't do jujitsu to be putting themselves as risk by not doing it. Men who are smaller or less strong than others, men who don't work out, are they irresponsible by not carrying methods of self defence. I just cannot grasp why he cannot see this - I am just trying to understand. (As he might put it).

I was really annoyed by this line of questioning with Kara Dansky, who at least lives in a country where guns & mace etc are generally legal. But they are illegal in the UK, so it's a ridiculous line of questioning for Julie Bindel.

Even if you carry a rape alarm you actually have to be able to get hold of it if the need arises, and that's not always possible if it's buried in the bottom of your bag. It's no good depending on objects which, as others have said, can be turned against you. Weapons have no loyalty.

Me too. She’s so used to it now it’s water off a ducks back.

I find it funny that he doesnt think that women have thought about it. Its a big issue for him at the moment because he talked about it with destiny, too.

He understands why there are separate male and female martial art competitions, so does know that men are stronger than woman. But i dont think he understands the need for single sex spaces, but i maybe wrong.

Presumably he thinks that an average woman with x hours of martial art training can fight off a man who has none? Some women would have to do nothing but train all day, and hope men dont do the same.

I think there's probably an element of truth in the idea that been stronger than expected would be in a womans benefit, but there are so many othet factors it just wouldnt help the majority of women in many situations.

I appreciate julies attitude in this interview.

I'm sure the stats on gun ownership showed you were more likely to die by your own weapon than use it on someone else. Even if carrying a knife was legal here, I wouldn't, due to the risk of the assailant getting it off me.

And anyone who thinks a few self defence classes are going to protect a woman from a much stronger male attacker has watched far too many Marvel movies.

That was so depressing. He just wasn't taking in anything she said.

@AlisonDonut What an utter turd he turned out to be.

So many of them do

For someone who is basing his whole premise on listening to others, he seems to have difficulty hearing women's voices. It's odd.

He claimed to struggle to understand why women would not seek to take self defence classes or carry guns/mace to protect themselves from perceived threats eg from men in women’s single sex spaces.

Why is this so hard to understand? As Alison says, women are at particular risk at home, but even if you feel frightened while out and about (which most of us do, I think, at least some of the time), what is the point of having self-defence techniques or even carrying mace when you're up against an attacker who is bigger, stronger and faster than you, as well as possibly armed? In any case, in the UK, it's illegal to carry either mace or guns. Idiot.

He was defending a man who posted himself eating shit [literally] a couple of weeks ago.

I think this really shows just how little men understand about reality for women and girls. He can't even stop his 'help me understand this' when she explained it time and again the issues with women arming themselves, or fighting back, or explaining that yes, that is why women stay home and guess what Peter - most women are attacked in the home, the place that they went to to avoid public male violence.

Sheesh. What an utter turd he turned out to be.

He’s tried that particular nonsense argument before and like a kid with a new toy he now seems to be using it every chance he gets:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5043382-kara-dansky-interview-3-april-2024