Why should I care about feminists whining about breast cancer when feminism causes it?

Question

81-PERCENT INCREASE IN BREAST CANCER SINCE 1971
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-09/29/content_5154954.htm

"Having fewer children before the age of 30, early menarche, late menopause and being obese or overweight after menopause are said to be all factors behind the increase."

[ Children before 30 and breast feeding is THE primary means of preventing breast cancer. ]

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/types/breast/incidence/

The incidence of breast cancer has been increasing for many years in economically developed countries. Over the twenty year period 1984-2003 the incidence rate increased by 51%

[ Coincides with feminism nicely again ]

Breast cancer incidence rates vary considerably, with the highest rates in the developed world and the lowest rates in Africa and Asia.

[ No feminists in Africa and Asia ]

Why should I care if they get breast cancer? Shouldn't "independent women" accept (not to mention finance) the consequences of their own actions?

Incidentally, some of the people answering don't realise that feminism is the reason two incomes are now required to support a family, so feminism is still to blame if the reason is "economic".

And you women's studies people are hysterical, you have very bad tempers. The substance of the posts below appears to be insults.

As usual, nobody can logically disprove that "feminism causes breast cancer", even if it doesn't cause 100% of the cases it is what is behind the rise in incidents, so quite frankly feminists can fund their own breast cancer treatment programs.

Best question ever though!

Answer 1

I think it's terrible that anybody thinks it's OK not to care when somebody dies for whatever reason, no matter their beliefs.

That said, there is a strong correlation between the lifestyle changes with the advent of feminism and some of the maladies that women now suffer. Breast cancer is only one of them. Endometriosis is another...did you know that one adult woman in three now has it, and it was almost unheard of until the 70's? Food additives and pollution are certainly other causal factors, but psychological effects on health rank way up...don't kid yourselves.

Anpadh - Anybody who thinks they know it all just because they studied feminism in a strongly feminist environment is a fool.

Edit - Bonzai Betty - What is also true about most Asian countries is that they don't have feminism over there.

Answer 2

Often the reason a person does not have children before the age of 30 is an economic reason - not a feminist reason. 40 years ago, not as many women needed to enter the workforce - now most of us need to. If I could afford to give up my job now and have a child I would, but we can't.

There are also many different causes of breast cancer (including it being hereditary). My mothers aunt got breast cancer even though she had children early in life and she breast fed all of them.

Does this mean we shouldn't care about breast cancer in every woman that gets it - or only the feminists that bring it on themselves? Should funding for research only be given to those who are researching women who get it because of hereditary reasons? Or should we stop funding all together?

By the way, I sincerely hope your mother/sister/aunt/grandma/niece/wife/daughter/friend never gets breast cancer as they can obviously never rely on you for support.

Answer 3

Feminism does no longer promote no little ones in the previous 30, or dont do house responsibilities. Many feminists have little ones in the previous 30. some dont have a decision lately. many women folk favor to artwork. Secondly, maximum individuals nonetheless do the house responsibilities. some individuals are basically fortunate adequate to have a respectable guy round who will supply us a hand each so often. of direction you're literally not one among those respectable adult men. it really is superb what your stupid little immature ridiculous options comes up with. in case you've been to position in writing this stuff up as a e book or essay, it would want to be ridiculed - now to not your ideals yet because you ignore about all different info and in consumer-friendly words concentration on the info that matches your human being ill time table.

Answer 4

I feel compelled to note here that correlation is not causation. There are a number of other factors which have also increased in the past 40 years or so, which is why you haven't seen any studies directly linking feminism and breast cancer. It's an unproven link, to put it mildly.

Let me put this in more colloquial terms. Have you heard of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Yes, I know, it sounds rather odd. It's a satire against those who are trying to teach creationism in schools. It's relevant here because of one of its main teachings: that the lack of pirates has caused global warming. They have a delightful graph and can, beyond a doubt, "prove" that as the number of pirates in the world has decreased, the average global temperature has increased. Of course, this means that doing away with pirates is the chief cause of global warming, right?

...no. Correlation is not causation. There are a number of factors leading to the near-demise of piracy as a workable occupation, and there are a number of different factors leading to global warming. Just because they happened at the same time doesn't mean there's a link.

Some other things to consider: there *are* feminists in Africa and certainly in Asia as well. The incidence of *diagnosed* breast cancer is much lower in those countries, but the incidence of testing is lower as well. Pollution is obviously lower in Africa and parts of Asia, and many people point to pollutants as a dominant factor in cancer.

Some statistics are in order. Certain factors correlate much more closely with breast cancer than those you mention, according to the American Cancer Society. Those factors include age, genetics (5-10 percent of cases), family history, radiation, early menstruation, etc. The reason children and breast-feeding seem to reduce the occurance of breast cancer (although the correlation there is "slight," according to the ACS, meaning far less significant than other factors) is because both reduce the number of periods that a woman has in her lifetime. The more periods, researchers think, the greater the chance of breast cancer. Use of alcohol is another factor, as is obesity/lack of exercise. Recent studies have even suggested that there might be a correlation between women who work night shifts (like nurses) might be at greater risk. There's a lot we don't know about breast cancer, but what we do know indicates that it's a complicated, difficult disease with multiple trigger-causes.

Finally, you asked--why should you care if they get breast cancer? Well, "they" might include your mother, your sister, your friend. Two friends of mine--both pastors' wives, both teachers, both parents--have battled breast cancer. While I consider myself an independent woman, neither of them would self-describe as feminist. Neither of them had hit menopause at the time of diagnosis, either. My point in bringing up these women is that breast cancer strikes many women who don't fit the model that you've indicated. They aren't feminists who don't have children (although *I* am, and I have been, to this point, free of cancer).

I hope this provides some thought-provoking fodder for you.

Answer 5

Feminists don't cause breast cancer any more than breast cancer causes feminists. However, many of the intelligent feminists are often quite stupid and all the really stupid ones equate feminism with lesbianism and/or man-bashing. True feminism isn't even really about women. It is about the FEMININE. Every man has a feminine side and every woman has a masculine side. Successful women usually wear male clothing -- suit and tie. Successful men never wear skirts or cocktail gowns to work. In other words, the male aspect of human personality is considered the norm, even for women. Women who wear jeans and shirts without a bra underneath aren't considered cross-dressers. But men who wear women's blouses with a bra underneath are considered cross-dressers. The idea behind feminism, originally, was to make people aware of their feminine side and to take pride in it. Feminism was about bringing balance between the male and the female aspects of the SAME individual's personality. Feminism was always about love and harmony, never about hate and conflict. It was about revering the Mother but not by castrating or casting out the Father.

Answer 6

Dude

Have you been having vodka on your cornflakes again? Two very high-level points for you:

ONE) Women giving birth to children later is nothing to do with feminism and everything to do with money. As countries get richer, women give birth later in life - for whatever reason this seems to be a universal rule. Look at Germany and Italy, two European countries as far from the ideal of sexual equalilty as you can get.

TWO) Whether or not you're a feminist (and I would certainly be unlikely to be called one) losing loved ones to cancer is a terrible, horrible thing and if we can prevent certain types of cancer occuring in our communities through certain actions that is a very good thing.

Good luck and I hope it gets better being you!

L

Answer 7

you may as well cite that the birth of some random individual also coincides nicely with the increase in breast cancer and therefore that individual caused it.
and how many breast cancer treatments have you actuallly financed? and why care? maybe some female that you actually know will get breast cancer, then you might care (yeah, and she doesn't even have to be a feminist to get it!). or maybe you'll be one of the males who get it. that would be poetic.

Answer 8

Did you ever stop to think that not all women choose to be childless or to bottle feed? No one chooses early menarche, I'm sure.

The reason cancer rates are so high in the developed world is pollution and food additives, not feminism.

Our cat got breast cancer. Was she a feminist?

Answer 9

Feminism wasnt exactly 'invented' in 1984 ....of course, you wouldnt know that because it is obvious that you know very little. As long as America has been a country there have been women dwelling in it who advocated for equality between the sexes. Just so you know...that is over 200 years. I wonder did Elizabeth Cady Stanton pause to think that by fighting for women to vote she would be unleashing this serious illness on them???? RIDICULOUS! Now, if feminism could somehow take credit for causing prostate cancer.....

Answer 10

What makes you think feminists are against breastfeeding? The HUGE majority are pro-lactation, ("lactivists," if you will). Each birth before 30 decreases your risk by 7%, each year of lactation, 4%. Pretty significant, but there are still plenty of women who get breast cancer for other reasons. And "Why should you care"? Of course, you wouldn't, and certainly no one would expect that YOU would. so I'm supposing that if your mother (I'm assuming you have one of those) became stricken with breast cancer, you would say "Feminist b!tch! That's what you get!"? My grandmother died from breast cancer. She had children young, breast fed, and was not a feminist. But no, I don't expect you to care.
BTW, it would seem that you've found your intellectual equal in "paswami" you both have similar "gifts" for logic. I'm sure you'll give him "best answer."