Women in the US can discuss inequities, even if women elsewhere "have it worse" than we do.

[rrneck]

13. These discussions run on feelings.

Otherwise they would be incredibly boring and wonky. DU would be like reading stereo instructions. We are all aware of the problems women and a host of other groups of people face. Simply pointing out the obvious fact that Americans have it better than people in the third world does not diminish the need for justice and equality both here and there.

People are perfectly free to express outrage at injustice. That's what powers political movements and causes meaningful change to happen. But outrage and passion are only half the equation. The other half is actually doing something meaningful to effect change. That means laws that depend on empirical rules of evidence, the economic realities of enforcing those laws, and due consideration to the civil liberties of those who will be affected by them. The passions that prompt political action can effect changes here, but not in some other sovereign nation.

When we use the travails of people in foreign countries to demand changes on our own culture it amounts to a sort of emotional blackmail. Changing our culture won't effect change in the culture of the third world in any measurable way, but our emotions are stirred nonetheless. It's not fair, and people don't like to be treated unfairly so the net result is damage to a worthy cause.