respected and valued as individuals who are feeling and thinking people.

Does the word respect have a clang of old-school and stiffness about it in a way that there is something that needs to be changed how we see what it is to respect someone? There is respect in manners and paying attention to how we treat each other, take others into consideration, but that is not all what comes to respect. When I often call out for respect for women it is not a call for manners and opening doors or bowing your heads towards me, taking your hat off when passing by. Respect is entirely something else, which many times seems to be absent in the meaning I am after. Is respect something we earn and is given when we deserve it? Is respect presence, present when we are, not to think there is something better elsewhere, but something interesting is here where you are at? To me respect is exactly the acknowledging the importance of something and someone in that place. Acknowledging is not a trophy or a prize, it is noticing and wanting to know. It is paying attention instead of seeking something that is a higher far away goal. The better than attitude is so common I have become to loath it and places where such attitude for some reason is winning.

Respect is finding the same level and enjoying that level, exploring and getting to know it. Yes one can be ambitious and aim high. There are wrong ways and right ways to get there. Wrong way is the way of deceit and thinking about the prize.

To those who this rings bells you might be a feminist. Feminist the activist, advocate of rights of women and children and therefore of all people, boys and girls. Feminist usually is a woman who is not afraid to speak up and act for those who need help, are in need and she helps herself because there often is a deep personal experience of discrimination, sexism that has happened over and over again in patterns and ways that do not change until they are forced to change. Feminist is the one who is not afraid to be trashed by many for her belief in equality, to be herself, who is not afraid to protest in a way she sees fit, usually in provocative way making many angry because there truly are plenty of people who do not want human rights for all nor equality to apply all, people who want to protect rights of the rich, white females and males, protect power of the elite, white power, male power, patriarchy or whatever that is called nowadays. Feminism is not a movement that would not have a mission today, quite on a contrary. It has got plenty to accomplish.

Why is this so confusing?

http://radicalsoapbox.com/is-neo-liberalism-really-fascism-light/ “This elite owns the privatised public sector, which includes gas, electricity, water, telecommunications, airports, air traffic control, airlines, railways, bus services, and most recently the Royal Mail. The outsourcing companies run an ever-increasing part of our public services, covering social security, correctional services, employment services, the NHS, the disabled, the educational sector, the care sector, etc.

Today, it is conveniently forgotten that the financial base of household names such as ThyssenKrupp, Mercedes, BMW, VW, Porsche and Hugo Boss all came from the vast profits made under the Nazi government, when there were no unions, few regulations and cheap labour – very often slave labour from the concentration camps.