Excellent post, Jeffrey. I know what it is like to be a factory worker, a warehouse worker, a truck driver. I did all these jobs (and more) while working my way through engineering school. I remember how I was viewed. The owners and managers could care less about who I was. I was merely someone who had to produce.
It is the same with women in certain societies. They have to produce children and raise the next generation to do the same. I think it might relate to the verse in the biblical Book of Genesis to be "fruitful and multiply."
It is the same biblical book that says to "subdue the Earth." That humans ought to dominate the Earth, our Home This idea, in my view, is why we have this overarching idea that we must extract, exploit and produce. We hold no honour for the Earth. We hold no honour for other species We hold no honour for ourselves.
In other words, we do so with cynicism and contempt. What we need is a reversal of thought. We need to honour the Earth and have gratitude for what it provides us. It is the Earth that produces.
Beautifully expressed. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I think more people need to talk about their experience as workers including low wage and frequently disrespected workers. And I join you and the view that our understanding of the Earth itself, our reliance and our failure to acknowledge that reliance, is it the heart of many of our social relations problems. This is also an argument advanced by the philosopher Val, and Australian thinker who died some years ago.
I love this essay Jeffery! Women have always had to struggle in all domains of life to take her agency back in this patriarchal world. However the saddest struggle of them all is the struggle to gain agency for her labour of birth. The backgrounding of women in many cultures is deep and perpetual. And so is for the people who toil hours to create a functional society for those of us who conveniently make them obsolete in our language. This is s thought provoking essay. Thank you for sharing this.
Yes yes yes! This is exactly why I was so excited about the United auto workers finally fighting for their rights and recognition. I hope I'm looking at a correction long overdue as to the value of all people and their contributions to this society.
Thank all you coders that make this all possible as I surf yhe ether. But..Oh ya....thsnks to the 2 guys who installed my dishwasher a few days ago. Also the folks that served me and the wife a delicious meal at one of our many great restaurants here on cape cod. Thank all you road construction folks for making my journeys smooth and safe. Thank you.....where to begins....where to stop with the thank yous
...we're all in this together village earth. Oh FU military industrial complex...some folks and their professions get no thanks from me👎
Courtesy meets ethics meets politics. Though we can't exclusively concentrate on culture at the expense of institutional political structures, we would be mistaken to overlook the power of cultural practices to impact social consciousness. A society that routinely acknowledges and honors ordinary people's labor would be one more likely to engage in work stoppages and other forms of solidarity.
I doubt Jesus would have been cool with everyone giving God credit for making babies.
Having children is comes at a very high physical and mental cost. Our entire system rides on the lies that God blesses us with children.
I made my kids. It was a gauntlet and if you tell me what a blessing I will kick you in the shin. Because it was a lot of effort. Not a baby dropped off on my door step readu to roll.
As a creative intelligence researcher I will also tell you that the way we see childbirth and rearing is somatically intelligent. It is a fantasy fairy tale that leaves out the grit and terror.
Cognitive Intelligence has the grit and terror because it is in the details.
We need to wake up and see how they manipulate using these two way of seeing the world. So we can never ask for our needs to be met. So that we are slaves at work no different than numbers and details. But our family life is represented in a past idealized fantasy that we don't get any societal help with.
If you: do laundry, are (or have been) pregnant, tidy up, shop for your household or do similar labor, then by GDP standards, you're unproductive.
In this visionary talk, economist Marilyn Waring seeks to correct the failures of this narrow-minded system, detailing why we deserve a better way to measure growth that values not just our own livelihood but the planet's as well.
[GDP]...in terms of our environment. When we're mining it, when we're deforesting, when we're deleting our environment, when we're fishing out our marine resources, legal or illegal, as long as market is exchanged, it's all good for growth.
To leave our natural environment alone, to sustain it, to protect it, is apparently worth nothing.
The unpaid work that GDP ignores -- and why it really counts
Marilyn Waring (economist, New Zealand Parliament member) | 17 minutes | YouTube
@Jeffrey, have you ever heard of this? It is fascinating. I have had 4 children myself, and never heard of this but thru my dreams of my children I am so connected to them. Of course they would deny it if I get too close to what's happening in their lives if they don't want me to know. So I keep it close to heart. A Stranger to Oneself: The Mystery of Fetal Microchimerism https://www.the-scientist.com/a-stranger-to-oneself-the-mystery-of-fetal-microchimerism-72022
This was a great article. It says so much about how we look at "labor" on so many levels. Maternal health, and childbirth are a very sensitive issue for me as I have been a birthing coach for many women in the past. We have gotten so far away from nature that nature is kicking us squarely. Thanks for your thoughts, Jeffrey!
Very intriguing post and suggestions for change of language around having babies—making babies.
I agree completely with citing sources and creditting the laborers for their work.
I have some unrefined thoughts about some of the religious things you've mentioned, mainly about the traditions that say that women came after and even from man, and the implications of that narrative. But I'll have to reread and engage with those paragraphs more critically before I can say something coherent and sensible.
Your heartfelt, profound tribute to the power of mothers in your incredible piece is truly valued and appreciated. No words can better define, honor, or glorify this holy moment of transcendence than your eloquent and thoughtful words, which beautifully capture the significance of childbirth: "Childbirth is an act of creativity so culturally significant that it has and continues to lead worshipers to their knees in praise of a divine being abstractly credited with the creation of the human species." As you sincerely expressed, mothers transcend biological roles; they are the creators and nurturers of life and freedom, granting boundless love, freeing their children, and ushering them from the inner darkness into the outer light of the unknown world. Mothers' extraordinary strength and tolerance of pain during this sacred moment is not simply physical or biological but somewhat spiritual and emotional – a testament and attribution to the unbreakable bond and attachment between mother and child. This celestial, deeply magical connection, known as Maternal-Fetal Attachment (MFA), allows the unborn child to undergo their mother's emotions and share in her moments of both sorrow and joy.
While this heavenly bond is permanently firm and robust, it can be abolished or terminated in some circumstances because the act of "destruction" in this evil world surpassed the "act of creativity," as you thoughtfully described. Due to a lack of love, acceptance, and empathy, or facing extreme violence or medical neglect during pregnancy, this magical connection can be fatally ended through stillbirth or forced abortion, leading to one of the most severe mental conditions, called "Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" (PPTSD), this condition, if left untreated, can often lead to a tragic death of the mother. Unfortunately, the risk of this condition in the USA is rising due to increasing national abortion rates. Despite the ban in some states, in 2023, the number of abortions reached over a million, the highest rate in over a decade. The last time there were over a million abortions provided in formal healthcare system in the United States was in the 2012, which was under the authorization of the same deceptive suppressive system.
This increase is attributed to the wide availability of abortion funds, often promoted by national organizations through social media. Ultimately, this is not about women's freedom or human rights, as our psychopaths deluding and would have us believe, but rather about maintaining agendas that regard women's pregnancies as an obstacle, both to population reduction and to the exploitation of women in illegal businesses such as pornography and human trafficking, which is one of the wealth sources to the "elite", in simple words, a pregnant woman can never be exposed or sold.
Mothers are honored and praised in all religions. In the Bible, she is "God" and a warrior, as stated in Isaiah 42:14: "I have long time holden my peace; I have been still and refrained myself: [now] will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will gasp and pant together." In Islam, the woman who dies during childbirth is a "martyr," and her tolerance to the pain is a salvation to her soul. And in one of the most heart-touching words in Jewish ritual, mothers are proud and loved: "I come to the mikveh to remind myself that I am always loved, always held, always growing, always whole."
Although mothers are honored and blessed by God, they are humiliated, tortured, aborted, and bombed by the most evil entities in history. Because of our blind fears, we unquestioningly support and fund the same cruel leaders. And because of our desperate addiction to their lies, Machiavellian tactics, and political games, shamefully, thousands of mothers today, after enduring unbearable pain to give birth, are searching for the remains of their babies' bodies under the rubble rather than celebrating their first birthday.
I truly appreciate your sharing your infinite wisdom and knowledge on such a thought-provoking and soul-stirring topic.
Wow, you really brought the light to this abortion issue that is rarely considered. Like children in the cities think milk and eggs grow in the cartoons, women who cry out "My body, my choice." are not connecting the dots that once they become impregnated, their bodies are undergoing an enumerable amount of changes. That the body does not know the difference between full term birth or miscarriage or abortion. The woman's hormonal changes after any of these will lead to emotional, physical and psychological changes. I am a psychic and many times I have had a woman come to me, no children in the physical world, but I will see children all around her in the spiritual world. Then I ask, "do you have any children"? They respond, no. But I see them. Then I ask "have you ever had a miscarriage or abortion?" They look at me with such surprise, "how did I even know that?" So even on the spiritual level it has a deep impact on women. Getting an abortion is not like taking back the lemon you bought at the car auction. Nor is it like dropping your beloved pet at the shelter. Something happens on so many levels, and that should be acknowledged. Post-partum support is necessary whenever there is a "post-partum". There are so many nuances to this question of abortions, that are simply not being addressed. Isn't it funny though, no big deal when a man wants to get a vasectomy's. No protests, no laws..... dude just goes and gets snipped.
Looking at the social evolution of civilization and its reciprocal human domestication, human domestication results in the subjugation of others as we all participate in interpersonal subjugation following the ideological process of plant and animal domestication. One should note, that concomitant social evolution drove the goddess out, but not the penis on the godhead. This demarcated the reduction of the goddess to the metaphorical field being seeded by plow, leaving the man as husband aligned with animal husbandry. Note the word used still today reflects the assignment of obligation under human domestication.
Excellent post, Jeffrey. I know what it is like to be a factory worker, a warehouse worker, a truck driver. I did all these jobs (and more) while working my way through engineering school. I remember how I was viewed. The owners and managers could care less about who I was. I was merely someone who had to produce.
It is the same with women in certain societies. They have to produce children and raise the next generation to do the same. I think it might relate to the verse in the biblical Book of Genesis to be "fruitful and multiply."
It is the same biblical book that says to "subdue the Earth." That humans ought to dominate the Earth, our Home This idea, in my view, is why we have this overarching idea that we must extract, exploit and produce. We hold no honour for the Earth. We hold no honour for other species We hold no honour for ourselves.
In other words, we do so with cynicism and contempt. What we need is a reversal of thought. We need to honour the Earth and have gratitude for what it provides us. It is the Earth that produces.
Beautifully expressed. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I think more people need to talk about their experience as workers including low wage and frequently disrespected workers. And I join you and the view that our understanding of the Earth itself, our reliance and our failure to acknowledge that reliance, is it the heart of many of our social relations problems. This is also an argument advanced by the philosopher Val, and Australian thinker who died some years ago.
Val Plumwood, Australian philosopher, I looked her up and her ideas resonate. Thanks for the recommendation.
I love this essay Jeffery! Women have always had to struggle in all domains of life to take her agency back in this patriarchal world. However the saddest struggle of them all is the struggle to gain agency for her labour of birth. The backgrounding of women in many cultures is deep and perpetual. And so is for the people who toil hours to create a functional society for those of us who conveniently make them obsolete in our language. This is s thought provoking essay. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks so much for reading. I'm very glad to know my contribution rings true to you. And thank you for your additional insightful commentary.
Yes yes yes! This is exactly why I was so excited about the United auto workers finally fighting for their rights and recognition. I hope I'm looking at a correction long overdue as to the value of all people and their contributions to this society.
Yes, I was also so inspired by the UAW's efforts and success
Thank all you coders that make this all possible as I surf yhe ether. But..Oh ya....thsnks to the 2 guys who installed my dishwasher a few days ago. Also the folks that served me and the wife a delicious meal at one of our many great restaurants here on cape cod. Thank all you road construction folks for making my journeys smooth and safe. Thank you.....where to begins....where to stop with the thank yous
...we're all in this together village earth. Oh FU military industrial complex...some folks and their professions get no thanks from me👎
Courtesy meets ethics meets politics. Though we can't exclusively concentrate on culture at the expense of institutional political structures, we would be mistaken to overlook the power of cultural practices to impact social consciousness. A society that routinely acknowledges and honors ordinary people's labor would be one more likely to engage in work stoppages and other forms of solidarity.
I doubt Jesus would have been cool with everyone giving God credit for making babies.
Having children is comes at a very high physical and mental cost. Our entire system rides on the lies that God blesses us with children.
I made my kids. It was a gauntlet and if you tell me what a blessing I will kick you in the shin. Because it was a lot of effort. Not a baby dropped off on my door step readu to roll.
As a creative intelligence researcher I will also tell you that the way we see childbirth and rearing is somatically intelligent. It is a fantasy fairy tale that leaves out the grit and terror.
Cognitive Intelligence has the grit and terror because it is in the details.
We need to wake up and see how they manipulate using these two way of seeing the world. So we can never ask for our needs to be met. So that we are slaves at work no different than numbers and details. But our family life is represented in a past idealized fantasy that we don't get any societal help with.
If you: do laundry, are (or have been) pregnant, tidy up, shop for your household or do similar labor, then by GDP standards, you're unproductive.
In this visionary talk, economist Marilyn Waring seeks to correct the failures of this narrow-minded system, detailing why we deserve a better way to measure growth that values not just our own livelihood but the planet's as well.
[GDP]...in terms of our environment. When we're mining it, when we're deforesting, when we're deleting our environment, when we're fishing out our marine resources, legal or illegal, as long as market is exchanged, it's all good for growth.
To leave our natural environment alone, to sustain it, to protect it, is apparently worth nothing.
The unpaid work that GDP ignores -- and why it really counts
Marilyn Waring (economist, New Zealand Parliament member) | 17 minutes | YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrnZMrjsf6w
@Jeffrey, have you ever heard of this? It is fascinating. I have had 4 children myself, and never heard of this but thru my dreams of my children I am so connected to them. Of course they would deny it if I get too close to what's happening in their lives if they don't want me to know. So I keep it close to heart. A Stranger to Oneself: The Mystery of Fetal Microchimerism https://www.the-scientist.com/a-stranger-to-oneself-the-mystery-of-fetal-microchimerism-72022
Check out his video on TikTok as well. https://www.tiktok.com/@mrbetyoudidntknow/video/7207021835546873094
Thank you for the link on microchimerism! I will be looking to further educate myself on this subject
This was a great article. It says so much about how we look at "labor" on so many levels. Maternal health, and childbirth are a very sensitive issue for me as I have been a birthing coach for many women in the past. We have gotten so far away from nature that nature is kicking us squarely. Thanks for your thoughts, Jeffrey!
Very intriguing post and suggestions for change of language around having babies—making babies.
I agree completely with citing sources and creditting the laborers for their work.
I have some unrefined thoughts about some of the religious things you've mentioned, mainly about the traditions that say that women came after and even from man, and the implications of that narrative. But I'll have to reread and engage with those paragraphs more critically before I can say something coherent and sensible.
It was a great read. Thanks for sharing!
Your heartfelt, profound tribute to the power of mothers in your incredible piece is truly valued and appreciated. No words can better define, honor, or glorify this holy moment of transcendence than your eloquent and thoughtful words, which beautifully capture the significance of childbirth: "Childbirth is an act of creativity so culturally significant that it has and continues to lead worshipers to their knees in praise of a divine being abstractly credited with the creation of the human species." As you sincerely expressed, mothers transcend biological roles; they are the creators and nurturers of life and freedom, granting boundless love, freeing their children, and ushering them from the inner darkness into the outer light of the unknown world. Mothers' extraordinary strength and tolerance of pain during this sacred moment is not simply physical or biological but somewhat spiritual and emotional – a testament and attribution to the unbreakable bond and attachment between mother and child. This celestial, deeply magical connection, known as Maternal-Fetal Attachment (MFA), allows the unborn child to undergo their mother's emotions and share in her moments of both sorrow and joy.
While this heavenly bond is permanently firm and robust, it can be abolished or terminated in some circumstances because the act of "destruction" in this evil world surpassed the "act of creativity," as you thoughtfully described. Due to a lack of love, acceptance, and empathy, or facing extreme violence or medical neglect during pregnancy, this magical connection can be fatally ended through stillbirth or forced abortion, leading to one of the most severe mental conditions, called "Postpartum Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder" (PPTSD), this condition, if left untreated, can often lead to a tragic death of the mother. Unfortunately, the risk of this condition in the USA is rising due to increasing national abortion rates. Despite the ban in some states, in 2023, the number of abortions reached over a million, the highest rate in over a decade. The last time there were over a million abortions provided in formal healthcare system in the United States was in the 2012, which was under the authorization of the same deceptive suppressive system.
This increase is attributed to the wide availability of abortion funds, often promoted by national organizations through social media. Ultimately, this is not about women's freedom or human rights, as our psychopaths deluding and would have us believe, but rather about maintaining agendas that regard women's pregnancies as an obstacle, both to population reduction and to the exploitation of women in illegal businesses such as pornography and human trafficking, which is one of the wealth sources to the "elite", in simple words, a pregnant woman can never be exposed or sold.
Mothers are honored and praised in all religions. In the Bible, she is "God" and a warrior, as stated in Isaiah 42:14: "I have long time holden my peace; I have been still and refrained myself: [now] will I cry out like a travailing woman; I will gasp and pant together." In Islam, the woman who dies during childbirth is a "martyr," and her tolerance to the pain is a salvation to her soul. And in one of the most heart-touching words in Jewish ritual, mothers are proud and loved: "I come to the mikveh to remind myself that I am always loved, always held, always growing, always whole."
Although mothers are honored and blessed by God, they are humiliated, tortured, aborted, and bombed by the most evil entities in history. Because of our blind fears, we unquestioningly support and fund the same cruel leaders. And because of our desperate addiction to their lies, Machiavellian tactics, and political games, shamefully, thousands of mothers today, after enduring unbearable pain to give birth, are searching for the remains of their babies' bodies under the rubble rather than celebrating their first birthday.
I truly appreciate your sharing your infinite wisdom and knowledge on such a thought-provoking and soul-stirring topic.
Wow, you really brought the light to this abortion issue that is rarely considered. Like children in the cities think milk and eggs grow in the cartoons, women who cry out "My body, my choice." are not connecting the dots that once they become impregnated, their bodies are undergoing an enumerable amount of changes. That the body does not know the difference between full term birth or miscarriage or abortion. The woman's hormonal changes after any of these will lead to emotional, physical and psychological changes. I am a psychic and many times I have had a woman come to me, no children in the physical world, but I will see children all around her in the spiritual world. Then I ask, "do you have any children"? They respond, no. But I see them. Then I ask "have you ever had a miscarriage or abortion?" They look at me with such surprise, "how did I even know that?" So even on the spiritual level it has a deep impact on women. Getting an abortion is not like taking back the lemon you bought at the car auction. Nor is it like dropping your beloved pet at the shelter. Something happens on so many levels, and that should be acknowledged. Post-partum support is necessary whenever there is a "post-partum". There are so many nuances to this question of abortions, that are simply not being addressed. Isn't it funny though, no big deal when a man wants to get a vasectomy's. No protests, no laws..... dude just goes and gets snipped.
Looking at the social evolution of civilization and its reciprocal human domestication, human domestication results in the subjugation of others as we all participate in interpersonal subjugation following the ideological process of plant and animal domestication. One should note, that concomitant social evolution drove the goddess out, but not the penis on the godhead. This demarcated the reduction of the goddess to the metaphorical field being seeded by plow, leaving the man as husband aligned with animal husbandry. Note the word used still today reflects the assignment of obligation under human domestication.
Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm glad workshops like the one you attended are helping us recognize maternal labor and the care women deserve.