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Looking to the Future, Feminism Has to Focus

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So I'll invoke the insight of someone less than half my age, the young editor of Feministe, Jill Filipovic. "Mainstream liberal Democratic guys don't have to take feminism seriously because they know that, at the end of the day, we're going to be there," she told me. Filipovic supports Obama, but recognizes that "most of the time, appeasement is not the solution."

Or, as the legendary feminist philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli said, it's better to be feared than loved, if you can't be both.

linda@lindahirshman.com

Linda Hirshman is the author of "Get to Work: A Manifesto for Women of the World."

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