decisions

Cynthia Enloe’s Decisions, Decisions, Decisions, from Maneuvers’ The International Politics of Militarizing Women’s Lives discussed how militarization manifests a variety of ideologies, meanings and uses of people, places, things and ideas and how militarization manipulates the meanings of femininity and masculinity via the privilege of masculinity. She stated that militarization is the process by which things become controlled by, dependent on and develops its value from the military as an institution and mentioned that anything militarized can be demilitarized and remilitarized. She mentioned that she made Virginia Woolf’s essay Three Guineas an integral part of her seminars when discussing women and militarization. Woolfe focused on how the government’s civil service was masculinized and has produced a sense of culture filtered around it. It also damaged and basically “brainwashed” women who obtained high ranking statuses or degrees in law or medicine often found themselves competing against one another and normalizing hierarchy. During current times of “war”, it is almost hard to imagine what life in America would be like without war or conflict. One can only imagine how the war in Iraq has torn so many families and lives apart, but I wonder if it at all possible for Americans to separate their patriotism, or their love for their country from the harsh and negative realities it causes? Are employers being fair to the general public when hiring war veterans who may relatively have little to no experience and a specified field? Is it really okay for militarization to take precedence over issues pertaining to women or children?