ALF News

No. 72, Fall 1999

from Lizzie M. Holmes

by Sharon Presley

In 1896 the anarchist periodical The Rebel published the following visionary piece by American individualist feminist writer and activist Lizzie May Holmes. Though much of what she envisioned is an idealization of what she only hoped would be the case, some of her predictions are remarkably on target. "Sympathetic telegraphy" foreshadowed radio and television, "newspapers issued every half hour" and "duplicates issued almost instantaneously by means of an electrical process" are eerily close to our world of Internet web sites and downloads. "Wondrously fine artificial fiber; and hundreds of contrivances for man's comfort and convenience," as well as "airships" were all testimony to her insight. (Keep in mind that around the turn of the century, some scientists were actually saying everything that could be invented had been!)

Unfortunately, as has happened throughout the world's history, technology has advanced far more quickly than social relations or human rights. Holmes' hope that the last war would be in 1900 is tragically off the mark. Humankind's capacity for folly and violence in the 20th century exceeds anything in previous history. Holmes sadly underestimated the willingness of ordinary people to be duped by power-hungry leaders full of greed and ego. Her vision of a world where nation-state boundaries are unimportant is both right and wrong. Though the few remaining monarchies have little power, the "republics" are still in full force and show no immediate signs of abating. Yet at the same time the Euro, the relative unimportance of borders in Europe, at least for the purposes of trade and travel, and the international community generated by the Internet suggest the whisper of the beginning of a trend in the direction Holmes envisioned.

We can only hope that this new century embodies more of Holmes' dream of peace. Le monde sans frontiere, a world without borders, and peaceful co-existence where weapons of terror exist only in museums are still a long way off, I fear, longer than Holmes imagined or hoped. If I were to predict the world of 2100, I would be more pessimistic than Holmes. I don't think the year 2100 wwill present us with an end to war, violence or strife. Too many human psyches are still too weak and fearful to stand up to the power-mongers, the seducers who promise peace and prosperity but always deliver more of the same old trickery and thievery. Perhaps we won't see another Hitler in the coming century but we will see more of the Saddam Husseins and other petty two-bit dictators of his ilk. And they may have nuclear weapons.

The psychological and social trends we see now in society are both good and bad at the same time. On the one hand, women have more choices and more respect (at least in the Western world) than they have ever had before in recorded history. This trend is unlikely to go backwards any time soon. Freedom once tasted is too sweet and not easily given up. The power of the Internet will bring this message of hope and freedom to more and more women (and men) around the world, perhaps faster than we imagine. The communication genie is out of the bottle and not even the communist Chinese government can put it back in as hard as they are currently trying. The peaceful fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union are a tide that also may not be easily turned back. This doesn't mean that a libertarian world is right around the corner but it does suggest that monolithic authoritarian regimes may be relics of the past (at least for a century or two!).

Yet at the same time, there is a disturbing and seemingly relentless trend toward less and less deep or critical thinking among ordinary people. Perhaps every generation claims the new generation is going to hell in a handbasket but what I see as a college teacher is frightening to me in many, many ways. People who can't think in abstractions, students who struggle though critical thinking classes barely grasping, if at all, the concepts, rude behavior on the streets and freeways raised almost to an art form, thoughtless, egotistic, and self-centered "to hell with you" attitudes rampant. Not an easy trend to reverse.

So my prediction for the year 2100 is much more cautious, less optimistic in regard to human interaction yet at the same time, even more optimistic than Holmes in regard to technology. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to predict that technology will advance exponentially. The scientific world of Star Trek is truly just around the corner. If only I could be as optimistic about the social world of Star Trek, with its "prime directive" (do not interfere in the lives of other intelligent species), its deep and steadfast concern with individual rights, and a prosperity so profound that money isn't necessary.

We can only hope, though not necessarily expect, that the world of 2100 will be as rosy as Lizzie Holmes hoped the year 2000 would be. We can at least let her poetically beautiful vision be an inspiration for us as we enter the new century and the new millennium.

World's Exposition in the Year 2,000.

(A sketch which did not win the prize in the late Times-Herald competition.)

by Lizzie M. Holmes

The sun rose and sent a burst of glory over the sparkling lake, and glittering, smokeless city, that seemed to spring out of the water itself and stretch far away toward the western sky. At the same instant, music rich, soft, all-pervading, swelled out upon the still, sweet air, strains that could be heard in all parts of the city, and whose source could not be determined by the sound; a grand succession of rich harmonies in new and inspiring modulations, whose motif was action-enthusiastic, pleasurable action. A thousand banners were flung out at once and myriads of brilliant colors glowed against the white, dazzling buildings. The morning sky with its roseate, golden and purple tints, seemed a great dome decorated for a world's festival, the earth beneath with its joyous splendor, a vast auditorium fitted up to receive the peoples of all nations. And the throngs that surged out of their houses and through the clean, noiseless streets, as the day grew brighter, warranted the thought. The Great Exposition of the World's Productions opened at daybreak.

Out on the lake itself a magnificent view rested under the clear sunlight. Wonderful constructions rose from the waters as though resting upon them, of most graceful and harmonious shapes and formed of a shining material resembling silver intermingled with a bright crystal substance. They extended along the lake shore for a distance of two miles and were connected with the land by hundreds of delicate looking but strong, arched bridges. Around every structure were wide, smooth walks, shaded by graceful awnings whose light supports were twined with luxuriant vines and flowers. Innumerable boats of various sizes and shapes glided over the water between the buildings, without noise or smoke or any visible motive power. Broad, white steps led down to the water at short intervals. Over all, there rested an air of cheerfulness and pleasing activity that set every heart to beating high with happiness and expectation.

The principal avenue to the exposition buildings was a magnificent, great bridge built of marble, silver and several new and wonderful compositions in building material. The floor was firm, yet not too hard and unyielding and gave back no sound to footstep or wheel. Grand pillars supported a majestic archway which spanned the structure; above the arch stood an imposing statue–a figure of lofty proportions, and perfect symmetry, with limbs indicative of marvelous strength and suppleness, a splendid head set proudly upon massive shoulders, and hands that seemed to quiver with power and eagerness to act. A heap of broken chains lay at his feet, and a beautiful, penetrating light glowed from a crown on his forehead. The statue represented the "Spirit of Industry." The crowds of people pouring through the grand entrance way, appeared happy, prosperous and genial. There was no distinguishing classes by the quality or style of dress, the variety displayed was simply from the differences in taste, and all were gracefully, lightly, and comfortably clad.

It would be vain to endeavor to describe the manifold productions displayed in the liberal arts building and other departments. There were all kinds of furniture and decorative ware formed of gold, silver, crystal, aluminum and manufactured materials as pliable, glittering and durable as gold; there were tapestries, draperies and robes of silk, spun glass, spider's web, and a wondrously fine artificial fiber; and hundreds of marvelous, ingenious contrivances for man's comfort and convenience which were new even to the people of the new century and would be inexplicable to those of the old nineteenth. All were displayed in the most artistic and enticing manner possible to the advanced mind and skill of man.

The visitors moved about in rolling chairs which went forward by pressing a button and could be guided by pushing a lever, and in small cars that floated about over the heads of the people on the floor, or they walked about as they felt inclined. Passengers arrived on the grounds by pneumatic cars, air ships, surface and submarine boats impelled by a newly-discovered force which required little machinery and was very light.

While the exhibitions from the various parts of the world were divided off and marked by the names of the countries from which they came, the most prominent inscriptions were the names of the associations and numbers of branches from which the articles were sent. An exhibit was from such and such an association, Branch Number– , and inconspicuously, the old name of the country where it was made was added. Members of said branches did not always live in the countries named but simply held their connection with the branch, wherever they might be. Very little attention was paid to boundary lines, so widespread and general had grown the spirit of internationalism and fraternity. There were no monarchies or empires and only one or two distant divisions that still called themselves "republics." People belonged to societies, groups, industrial associations, etc., and these constituted the principal organization of general society. Here and there were individuals who refused to join anything and so long as these invaded no one, they were left alone in their glory. There were no taxes, no cornered and controlled "mediums of exchange" and all the producers of the earth freely and equitably exchanged their productions.

The machinery and transportation buildings, showed what marvelous strides in these arts had taken place in the last century. Transportation had reached such perfection that people no longer lived huddled together in huge cities. The cities were simple centers of industry, with large association hotels or homes, and places of amusement scattered through them, for the convenience of those who wished to remain there any length of time. The real homes were situated in the pleasantest places, among mountains, hills, and wooded vales, on the banks of picturesque streams, and along the shores of lovely lakes. No twenty-story buildings existed except a few old ruins preserved as curiosities. Buildings were two, three or four stories high according to the style of architecture.

Machinery performed every sort of disagreeable, dangerous or tedious labor; but many kinds of work had been rescued from the machine, and now furnished pleasant and artistic occupation and recreation for men, women and children. In one of the machinery halls, newspapers containing the world's news condensed, were issued every half hour, while in every city, duplicates were issued almost instantaneously by means of an electrical process. The more elaborate literature, such as articles on philosophy, science, history, economics, and articles of fiction were reserved for magazine publications and issued every three or four days. The various processes of sympathetic telegraphy were elaborately displayed–wires were no longer stretched between distant points as means of swift communication. One large building was devoted to relics and curiosities of the nineteenth century. Here were seen the horse car, steam engine, printer's case, the old-fashioned arc and incandescent lights, gas-fixtures, etc. One vast hall, designated "A Chamber of Horrors" contained old methods of punishments, small models of penitentiaries and jails, of the electrocution chair, the gallows, the guillotine, etc. And also old implements of warfare were shown. Some of the guns exhibited at the Columbian Exposition in 1894 as perfect specimens of destructive machinery, were shown; torpedoes, bombs, models of war ships, war balloons were displayed as curious relics of a half-enlightened time. There had been no wars for a hundred years. The last great conflict had occurred in 1900 when it was proved that massed armies were of no use whatever and could be utterly annihilated in two minutes, that rulers, kings and generals were in as great danger wherever they might place themselves, as were the front ranks of soldiers on ancient battlefields; that cities, forts, and war ships could be blown to atoms at a moment's notice ; then the people began to think they must settle their differences in some other way than by destroying each other. Rulers no longer declared war when they must share the danger, and the common people would no longer fight each other over questions in which they had no interest.

As genuine exhibits of skill and ingenuity, none but those of peaceful, industrious, educational or progressive nature were shown. No articles of warfare, conquest, authority or exploitation were seen except in this one collection of terrible, old curiosities.

Among the many useful and beautiful productions, hung long lists of names of working men who had devoted unusual labor, skill, or inventive talent, or had endured extraordinary hardships, or undergone dangerous risks. Near noon a grand procession paraded through the walks; they were strong, upright, splendid specimens of humanity and were cheered by the visiting throngs as heroes of old were on returning from victorious wars. They were the workers whose intelligent exertions had brought into being the beautiful and magnificent structures around them. A great audience next assembled in a glorious auditorium where an ode to labor was sung by a magnificent chorus of voices, and addresses in honor of industry were given. Inventive talent, managing ability, designing powers were not forgotten; every creature who had performed some useful act in creating the marvels about them, was honored by appreciative mention.

And so the grandest, most universal, most peaceful exposition ever held in the history of the world, was opened for enjoyment, and the cementing of true brotherly feeling between all the peoples of the globe.

Where Do We Go From Here?

by Joan Kennedy Taylor

Lizzie Holmes, writing at a time when women still did not have the vote, foresaw a world in which it was not necessary to single out women's rights for special mention. She could predict that one day, like the abolition of slavery, unequal legal treatment of women would simply not be an issue.

And to a large extent, at least in this country, her vision has come true. We have the vote. We are not discriminated against on juries. The Supreme Court has decided (more or less) that we have a right to reproductive freedom that includes not only access to birth control but a right (even though qualified) to abortion. Although the ERA wasn't ratified by the states, its passage by Congress led to the disappearance of protective labor legislation and to the passage of a number of state ERAs. What few common-law restrictions on married women, like the persistence of some forms of title to joint property that vest all control in the man are now roadblocks to be circumnavigated when encountered, rather than oppressions. Judges agree that we are included in Fourteenth Amendment protection. Some inequities still persist, but in general, the laws that for centuries restricted our lives in ways that the law didn't restrict men no longer restrict us.

Sharon Presley is right when she says that "women have more choices and more respect (at least in the Western world) than they have ever had before in recorded history." Critics of feminism are quick to tell us that there is nothing for us to gain anymore, as we not only have legal rights, but we have entree into practically every occupation, including politics. And there is something to be said for this point of view. Feminism no longer has a clear, political goal that cuts across differences and affects all women, as women, because they are women.

But there are still social issues that affect us. The big unanswered question, that all feminists will recognize, is this: Why, in spite of all we have accomplished in the thirty-odd years since The Feminine Mystique was published, do a sizeable segment of girls persistently expect so little of themselves? Why do we see eight-year-old anorexics, teenagers whose entire attention seems fixated on what they and the others in their group are wearing, and other teens–even pre-teens–who have decided so early that all they can expect from life is to have a baby?

Betty Friedan has said that feminism is a sex-role revolution. I think this is profoundly true, but there is a large group of girls that it has left behind. The answers that have been suggested to this question, that advertisers brainwash them, or teachers don't call on them enough in class, or the more sinister suggestion that evolution has programmed them this way, are all too superficial. What is at stake, I think, is the delicate balance between being an individual and finding groups within which we can function. We all, men and women, are having difficulties in discovering how to find happiness in this gender-equal world that we have created over the past century.

We are all social animals. There is something in our makeup that needs groups. We need people to care for us when we are young, people to teach us, people to interact with economically. And because these people are important to us, we care what our parents think, what our teachers think, what the boss thinks. These are all basically unchosen groups, but as we mature and develop into individuals, we also need chosen groups that reinforce the interests that we are developing. Even libertarians, who often don't like to recognize that there is a real need for the society of others, form political committees, book discussion groups, libertarian supper clubs. And we care what the members of chosen groups think, often to the point of demanding such conformity that we are willing to ostracize those who question the group consensus. This is why ideological groups so often splinter–it is rare that a group can not only tolerate diversity of opinion about what brought them together, but can actually encourage individual difference. We all need groups that are not conformity-driven tribes, in this sense, but that will help us to become the self-directed individuals that we need to be.

Too many girls don't have such groups. Rearing children and supplying the needs of a home are no longer women's division of the division of labor. It is no longer enough of a preparation for life for young females to gather together by the stream to do laundry (or to go window-shopping together in the mall). Learning to live happily in this world for a girl means branching out from the perhaps comfortable givens of mating and childbearing to thinking about functioning as an independent economic person, with individual interests. Where is the group that will help with that?

Individualist feminism, with its emphasis both on the common ground and common problems of being a woman and on the importance of being an independent individual is uniquely qualified to give a framework to girls on the threshold of this transition. Feminism provided such help to many of us in the seventies–although it must be admitted that even feminism has had its incidents of tribal thinking. Feminism today, if it found ways to reach out, could indeed foster groups for girls that would encourage their members to be productive and to solve problems, while bonding together and helping each other as women. This may well be feminism's greatest challenge in the years ahead.

Sharon Presley is teaching Psychology of Women this term as one of her classes at Cal State Hayward. She spoke on "Women Resisters to Authority" at the Sonoma Free Forum in Petaluma, California on January 13, a talk in which she discussed nineteenth-century feminists Voltairine de Cleyre, Lillian Harman, and Angela Heywood as well as twentieth-century libertarian feminist Suzanne La Follette. It was written up in the Petaluma Press-Democrat under the title "Women Who Made Their Own Rules."

She is also completing a book whose working title is Thinking for Yourself: Thriving in a World That Wants You to Conform and Obey, scheduled for publication by Ronin Press in Berkeley later in the year 2000.

Joan Kennedy Taylor gave a Cato Institute Book Forum in Washington D.C. on December 15 that was written up in The Washington Times and Michael Lynch's column in Reason. The subject was her new book, What to Do When You Don't Want to Call the Cops: A Non-Adversarial Approach to Sexual Harassment. She has also appeared on a number of radio and television programs to discuss the book.

ALF Discussion Papers and Individual Heritage Papers will soon start to be posted on the ALF Web Site. Watch for an announcement.