but what about the traditional women who wanted to live those lives?

True, that's the problem with not having the choice. Which I admit I wasn't thinking of.

What about the women who were ostracized because of their strength?

I'd think the Slayer would be lonely by definition. As was made clear a number of times -- especially the beginning of S6 -- the Slayer is the indispensable one. Willow could be replaced by any computer geek. Xander could be replaced by anybody with the courage. And Giles, of course, was replaced. Without Buffy, the Scoobs in Bargaining were, to be charitable, fairly competent.

The flaw in the system is the random choosing of a single Slayer. With choice, a sane woman in a society where women are narrowly circumscribed into a given role could rationally choose Slayerhood. But the randomness means that TPTB wouldn't necessarily choose the Slayer in a rational manner.

And on that note, time for me to go home. Have a great weekend, all!

do you have a link to your fic.

Ohohoh noo. I am not like you brave people. I write the fic. I destroy the fic. Maybe one day if I get a computer at home and am drunk enough I'll dig it out of my files (I printed it) and post it....

I was kidding about my Giles' theory. If I could Nilly, I would Nilly my MANY posts on the Giles in Hell Theory. But - I thought Giles had been in Hell like Angel for three whole seasons. I was sure of it. I stopped trying to predict what was going to happen next once I realized that the only thing that ever gave me any evidence that Giles had been in Hell was my own desire to see a flashback where he falls out of the sky nekkid.

Since then I have heard my dream of ASH butt was fufilled on Manchild.

Ohohoh noo. I am not like you brave people.

Hahaha! I am not brave, I am foolish.

If I get off my tush, I will probably be able to break the hundred story barrier this year. I've only been writing since January of 2002. Fear me.

I am not brave, I am foolish.

I vote brave and wildly fun to read.

I will probably be able to break the hundred story barrier this year.

And clearly not a slacker.

I just started showing off mine. Not sure if I am brave or crazy. Both, maybe.

I am just going to gush all over you guys - erikaj - you are all kinds of crazy. I have never ever seen one ep of Homicide and your crossover fic is what made me finally venture into LJ land - (eeeek!) which is where I found all the links to Plei's fic. Ya'll rawk.

Wow, really? How nice.(It really is, even if I'm sarcastic a lot.) Plei does write some amazing stories, and wow, quite a lot, too. And lots of times they make me look like "a shiny, happy, person" in comparison, so thanks for that, too, if you don't mind my saying.But my first efforts were breathtakingly hideous. And I can admit that, pretty much.

How many units were completely wiped or suffered enormous casualties?

Well, I don't know about any other military, but I found comparative US statistics:
[link]

For WWII, it lists there being 16 million+ US soldiers, with a 6.6% casualty (2.5% death) rate over 44 months. Combined Civil War statistics note just under 4 million soldiers, with a 25.1% casualty (14.4% death) rate over 48 months. So overall casualties in raw numbers? Only 100,000 more in WWII than in the Civil War. Whoa. Who doesn't love (a) helmets, (b) penicillin, and (c) getting driven to your battlefield instead of having to walk there?

Soldiers who retired from WW2 and other big conflicts were the exceptionally lucky ones.

Well, for the US soldiers (and this averages out all of the high- and low-risk occupations), you had a 94.4% chance of coming home with no official casualty. Clearly, they don't calculate post-war stress casualties, but we're talking about slayers, who don't have a post-war period, so I'm okay with that.

a more assertive woman might see the Slayer as an attactive option.

If it were an option, maybe. It's not -- it seems to be compulsory. They let Buffy take her time off, when she demanded it; but they didn't let Faith "retire" until after they'd tried automatic weapons on her.

I think, if I weren't allowed to quit my job on pain of automatic weapons, I would have severe issues with my job, even if it were Greenpeace or the Saintliest Orphanage And Soup Kitchen In the World.

Wow, really

Absolutely, really.

And whew. I was feeling like a big weirdo for getting all gushy there for a second. Because I don't post in the fic threads and I don't ever send feedback on any fic I read (Is that awful? Is it bad form? I just don't know what to say other than "boy that was fun" or "you're 14 aren't you?").

I think that's what f/b is, other than the times when I felt really bad about myself and I would correct somebody's grammar at ff. net and sign it "A Sympathetic Friend" or something. Then, it was bitchy and possibly hostile...I'm not sure.