--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are, as you have just seen, two…" description: "\"“There are, as you have just seen, two agendas being pursued here tonight,\" the Countess lectured amiably. \"The political one of the old men—an annual ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_men-and-women_there-are-as-you-have-just-seen-two-agen_2964172.jpg" --- # There are, as you have just seen, two agendas being… ![“There are, as you have just seen, two agendas being pursued here tonight," the Countess lectured amiably. "The political one of the old men—an annual renewal of the forms of the Vor—and the genetic agenda of the old women. The men imagine theirs is the only one, but that's just an ego-serving…” quote by Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_men-and-women_there-are-as-you-have-just-seen-two-agen_2964172.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_men-and-women_there-are-as-you-have-just-seen-two-agen_2964172.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a21/lois-mcmaster-bujold-716_men-and-women_there-are-as-you-have-just-seen-two-agen_2964172.jpg) > ““There are, as you have just seen, two agendas being pursued here tonight," the Countess lectured amiably. "The political one of the old men—an annual renewal of the forms of the Vor—and the genetic agenda of the old women. The men imagine theirs is the only one, but that's just an ego-serving self-delusion. The whole Vor system is founded on the women's game, underneath. The old men in government councils spend their lives arguing against or scheming to fund this or that bit of off-planet military hardware. Meanwhile, the uterine replicator is creeping in past their guard, and they aren't even conscious that the debate that will fundamentally alter Barrayar's future is being carried on right now among their wives and daughters. To use it, or not to use it? Too late to keep it out, it's already here. The middle classes are picking it up in droves. Every mother who loves her daughter is pressing for it, to spare her the physical dangers of biological childbearing. They're fighting not the old men, who haven't got a clue, but an old guard of their sisters who say to their daughters, in effect, We had to suffer, so must you! Look around tonight, Mark. You're witnessing the last generation of men and women on Barrayar who will dance this dance in the old way. The Vor system is about to change on its blindest side, the side that looks to—or fails to look to—its foundation. Another half generation from now, it's not going to know what hit it.”” [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights a hidden, gender‑driven agenda reshaping society while the overt political power remains blind to it, emphasizing how technology and women's agency will overturn entrenched male dominance. **In simple terms:** Women’s hidden agenda will change society while men stay unaware. Key Takeaway Recognize and address unseen forces shaping the future. Themes gender power technology societal change agency Mood reflective concerned hopeful Type political philosophical cautionary When to use this quote - policy debates - family planning - social movements - technological adoption - cultural shift Key Concepts Feminist theory political dynamics technological disruption Questions to Reflect On - How might hidden agendas shape societal change? - What responsibilities do we have when technology outpaces regulation? A Different Perspective The quote assumes women’s agency will be uniformly positive, ignoring potential ethical concerns about genetic manipulation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Old men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-men/) [Too late](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/too-late/) ## Related quotes > [The personal is the political. 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Meanwhile, the uterine replicator is creeping in past their guard, and they aren't even conscious that the debate that will fundamentally alter Barrayar's future is being carried on right now among their wives and daughters. To use it, or not to use it? Too late to keep it out, it's already here. The middle classes are picking it up in droves. Every mother who loves her daughter is pressing for it, to spare her the physical dangers of biological childbearing. They're fighting not the old men, who haven't got a clue, but an old guard of their sisters who say to their daughters, in effect, We had to suffer, so must you! Look around tonight, Mark. You're witnessing the last generation of men and women on Barrayar who will dance this dance in the old way. The Vor system is about to change on its blindest side, the side that looks to—or fails to look to—its foundation. 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