Text: "The first act of violence that patriarchy demands of males is not violence toward women. Instead patriarchy demands of all males that they engage in acts of psychic self-mutilation, that they kill off the emotional parts of themselves. If an individual is not successful in emotionally crippling himself, he can count on patriarchal men to enact rituals of power that will assault his self-esteem." ~ Bell Hooks Because men need feminism too.
This meme is built on several undocumented premises:
- There are conformity demands uniquely made on males
- Those demands are from a patriarchy
- They are violent demands
- These demands precede demands to be violent to women
From these premises come false conclusions:
Men act and think the way they do because that is who they are, not because dysfunctional society makes them that way. In essence, feminists/leftists are offended by the biology. Because they think that gender is fluid, masculine men are patriarchy-enforced damaged goods. Because men and women are different, feminists/leftists assume that gender-normed mechanisms acting in society are enforcements rather than acknowledgements.
Yet like many leftists, they are incongruously offended by the idea that gays and transgenders can change. That is, men must change, gays can't. Thus we read a plethora of moral judgments derived from precepts that are not self-evident.
When we peel back the layers, we essentially discover that they want men to be more like women, an idea that is seeded into contemporary feminist philosophy. Equality was the original goal, superiority is the current goal.
Additionally, this "patriarchy" is presumed toxic without any evidence offered. However, "patriarchy" is not only responsible for wars and atrocities, it is also credited for the greatest discoveries and creations in science, the arts, and technologies of history.
Ironically, even the rise of feminism occurred in the context of patriarchy.
Feminists/leftists presume without justification that a feminist societal structure would be superior. But we know that women acting in positions of power are just as corruptible as men are. When faced with the hard decisions that might mean starting a war or opposing a tyrant, women will end up finding they will act in similar ways as men. Or perhaps, once they try feminist ideals and have them fail, they will act just like men in their responses.
In summary, feminists/leftists want men to change without any evidence that the change means things will be better. This is a typical leftist attitude, that their intervention (that is, "progress"), is automatically good and beneficial. Intentions trump results.
Men are not damaged, they are men. They, like women, are flawed, given to passions, and corruptible and compromise-able. Their emotional state does not need to be more like women.
- Patriarchal men will enforce these demands
- Males are forced to engage in self damage
- This self damage kills the emotions
- Self damaging of the emotions is bad
- Non compliance invites patriarchal men to enforce their will
We suspect that these premises are based on feminist/leftist assumptions about the gender-normed behavior expectations that culture and society places on men, which of course galls feminists/leftists because they view gender-specific behavior as learned rather than being being innate. However, it is indisputable that men and women are, with a few exceptions, biologically different in behaviors and emotional construction.
Men act and think the way they do because that is who they are, not because dysfunctional society makes them that way. In essence, feminists/leftists are offended by the biology. Because they think that gender is fluid, masculine men are patriarchy-enforced damaged goods. Because men and women are different, feminists/leftists assume that gender-normed mechanisms acting in society are enforcements rather than acknowledgements.
Yet like many leftists, they are incongruously offended by the idea that gays and transgenders can change. That is, men must change, gays can't. Thus we read a plethora of moral judgments derived from precepts that are not self-evident.
When we peel back the layers, we essentially discover that they want men to be more like women, an idea that is seeded into contemporary feminist philosophy. Equality was the original goal, superiority is the current goal.
Additionally, this "patriarchy" is presumed toxic without any evidence offered. However, "patriarchy" is not only responsible for wars and atrocities, it is also credited for the greatest discoveries and creations in science, the arts, and technologies of history.
Ironically, even the rise of feminism occurred in the context of patriarchy.
Feminists/leftists presume without justification that a feminist societal structure would be superior. But we know that women acting in positions of power are just as corruptible as men are. When faced with the hard decisions that might mean starting a war or opposing a tyrant, women will end up finding they will act in similar ways as men. Or perhaps, once they try feminist ideals and have them fail, they will act just like men in their responses.
In summary, feminists/leftists want men to change without any evidence that the change means things will be better. This is a typical leftist attitude, that their intervention (that is, "progress"), is automatically good and beneficial. Intentions trump results.
Men are not damaged, they are men. They, like women, are flawed, given to passions, and corruptible and compromise-able. Their emotional state does not need to be more like women.
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