by @extradeadjcb Over the last few months, conservative politicians and pundits have been smugly delivering to progressive academics & “public health experts” the Ultimate Kill Shot: “What is a woman?” But the answer turns out to be easy for progressives to give: a woman is anyone who identifies as a woman. This makes “woman” a nonsense word, of course, but who cares? It’s just a word.
"Of course, masculinity is not culturally constructed, and it can’t be educated away — and trying to do so twists men and boys into furtive, neurotic, miserable creatures."
Yes.
Masculinity is at essence about confronting and subduing objective, external threats. While this is trivial to understand in a "state of nature" (e.g., big bear charging you down), it still needs explained why violence is needed – even at the core of – within a "civilization".
And that is because man is a part of nature; so one of the external threats is other men. Civilization is created in response to this threat of other men.
Civilization is *not* the solution to barbarism because it suppresses *all* violence, but because men who have a respect for violence, who can deploy violence with discrimination, and who develop virtue around violence can suppress those who would kill indiscriminately, i.e., barbarians. This ends up being good for everyone.
Any attempt at civilization that does not acknowledge this truth, or tries to cope by pushing it into the shadows, will choke. Civility, norms, politeness – these are tools developed as a part of a peace that is actively maintained, to be used to coordinate a response to external with with violence, if needed.
This essay also helps me understand why it is that older I get the more I appreciate the vital importance of regularly playing sports with some degree of physical contact (basketball is my jam).
I also now get why the modern legal community is so obsessed with destroying the NFL (and why those attacks do less than nothing to diminish its appeal to its audience).
Excellent as usual, Dr. Bennett. Given that the "violence" is the first word used to describe why God drowned the world, I have wondered if it is a mistranslation for murder if something else. He certainly doesn't shy away from it for much of the old testament and revelation of course. Christ himself "violently" repelled the merchants from the temple. If anyone's had a take on this I'd love to read it. Again, great work, thank you for taking the time to write it.
God created man in his image to manage his creation as it were a garden. God created diverse nations and peoples that they might war and test one another, for Might Makes Right. War is the will of god.
“and then the progressive simply dares the conservative to explain out loud what this implies for the infertile and the disabled.”
It implies nothing, it’s just a misfortune.
I object to same-sex couples having children by surrogate on the grounds that it is impossible by nature. Then someone will counter “But what about men and women who can’t conceive? It’s the same thing.”
But it isn’t the same thing. If a man and woman can’t conceive, it’s because something is wrong.
It’s why we’ve chosen to lose all our wars since 1945. Why we refuse to execute murderers found guilty and sentenced by a jury of their peers. Why our streets are so dangerous to women and children. And we we find our “defense” industry to be based in 189 countries but refuse to use it as designed - today in the Red Sea. And it’s why we refuse Ike’s logical policy of “Massive Retaliation” to end global small-state violence.
“Toxic masculinity” is a boondoggle. It’s not about genderistic behavior it’s about toxic behavior and personality disorders. That’s it and that’s all.
Agreed. Paradise is the graveyard of humanity. Without suffering there is no impetus for growth, development and improvement. Like the Golden Path in the DUNE-iverse. Without the challenge of war to drive us to grow ever stronger we will die out.
Good times make weak men.
Weak men make bad times.
Bad times make strong men.
Strong men make good times.
Rinse; repeat.
The only way to break this cycle is for Smart Men to make interesting and challenging times. We must complete the cycle of the ages and claim our destiny and become gods ourselves.
"Of course, masculinity is not culturally constructed, and it can’t be educated away — and trying to do so twists men and boys into furtive, neurotic, miserable creatures."
Yes.
Masculinity is at essence about confronting and subduing objective, external threats. While this is trivial to understand in a "state of nature" (e.g., big bear charging you down), it still needs explained why violence is needed – even at the core of – within a "civilization".
And that is because man is a part of nature; so one of the external threats is other men. Civilization is created in response to this threat of other men.
Civilization is *not* the solution to barbarism because it suppresses *all* violence, but because men who have a respect for violence, who can deploy violence with discrimination, and who develop virtue around violence can suppress those who would kill indiscriminately, i.e., barbarians. This ends up being good for everyone.
Any attempt at civilization that does not acknowledge this truth, or tries to cope by pushing it into the shadows, will choke. Civility, norms, politeness – these are tools developed as a part of a peace that is actively maintained, to be used to coordinate a response to external with with violence, if needed.
This essay also helps me understand why it is that older I get the more I appreciate the vital importance of regularly playing sports with some degree of physical contact (basketball is my jam).
I also now get why the modern legal community is so obsessed with destroying the NFL (and why those attacks do less than nothing to diminish its appeal to its audience).
Excellent as usual, Dr. Bennett. Given that the "violence" is the first word used to describe why God drowned the world, I have wondered if it is a mistranslation for murder if something else. He certainly doesn't shy away from it for much of the old testament and revelation of course. Christ himself "violently" repelled the merchants from the temple. If anyone's had a take on this I'd love to read it. Again, great work, thank you for taking the time to write it.
God created the heavens and the earth.
God created the grass.
God created the sheep.
God created the wolves.
God created man in his image to manage his creation as it were a garden. God created diverse nations and peoples that they might war and test one another, for Might Makes Right. War is the will of god.
Only an enemy wants you to be pacified.
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americanhombre.gumroad.com
“and then the progressive simply dares the conservative to explain out loud what this implies for the infertile and the disabled.”
It implies nothing, it’s just a misfortune.
I object to same-sex couples having children by surrogate on the grounds that it is impossible by nature. Then someone will counter “But what about men and women who can’t conceive? It’s the same thing.”
But it isn’t the same thing. If a man and woman can’t conceive, it’s because something is wrong.
Being a soldier, and fighting in MMA.
Brilliant
It’s why we’ve chosen to lose all our wars since 1945. Why we refuse to execute murderers found guilty and sentenced by a jury of their peers. Why our streets are so dangerous to women and children. And we we find our “defense” industry to be based in 189 countries but refuse to use it as designed - today in the Red Sea. And it’s why we refuse Ike’s logical policy of “Massive Retaliation” to end global small-state violence.
“Toxic masculinity” is a boondoggle. It’s not about genderistic behavior it’s about toxic behavior and personality disorders. That’s it and that’s all.
Q. Are they failures?
A. Yes.
Q. Are they incomplete?
A. Yes.
Q. Are they “less than”?
A. Yes.
They can still be good people that make positive contributions to society.
Agreed. Paradise is the graveyard of humanity. Without suffering there is no impetus for growth, development and improvement. Like the Golden Path in the DUNE-iverse. Without the challenge of war to drive us to grow ever stronger we will die out.
Good times make weak men.
Weak men make bad times.
Bad times make strong men.
Strong men make good times.
Rinse; repeat.
The only way to break this cycle is for Smart Men to make interesting and challenging times. We must complete the cycle of the ages and claim our destiny and become gods ourselves.
Hurt Locker was a documentary