Feminists say that men haven't really changed in a hundred years, and that men have trouble coping with the new world of equality. Well, they're half right. I think that men have changed a lot, but I also think that we have trouble dealing with this new world.
Part of the reason we have trouble is that many aspects of this new world are patently unfair and we're trying to figure out what we want and how we want to balance the unfairness; the other part of our troubles is that old habits die hard. Of course, old habits die even harder when women won't give up their old habits and continue to provoke traditional male behaviour even as they demand new behaviour. Of course, women's old habits die hard when men continue to provoke traditional female behaviour, and 'round and 'round we go.
What you won't see here is a condemnation of traditional men and a championing of the "new, sensitive male." After years of being the epitome of the "new, sensitive male" I now think that SNAGs are full of shit. In fact, most people who blather on about "tolerance" "equality" and "sensitivity" are only tolerant, fair-minded, and sensitive toward the "correct" people and causes. There are lots of sites out there claiming that men are unhappy because they're not enough like women, and that the solution is to teach men to "get in touch with their feelings" and "learn to nurture." This isn't one of those sites.
I'm a sensitive guy who also believes that white supremacists have as much right to speak as feminists, although I think they're both a bunch of idiots. I believe that a woman should not be denied a job or promotion just because she's a woman, just as I believe that a man shouldn't be denied full custody of his kids just because he's a man. I believe that there was never anything wrong with the traditional man and that he had many admirable qualities, even as I don't want to return to the world of Ozzie and Harriet. I believe that "equality" means real equality, and that means women have to give up a lot of their power, too. I despise jerks who are tolerant and sensitive to all the right issues but then think it's a real lark to bash whomever is currently out of favour with the intelligencia, those out of favour usually being white, able-bodied men.
I believe that most of the ideas put forth by the feminist movement: "the patriarchy"; the jealous guarding of male power; the average woman being downtrodden and oppressed; women of the past being powerless; men of the past being all-powerful; rape being commonplace and ignored; violence against women being in need of special attention; et cetera are propaganda and hype designed to rally the troops. This is not to say that I think that rape and violence are somehow excusable or unimportant. My objection is to the brazen lies and manipulation that make problems seem like crises. I decry crimes and wrongs against women being put on an altar and bemoaned as somehow far more terrible and important than the same crimes and wrongs being committed against men.
I believe in equality, not feminism, and in the last twenty years these two ideas have diverged radically.
So here, under "Men," you can read some of my ideas and personal experiences being a man. If you're terribly offended that what's here is only a white male point of view then try to keep in mind that's what I am. A white male who is writing what he really feels, as opposed to what he thinks you want to hear.
