05-24-2016, 05:18 PM
I’d like to back off the time line some, and look not from the perspective of generations, but of ages. I’ve long seen the Anglo-American series of crises as key transition points in the development from the Agricultural Age to the Industrial age. I’ve been labeled a Whig, and I’ll accept that. I favor democracy, human rights and equality. I see a perpetual problem with those with economic, political and military power using it to maintain and extend such power at the expense of others. Whether it is Kings or Robber barons who are sitting pretty at the top of the heap, I’d be in favor of the rabble underneath rising to do something about it, even if the rabble are often being manipulated by a new set of elites attempt to take the old elite’s place.
From this point of view, one can find stuff wrong with older stereotypes of the dominant male. You can find the knight with shining armor and sword keeping the peasants in their place, or carving out new land by conquering his neighbors. You can find it in the slave owner, whip in hand. You can find it in the fat plantation or factory owner, strutting on the catwalk, watching the little people sweat. You can find it in the street gang, keeping this minority or that in its place. Some aspects of ‘masculinity’ include dominance, possession, territory and rule.
From the perspective of a Whig pushing equality and equal rights, there are aspects of the dominant possessive swagger that aren’t ideal. Even if one doesn’t like every aspect and flavor of political correctness, it shouldn’t be hard to understand where it is coming from.
But even if it isn’t ideal, is it at times necessary and appropriate?
The GIs were no doubt about it masculine. The Millenials, less so. Whether you want to blame it on excessive Whig or not I don’t know, but there is a difference between those who worked their way through the Great Depression and those who were driven to soccer practice by their moms. Part of the Millenial stereotype is working as a team and playing nice. I’m not against these. How can one be against these? I mean Millenials make good kids.
But the GIs had that touch of Popeye in them. “Enough is enough, and enough is too much!” If they saw a problem, they would overwhelm it. They weren’t inclined to let the status quo drift. Their status quo was untenable. They had a right to dominate, swagger, do and achieve, and damn the (expletive deleted) who got in their way. As easy as it is to find faults in a society dominated by swaggering prejudiced ego driven brutes, they got things done. They had a vastly exaggerated idea of how much they could achieve, and an annoying habit of achieving it anyway.
Now, I dislike stereotypes. There are folks on the boards who will stereotype bash, people obsessed with irrational prejudices about Boomers or Xers, who enjoy voicing hate cause hate makes them feel good. Is this a traditional ‘masculine’ trait? Is prejudice and hate ‘masculine’? If so, I don’t want to exercise such feelings with the Millenials. In my youth, we would often describe certain GI adults as ‘male chauvinist pigs’. In an age with black and white bathrooms and ceilings that were less glass than solid steel, the description is quite arguably apt. It isn’t entirely bad that the Millenials aren’t male chauvinist pigs.
Is the notion that ‘enough is enough, and enough is too much’ masculine? At some point are we supposed to stop taking it and do something about it? Or should it be thought of as masculine? Why should the ladies get less feed up later, and be any less expected to rebel? If they want equal rights should they get just as mad and be just as active?
So I’m not apt to long for a disgusting past, unlikely to long for the bad old days when various races and genders were kept in their proper place. There are male attributes and stereotypes which are appropriate and proper in the modern age, and equally proper regardless of the shape of one’s genitals. There are old male attributes and stereotypes that were disgusting, and they are disgusting regardless of one’s chromosomes.
I for one would prefer not to talk about old cultures with old flaws. I would rather not drop people into this bucket or that, by age, gender, race or culture. Talk about the direction we ought to be moving, into the future, and let’s all move there together.
From this point of view, one can find stuff wrong with older stereotypes of the dominant male. You can find the knight with shining armor and sword keeping the peasants in their place, or carving out new land by conquering his neighbors. You can find it in the slave owner, whip in hand. You can find it in the fat plantation or factory owner, strutting on the catwalk, watching the little people sweat. You can find it in the street gang, keeping this minority or that in its place. Some aspects of ‘masculinity’ include dominance, possession, territory and rule.
From the perspective of a Whig pushing equality and equal rights, there are aspects of the dominant possessive swagger that aren’t ideal. Even if one doesn’t like every aspect and flavor of political correctness, it shouldn’t be hard to understand where it is coming from.
But even if it isn’t ideal, is it at times necessary and appropriate?
The GIs were no doubt about it masculine. The Millenials, less so. Whether you want to blame it on excessive Whig or not I don’t know, but there is a difference between those who worked their way through the Great Depression and those who were driven to soccer practice by their moms. Part of the Millenial stereotype is working as a team and playing nice. I’m not against these. How can one be against these? I mean Millenials make good kids.
But the GIs had that touch of Popeye in them. “Enough is enough, and enough is too much!” If they saw a problem, they would overwhelm it. They weren’t inclined to let the status quo drift. Their status quo was untenable. They had a right to dominate, swagger, do and achieve, and damn the (expletive deleted) who got in their way. As easy as it is to find faults in a society dominated by swaggering prejudiced ego driven brutes, they got things done. They had a vastly exaggerated idea of how much they could achieve, and an annoying habit of achieving it anyway.
Now, I dislike stereotypes. There are folks on the boards who will stereotype bash, people obsessed with irrational prejudices about Boomers or Xers, who enjoy voicing hate cause hate makes them feel good. Is this a traditional ‘masculine’ trait? Is prejudice and hate ‘masculine’? If so, I don’t want to exercise such feelings with the Millenials. In my youth, we would often describe certain GI adults as ‘male chauvinist pigs’. In an age with black and white bathrooms and ceilings that were less glass than solid steel, the description is quite arguably apt. It isn’t entirely bad that the Millenials aren’t male chauvinist pigs.
Is the notion that ‘enough is enough, and enough is too much’ masculine? At some point are we supposed to stop taking it and do something about it? Or should it be thought of as masculine? Why should the ladies get less feed up later, and be any less expected to rebel? If they want equal rights should they get just as mad and be just as active?
So I’m not apt to long for a disgusting past, unlikely to long for the bad old days when various races and genders were kept in their proper place. There are male attributes and stereotypes which are appropriate and proper in the modern age, and equally proper regardless of the shape of one’s genitals. There are old male attributes and stereotypes that were disgusting, and they are disgusting regardless of one’s chromosomes.
I for one would prefer not to talk about old cultures with old flaws. I would rather not drop people into this bucket or that, by age, gender, race or culture. Talk about the direction we ought to be moving, into the future, and let’s all move there together.
That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.