liberals and the girly boy mind

[enemy mind]

November 22, 2008
The Testosterone Crisis
By Ed Kaitz
The sweeping Democratic electoral victory has left many conservative Americans concerned about their children's future.* With the federal government, educational establishment, entertainment industry and media thoroughly in the hands of the left, disturbing questions surface concerning the kinds of values our children will begin to accept as "mainstream."* Matters get worse when one considers what might become forced indoctrination in "community service" organizations as a prerequisite for college admission.
These concerns were on my mind during a recent outing with my young children to a local playground.* While I watched my kids try to scale walls, climb ropes, and navigate through other challenging structures various male voices I had obviously missed on previous visits to the park suddenly resonated.* "Try it on your own" or "you don't need any help with this one" the gaggle of fathers would say as their sons and daughters sized up various obstacles.* And while many of the moms cringed on the benches the young ones tripped, fell, clawed, and cried at times but they usually ended up victorious.
The ancient Chinese thinkers would have called my local park a microcosm of nature -- a dynamic reciprocity between the forces of feminine yin and masculine yang.* It is as natural for the moms to be overly concerned about the bumps and bruises as it is for the fathers to be encouraging independence and self-reliance.* Yin and yang represent two complementary energies in nature, the balance of which determines the health and harmony of a marriage, a family, a village, and even a nation.* These same Chinese philosophers warned however that unhealthy families, like unhealthy nations, are usually the victims of an overabundance of either the feminine yin or the masculine yang.
Chinese emperors for example attempted to head off this underlying and menacing threat of imbalance by castrating their ministers.* Why?* Too much yang testosterone in the palace would lead to dangerous factions and competition.* More eunuchs around the court meant the palace would be a better reflection of the harmony in nature.* Imperial concubines would also be sheltered from potential male rivals of the potentate, but this was entirely incidental to the theory.)
While an excess of yang energy was considered explosive and dangerous, what happens in a country like contemporary America when there seems to be a dangerous oversupply of feminine yin?
In his book The Suicide of Reason Lee Harris argues that our present state of liberal democracy has led to "eliminating the alpha males from our midst, and at a dizzyingly accelerating rate."* Instead of supporting and valuing testosterone's virtues we're "drugging our alpha boys with Ritalin."* In addition, one could view Barack Obama's election as the triumph of yin over yang.* Obama's policies promise to cast the father out of America's parks and replace him with the more "caring" and yin oriented federal government.* For Lee Harris however the feminization of American men comes at an extremely high price:
"The end of testosterone in the West alone will not culminate in the end of history, but it may well culminate in the end of the West."
It was in ancient Greece for example when the West began to associate the masculine yang voice with freedom and self-reliance.* Why?* Because when Athenian citizens perused the known world they noticed something rather curious: in no country other than Greece did citizens enjoy freedom or the virtues of democratic government.* Famous Greeks like the fifth century B.C. physician Hippocrates attempted to explain this fascinating anomaly. What Hippocrates and other Greek observers all tended to conclude was that the rest of the world's subjects must be "effeminate" or else, like the Greeks, they would have demanded -- like real men -- to be left alone by their leaders.*
In his essay On Airs, Waters, and Places for example Hippocrates notes that those who endure life under a despot are "cowardly, as I have stated before, for their souls are enslaved."* Greeks however are "independent, and enjoy the fruits of their own labors," and in addition they "encounter dangers on their own account, bear the prizes of their own valor, and in like manner endure the punishment of their own cowardice."* The good doctor concludes with a rather chilling observation: "A man's disposition will be changed by his institutions."* In short, what Hippocrates argues is that the more "maternalistic" the government, the less the citizenry will value freedom.
We can now start to understand part of Obama's appeal.* Alpha males in this nation have been browbeaten in every profession, most notably in education.* Indeed, the largest percentage ever of young, educated Americans in a presidential contest threw its support behind Barack Obama.* In addition, whereas John Kerry received 51% of the female vote in 2004, Barack Obama garnered close to 60%.* When black Americans overwhelmingly supported Obama to the tune of 90%, how much of this support was a product of race and how much was simply a product of a culture in which 70% of children are raised without fathers?
Both political parties now believe that they can garner votes by playing the yin, or compassion card.* We've seen this with the Bush Administration and its heavily statist "compassionate conservatism."* On the other hand, Democrats in congress thought that extending loans to unqualified borrowers was an act of compassion.* An excess of yin is now causing many of our states, like California, to go broke.* Despite these examples an "uncaring" America was the chief rallying cry of Barack and Michelle Obama during the recent election.
In his classic work Democracy in America Alexis de Tocqueville entitled one of his chapters "What Sort of Despotism Democratic Nations Have To Fear."* Near the end of the chapter there is a rather sobering observation:
"It is indeed difficult to conceive how men who have entirely given up the habit of self-government should succeed in making a proper choice of those by whom they are to be governed; and no one will ever believe that a liberal, wise, and energetic government can spring from the suffrages of a subservient people."
Will Americans become so subservient under an Obama administration that a future yang style candidate like Ronald Reagan becomes impossible?* A healthy nation, like a healthy family, should have a proper balance of yin and yang.* Ideally, the relationship should be a balance between yang's independence, competition, and merit, and yin's more gentle, cooperative, and egalitarian energy.* We're at a critical moment in our history however when the forces of yin in American threaten to bury, not complement, yang.* Despite what the radical feminists might tell you, alpha male energy is natural and necessary for many things, including national survival.
There's an eight year old boy in my neighborhood who still rides his bike with training wheels.* There's no father at home.* Is America looking at training wheels writ large?* We know that most contemporary, estrogen-heavy Europeans would like to rid America of its testosterone.* They may just get their wish.

[magnomark]

how sick we have become............

[jeff]

A couple of months ago I had some boys on a boy scout camp out. They set up camp cooked and did everything even though it was hot. As they were taking down camp on Sunday a couple of moms showed up. It wasn’t five minutes and the boys were sitting in the shade with cold drinks while the moms packed up.

[markw76]

Good gravy! Are those Scouts new? If that'd happened when I was in, we wouldn't have stood for it!

Ground Pounder to Sandy Lead! Ground Pounder to Sandy Lead! Need immediate testosterone drop danger close! Popping smoke!

[fclight]

I think I'm gonna puke! Where have all of the MEN gone? I go for weekends to a place my wife and I were able to purchase a few years back in rural western Virginia. It's up in the Virginia Highlands and kids live all over the place. When we come up on weekends they flock to us like we're the Pied Piper!!!

All of the kids think I'm nuts thinking I'm going to build my own earth sheltered passive solar home with my own hands. None of them know how the gears work on their bicycles and most of them ride bikes with little or no brakes because their fathers (what there are of them) are either drunk in the evenings or on welfare and won't hit a tap at a snake.

Back in the summer they all rode their bikes up to our place and I adjusted the dérailleurs (gear shifters) and brakes. I made them take a couple out of service until I got some brake pads for them. They acted like I was some kind of GOD or something because I could fix a bike to work!!

When I was a kid I could take a Briggs and Stratton Go Kart motor apart with a 9/16" open end wrench, an adjustable wrench and a rock!!! I knew that the governor could be adjusted with tin snips to get higher RPMs. I could take the rear axle of my bike apart, replace the ball bearings, put it back together and everything worked!!!

Our dysfunctional schools are graduating kids from high school who read at a 6th grade level and we're having to import engineers from India and Germany because college is too hard unless you're in the Liberal Arts curriculum. These are the people we expect to inherit this country.

Republics historically last about 200 years, decay into anarchy and fall into dictatorship. There have been no exceptions and we're circling the drain! The Girly-Boys will inherit the Earth, ammunition is through the roof and WE'RE DOOMED!!!!

Sorry if I rant. I'm ****ED with no outlet except you guys.

My $.02
FL

[KMO]

The OP presented this concern...

With the federal government, educational establishment, entertainment industry and media thoroughly in the hands of the left, disturbing questions surface concerning the kinds of values our children will begin to accept as "mainstream."* Matters get worse when one considers what might become forced indoctrination in "community service" organizations as a prerequisite for college admission.

If one acknowledges that the liberal world view is at the heart of this feminization of men and boys problem, and if one also acknowledges the "educational establishment" firmly in the hands of those that adhere to that world view, then why in the world would a concerned parent care in the least about prerequisites for entrance into higher education institutions controlled by the same? I constantly scratch my head at parents who willingly admit, if not complain about, the indoctrination their children receive in public education institutions, but enroll them nevertheless. Where is the logic in that? There are alternatives.

[collegeb]

"I constantly scratch my head at parents who willingly admit, if not complain about, the indoctrination their children receive in public education institutions, but enroll them nevertheless. Where is the logic in that? There are alternatives."

+1

I will not have this on my children.

And as for the scouts and moms...I think you guys didn't get far enough away from the city.

[mnottfam]

Originally Posted by KMO

The OP presented this concern...

If one acknowledges that the liberal world view is at the heart of this feminization of men and boys problem, and if one also acknowledges the "educational establishment" firmly in the hands of those that adhere to that world view, then why in the world would a concerned parent care in the least about prerequisites for entrance into higher education institutions controlled by the same? I constantly scratch my head at parents who willingly admit, if not complain about, the indoctrination their children receive in public education institutions, but enroll them nevertheless. Where is the logic in that? There are alternatives.

Many of us don't have the financial means to get our kids out of the public "screwels" and into private. The liberals have learned from the Nazi Germans, who figured out that if you control the education system, you can fill the kids' minds full of whatever nonsense you want, and end up with an entire generation of people uncapable of thinking for themselves--like sw towing the liberal line, making believe he's thinking for himself, when in actuality he's just spouting what he's been taught in his liberal public education. I laugh when I think of the exercises in "free-thought" we used to have when I was in school. You were rewarded for towing the popular liberal nonsense, but heaven forbid you want to embrace traditional American values--you were labeled a "drone," unable to "think for yourself."

[COBRADOC]

Maybe there is still hope. My 16 year old high school sophomore grandson says he is having the time of his life in History and Civics classes. We discuss political philosophies and current events several times a week, especially those that are coming up in his classes. Then, he takes his conservative views (not Republican views) back to class and has a field day with counter arguments to the socialist crap being disbursed in the public schools. He told me this weekend that he has already won several of his classmates over to his side of thinking.

By the way, this kid is not a woos – he stands 6 feet tall, weighs 210 lbs., plays defensive line and special teams on the varsity football team, and he’s a strong B student.

As I said, maybe there is hope.

[KMO]

Many of us don't have the financial means to get our kids out...

They are better off taught at home, and that doesn't have to be expensive.

[Jim Mc]

You only need to look at the "100 things a man should know" or whatever it is on this site to see how far we have sunk. Clearly 1/4 to 1/3 are gender neutral and much more of the items would have been considered "sissy stuff" just a couple of decades ago. The "Military Skills" are laughable if they weren't so pathetic. All I can think is these girly boys considered what they do as "manly", aparently just because it is what they do. What is even more puzzeling is how the so called females seem to find this girly man stuff attractive. I don't get it either.

[mnottfam]

Originally Posted by KMO

They are better off taught at home, and that doesn't have to be expensive.

Looked into it, and I agree, its WAY better than even private schooling, but then you have to have the time to invest. Raising children is never easy, and when you're at work all the time, and your spouse isn't capable of handling the personal requirements home schooling necessitates (it's a full-time job, in and of itself), you're kind-a s.o.l.

[mnottfam]

Boy, this guy hit the nail right on the head:

Gary Bauer, chairman of American Values, does not believe American voters did enough research on Obama before the election. "One of the things he has talked about is this universal voluntary public service corps. But there are some disturbing signs that this might be another one of these left-wing ideas that have motives behind it that are not entirely reassuring," he contends.

Unfortunately, according to Bauer, the American media did not press Obama to answer questions about some of these questionable ideas and affiliations. "The result is that I think we had one of the most undereducated electorates in the history of our country partake in this election, not knowing the first thing about what the man who's now been elected president has on his agenda," he concludes.



Just because my daughter is in public "screwel" doesn't mean she's a liberal-line-towing automaton like some (cough cough sw cough). I try to go over the liberal nonsense they're trying to shove down her throat and make examples of just how wrong they are. She doesn't have the fortitude to argue with her classmates, but at least she knows what's acceptable and what should not be in a civilized society.

[collegeb]

Even in some of the academic literature males are called boys or guys. The notion of "man" is disappearing. The art of being a gentlemen is almost lost.

[COBRADOC]

Originally Posted by KMO

They are better off taught at home, and that doesn't have to be expensive.

Before you decide to crucify me for what I am about to say, please be advised that I am a baptised by immersion, Evangelical Christian, active church attender and deacon in my church. So this is not an attack on religion.

In my opinion, this "home schooling" craze is doing a terrible disservice to the children involved. Most of the people that I know that have chosen to home-school, to be quiet blunt, border on being religious nuts. Their primary reason seems to be to "protect" their children from the evil secular environment. Too me this is the worst thing that they can ever do, because sooner or later those young people will have to go out into this "horrible saten-worshiping world" and they are going to be so ill equipped to deal with worldly issues because they have not been exposed to the world in age-related doses and won't have any idea as to how to deal with them.

Every child that I have seen that is being home schooled is lacking in people skills. They have been so sheltered and so protected that they don't know how to act around other kids, even those who attend private religious schools. This is especially bad for the home-schooled girls, because they haven't had the opportunities to learn how to say "NO". And the boys, well, they tend to act more like girls than boys.

[fclight]

I have several religious friends who home schooled their children and they're some of the most intelligent and well rounded kids I ever met! They can hold a conversation that is truly interesting to all of the folks participating and they are up on current events like they really care.

The families did indeed suffer hardships due to the one income in a two income world but they got by. They love those kids completely and have gone to great pains to ensure that they are very well socialized.

The eldest got his Eagle Scout badge a year ago and entered the local Community College a year early. He's at the top of all of his classes and has the intention of becoming a Mechanical Engineer. I have no doubt he will be successful.

They are Patriots and love their country. They have taught their sons to live a simple life on a farm and they can produce what they need. The one thing they are most certainly not is religious fanatics!! While they are believers in the risen Son of God, they aren't zealots or nuts!

I am in awe of the job they have done raising their kids on less money than I think I could have lived on by myself!

FL

[collegeb]

I have heard the "socialization" argument many times. I see the reason for concern, but I think there is a lack of understanding. First off kids at public school may be exposed to all kinds of people, but that happens at the mall too. People form cliques so all that diversity really is not instrumental, and most people are innately accepting of differences. Public school has done such a good job of stigmatizing and creating victim groups that they now have to teach courses on diversity, er, "multiculturalism." There is also a negative aspect to the "socialization" in the public school indoctrination system. Negative things such as gangs, influences to do drugs and have promiscuous sex, bullying, and miserable excuses for teachers. Granted all of this exists outside the school as well, but flourishes inside. This type of socialization is not important or relevant to getting a job and being successful or even adjusted to the world around you.

A site that has helped me to understand reasons for homeschooling, but is geared more for students is...

http://www.school-survival.net/

[kralizec]

Most of these kids are active in church, sports, scouts, etc.. That takes care of the socialization issue. There have been at least a few home schooled kids in every extracurricular activity my son has participated in. I wish we could afford to home school. Besides math and honors programs, there isn't much I like about the public school he attends. They don't even have a marksmanship program!

[KMO]

I realize we have veered a bit from the original post here, but it was so lengthy that this thread certainly had the potential to branch off a bit in several directions. Anyway, this subject of the proper "socialization" of children is an absolutely hollow argument, actually meant, in many cases, to artificially deflate the enormous success of home education.

The logical parent should ask, Am I sending my child to school to be educated or to be socialized? If the latter is true, than a young "socialist" is perhaps the likely product of this training emphasis (only partial tongue-in-cheek intended). Seriously, when did the educational priorities of parents shift to the extent that the so-called socialization obtained in a school setting ranks so high? …and above fundamental skills?

To accept the notion that the typical separated-by-age grade level school provides "normal" socialization for children is to overlook most of American history. The modern concept of classrooms is just that, modern phenomena. A good look at American education history reveals a variety of educational settings as the norm, including home education as an early model, and the traditional one-room schoolhouse as another successful institution.

Most parents of today, especially weak-kneed fathers, have subjugated their responsibilities and given over their greatest duty, that of educating their children, to institutions that not only contradict the personal standards of these same parents, but have a miserable record of success. Doesn’t it seem ironic that we have record numbers of co-valedictorians at our high school graduation ceremonies, yet a rapidly growing level of illiteracy among graduates of these public schools? Anyone ever sift through some job applications filled out by their local scholars? I have…many, and it's beyond disappointing.

This feminization of boys problem described in this thread is due in large part to the deliberate “socialization” techniques being used by the public education system. If educated children is truly the desired outcome of the 13+ years of time investment during the typical school-age period of time, then parents are simply going to have to wake up and adjust their family priorities. If my observation is correct, doesn’t most every church in the country have class space sitting unused for most of the week? It seems our churches have a wonderful opportunity to partner with parents, help them re-establish reasonable educational standards, and better utilize available resources to accomplish educational goals and reverse the troubling “socialization” we are witnessing as products of the public system.

Bottom line? Wake up dads, love your kids, and get them out of these corrupt and damaging institutions.

[mnottfam]

Well folks, we're still better off than a lot of parts of the world. For the time being, anyway:

A home school advocate is helping a German family who is seeking asylum in the United States.

Mike Donnelly is a staff attorney with the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and says home schoolers in Germany are under great persecution. He also notes many German families home school in secret, but if they get caught, they can face fines in the thousands of dollars, lose their personal property, get thrown in jail, or even have their children taken from them.

One family, according to Donnelly, has suffered so much persecution that the HSLDA is now helping them seek asylum in the United States. The Romeike family was faced with thousands of dollars in fines and the potential loss of their five children if they did not comply with the demands of German social workers who wanted to put their children in government-run schools.

"And so they were able to get here to the United States," he explains. "They relocated to East Tennessee where they have been warmly welcomed by home schoolers in that area, and they are just so happy to not have to be looking over their shoulders wondering when the social workers were going to come and try to take their children or when they were going to get another letter in the mail saying they were going to have to pay another couple thousand Euros or dollars to the German government for home schooling."

Other German home school families have followed suit, and Donnelly says they have hired an immigration attorney as they seek political asylum. He is hopeful that asylum will be granted in these cases.

[mikduk]

I'm very fortunate that a group of parents in my town, discouraged with public ed, started a charter school 2 years ago. My wife is a teacher there and our 2 daughters were required to attend. It is state funded and costs us nothing but required volunteer time. There are a lot of home schoolers attending too and it demands parent involvement daily.
The curricullum is history based so they learn everything based on a period in time and everything I've seen is very fact based without bias. They start Latin and Spanish in the first grade. Kids are ability grouped regardless of grade level and made to catch up, if not, they get to repeat a grade. They are well disciplined and if they can't behave, they're gone.
I was thrilled when we spent 3 weeks studying the Constitution- as it was written.
I suggest you check into it- you're kids deserve the best chance you can give them to make it in the new world.

[Marlin 45 carbine]

there are some men left in this land and there are 'liberals' that are social liberals but fiscal conservatives. (me amongst them)
the love of country transcends boundarys that will not fit any description of political ideology.
let's all hope that those that swore allegiance to the Constitution are those that stand guard over our beloved land.

[KMO]

there are 'liberals' that are social liberals but fiscal conservatives.

I'm sorry, but this idea just doesn't fit reality. Declaring one's self a liberal brings with it the idea that government has the answers, and the public funds, to address society's multitude of problems. Fiscal responsibility comes with the precepts of liberty and freedom, but NOT liberalism. You're kidding yourself with this notion that liberals have a sense of responsibility when it comes to the use of public money.

[collegeb]

Libertarians for one consider themselves social liberal (in politics) in that they feel you should be able to do all the drugs and prostitutes you like, give to charities you want, etc. And are fiscally conservative (for government). You are completely mistaken KMO.

[KMO]

Collegeb wrote,

You are completely mistaken KMO.

I did not write anything about "Libertarians." I wrote about "Liberals." These are two different critters.

[Marlin 45 carbine]

a true liberal is a 'live and let live' type of person IMO.
believing that the Democrat 'social engineers' are the only politicans without fiscal restraint is flawed.
Reagan presided over unmatched deficit spending - that is until the 'conservative' Bush (W. that is) came along.

[markw76]

Originally Posted by Marlin 45 carbine

a true liberal is a 'live and let live' type of person IMO.

This last election cycle has demonstrated how few true liberals there are, then.

Politicians have power which they are ALWAYS ready to wield regardless of party. I'm convinced any that state they are not just haven't been there long enough.

[Marlin 45 carbine]

it's the nature of the beast Mark, get back at the ones that fought against you.
unfortunate but true.
it's the $$ racket that has taken over politics, I know it, you know it and everyone with a lick of sense knows it.

[freesw]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/sc...x-1055688.html
...
Feminisation of the males of numerous vertebrate species is now a widespread occurrence. All vertebrates have similar sex hormone receptors, which have been conserved in evolution. Therefore, observations in one species may serve to highlight pollution issues of concern for other vertebrates, including humans."

Fish, it says, are particularly affected by pollutants as they are immersed in them when they swim in contaminated water, taking them in not just in their food but through their gills and skin. They were among the first to show widespread gender-bending effects.
...

[KMO]

Feminisation of the males of numerous vertebrate species is now a widespread occurrence.

Oh, well this makes just perfect sense. As we (men) come in contact with various forms of pollution, we naturally become more feminized. Thanks for clearing that up for us, Freesw. Is it OK if I choose NOT to participate?