Where Have All the Men Gone? By John Stonestreet Where have all the men gone? A lot of folks who are asking this question are looking for answers in all the wrong places. Are we in the midst of a masculinity crisis? Two Christian writers offered very different answers to this question in recent articles. David French at National Review laments a new statistic that shows today’s young men are, physically, the weakest generation in recorded history. “If you’re the average Millennial male,” he writes, “your dad is stronger than you are. In fact, you may not be stronger than the average Millennial female … The very idea of manual labor is alien to you, and even if you were asked to help, say, build a back porch, the task would exhaust you to the point of uselessness. Welcome to the new, post-masculine reality.” Chandler Epp replied to French in a guest column at Religion News Service, arguing that the idea of masculinity being equivalent to physical strength is misguided. “Popular Christian notions of manhood,” he writes, “shame, repel, and ruin too many young boys and men who fail to meet those standards” and who don’t gravitate toward “‘typical’ masculine behaviors.” He concludes, “We must recover the idea that the marker of a true man is his moral strength, not his muscular fitness.” Now I know personally both Chandler and French, and I have a lot of respect for them both. In fact, they both demonstrate that sort of moral strength Chandler talks about in his piece. Chandler is right that when most folks ask, “Where are all the men?” what they mean is something like, “where are all the lumberjacks?” They want to know why so few males these days can perform feats of strength, build their own houses, or fix cars without a mechanic. There was a time when these sorts of skills were crucial to fulfilling the creation mandate. Expressing the image of God for most men in history meant being able to hunt or farm food or keep a fire on the hearth. And I’m thankful every day for those, like my dad, who still do this kind of work. But the age of brute strength is in many ways past, and that would be the end of the argument if we were at the same time seeing a corresponding increase in other, less tangible, kinds of strength: like moral courage, fortitude, leadership, and a willingness to sacrifice. But we’re not. Quite the opposite, as a matter of fact. Most men today aren’t just physically weaker than previous generations. They’re weaker as people: guys stricken with “Peter Pan syndrome” never leaving adolescence; “safe spaces” on college campuses protecting perpetually fragile constant-victims from serious debate; the hookup culture and porn addiction replacing chivalry; and the sexual revolution promulgating through media, education, and now law that there’s no such thing as male and female. What we’re seeing isn’t a different expression of masculinity adapting to new cultural realities. What we’re seeing is no masculinity at all. Real masculinity can look like Greg Thornbury, president of King’s College in New York City, who has a body weight I haven’t seen since the 8th grade, tweed jacket and Harry Potter glasses. He’s no lumberjack, but as a champion of sound theology and Christian education in a city that’s hostile to both, he’s one of the strongest men I know. Or masculinity may look like Chuck Colson, a marine, Nixon’s “hatchet man” and allaround tough-guy before he was broken by Christ before going to prison. It wasn’t unusual to see Chuck shed a tear over an eternal Gospel truth or a changed life. Yet he typified masculine strength as it should be. The early Church Father, Irenaeus, said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” And man fully alive doesn’t play the victim, or wallow in a sense of entitlement. He embraces the creation mandate to “fill the earth and subdue it.” He’s a maker, not a perpetual taker. It’s this kind of masculinity that’s in desperately short supply these days. It’s a kind that has nothing to do with how much you can bench press.

WHY MGTOW IS SO IMPORTANT By Relampago Furioso Men Going Their Own Way, or MGTOW, is an important group connected with the ongoing male awakening and enlightenment of the early 21st century. It is a men’s movement with an admirable and moral objective, as defined by MGTOW.com: MGTOW is a statement of self-ownership, where the modern man preserves and protects his own sovereignty above all else. It is the manifestation of one word: “No”. Ejecting silly preconceptions and cultural definitions of what a “man” is. Looking to no one else for social cues. Refusing to bow, serve and kneel for the opportunity to be treated like a disposable utility. And, living according to his own best interests in a world which would rather he didn’t. As women craved liberation, so do men crave liberation in the 21st century. With the rise of feminism disguised as women’s liberation, women didn’t just walk out the door on traditions and family, they collectively broke the door off its hinges and threw it away. But, they left men behind and told them don’t you dare walk out same door. Fifty years later men do not enjoy self-ownership, we are for all intents and purposes owned by women and society. Traditionally, for our peaceful participation in society and going along with its schemes, men have been awarded control and decision-making status over women, family and society. This has been loosely defined as a social contract in civilized societies from Greece and Rome to present day Western society. The crucial part of this “social contract” that statists are so fond of referring to, was that for participating in society, being subjected to its legal demands, and supporting it, men received certain incentives. These incentives include: § Culturally and legally enforced female monogamy § Guaranteed paternity § Decision making authority as the head of the household § Exclusive sexual access to a wife, i.e. a virgin bride § As house-band (husband) culturally and legally enforced obligation for wives to remain in the relationship (i.e. no flightiness or “finding herself”) § Culturally and legally enforced responsibility for women to be good mothers § As defined in the Christian bible, the responsibility of a woman to respect and obey her husband In exchange for these accommodations, men were expected to give their lives and their labor for the protection and benefit of their wives, families, and communities. However, since feminism the incentives for men to go along with the deal have been removed, while the demands for men to sacrifice their lives and their labor for the benefit of society have increased. For example: § § § § § §

Men are naturally minimalists but we are expected to labor for a waste economy that is 80% fueled by female materialism Women can walk out of marriages at any time and for any reason, but men must bear the financial burden of their decisions in the family court system When divorcing, women are viewed as being destitute by the court system and not the archetypal Strong, Empowered Woman™ Feminism and carouseling has made the ideal of a virgin bride laughable As women push men out of the workforce they are destroying male utility value, making them undesirable to women because of Briffault’s Law Women do not respect and obey men, in fact feminism has made this concept laughable

These terms of the social contract and others were altered without asking men if they agreed to the terms. The liberation of women from the terms of the deal outlined above is today taken for

granted, but men are still expected to adhere the old terms. This is an untenable situation. This mistreatment of men is what led to Men Going Their Own Way. Breaking Up with Society and Its Demands Today, the remaining rights men have are being steadily dwindled down to a choice between Coca-Cola and Pepsi, McDonald’s or Burger King, and Republicrat or Demican. This is why MGTOW is admirable. Men who have no incentives to go along with a social system that has thrown them overboard have the option to: § § § § § §

Refuse to allow women or society to define male worth Refuse to compete for careers that favor women and feed materialism Opt out of dating Pursue only sexual pleasure from women Take care of only themselves, often downshifting to a minimalistic lifestyle Shun society as a whole (ghosting)

These ideals are the equivalent of writing a breakup letter to society, and the beginning of men pursuing their own goals and happiness in life, without asking permission. Men are deciding to live for themselves, as women have already been doing for 50 years. Many in society are not going to be happy with this decision, but ultimately the people condemning MGTOWs do not have to life a man’s life, he does, and they’re being hypocritical if they believe women have the right to be empowered and men do not. The shunning society aspect of MGTOW I totally identify with, and I understand why men are acting on the other bullet points, too. I was totally adrift in Anglo America in my 20s and 30s, and found chasing women to be aggravating after a while since I knew the relationship wasn’t going anywhere. First off, I would not allow myself to be taken advantage of by her or the court system. Second, women are not suitable for marriage or family in Anglo America anymore. Third, I got tired of being a clown and the male equivalent of a traveling troupe of entertainers just to spark her interest. Picking women up amounted to a lot of work for a wet hole, and that kind of life was not very fulfilling after a while even though I was successful at it. For this reason, I understand why so many MGTOWs give up on women even though I never could. My best friend tries to quit women but he often regresses back into pump and dumps with them. I decided being a clown for women so I could get laid just wasn’t good enough, emboldened by the idea of going my own way in life. Since leaving the poisonous culture of Anglo America for more traditional Latin America I can both assure you the culture has a lot to do with the decline of the quality of women, and inform you it was worth leaving, at least for me. In fact, I made this observation on a message board: This small island I am on has not been infested with the hemlock of feminism yet. In many ways, it reminds me how men and women used to act when I was growing up. Maybe that’s why I love it so much. Things make sense to me here. Comparing and contrasting between here and present day dystopian America makes me violently angry at what has been done to us as a nation and a people. I decided to say hell no to a game that had so manipulated the odds there was no possibility for me to get anything out of it than exploitation of my labor and my life. But, we are only beginning to realize the power a decision like this brings to men.

Taking the Next Steps Without the bold message of saying “No!” to women and society MGTOWs preach, I would have never realized the freedom and happiness I have now. Here are some other ways we can apply the wisdom of MGTOWs to society to level the playing field so men are not regularly taken advantage of. If women want to get equality on, let’s not play around, let’s get it on: §

§ § §

Custody: Eliminate female preference in the family court system, with either a 50/50 chance of custody in all cases or shared custody and the end of forced wealth transfers i.e. child support Education: Abolish co-ed schooling, adopt single-sex schooling so boys can be turned into strong men rather than weak manlets Employment: Demand women share the responsibilities of society by imposing quotas requiring them to participate in dirty, hazardous, and physically demanding jobs Violence: Violence against men is often depicted as humorous the media, this form of sexism must be ended. Men must be able to file suit for emotional and physical duress in court, just as women enjoy today.

At the end of the day, what MGTOW is ultimately about is male empowerment. It is about the freedom and the power to do whatever we want, female and societal expectations be damned. In other words, women told men they can do whatever the hell they want with women’s lib. Men must do the same to balance the scales, and we must be ruthless about it. After learning it is not up to women or society to judge my self-worth but it’s up to me, my life changed in ways I never would have imagined. I’m out of debt, I have freedom, I left the corporate plantation to pursue work that is more satisfying but doesn’t make as much money such as running this blog, and I am off the materialism treadmill for the first time ever. I also refused a man-hating culture and defected to a culture that still affords men a role in society. I never completely gave up on women as I enjoy the physical side of life too much…I mean what is there to live for without sex is my personal philosophy. I just got better with manipulating women instead of being manipulated by them, and better at controlling my emotions with them, as well as knowing when to walk out when the situation is not working to my advantage. As simple as all this sounds, it goes against everything men are conditioned to do by Anglo society. That is why MGTOW will always be important to me. I changed courses and now it’s all about me, which is how a lifetime of experience and misadventures with women taught me to be. There is nothing wrong with a man living his life as he sees fits, free of the impositions and demands ungrateful women and society make on him. For me, MGTOW meant going my own way right on outside the Matrix with a one-way plane ticket into the arms of Latinas. This brings us back to why the movement is important. The most concise definition of MGTOW is the refusal of male slavery. No longer will we be faceless, nameless drones whose only purpose is being utilities to be used and consumed by women.

The Death of Masculinity by Dystopic I am a broken man or, perhaps more accurately, a man who is trying to discover himself in a world that is hostile to masculinity. Mike Cernovich writes on his blog, Danger & Play, that masculinity has been rendered down to cartoonish bufoonery: There are permissible safe masculine spaces in the West. There are some outlets for men. There was even a television program called “The Man Show,” which celebrated cartoon masculinity – what I call Bacon & BOOBIES! masculinity. Put two girls on a trampoline jumping and men act as if they have never seen a set of tits. Become grossly overweight while using a propane grill because eating like a fat slob (so long as it’s bacon!) is manly. For as long as I’ve been alive, this has been it for men. You can watch sports on TV and get fat eating barbeque. But pretty much anything else is considered a violation of the rules of Social Justice. When I bought a Mustang with the 5.0L Coyote V8 motor in it, there were many accusations of doing this because I was having a “mid life crisis” or because I was “compensating for something.” Going down to the dragstrip and racing muscle cars used to be a popular outlet for young men. Today it’s considered with barely-restrained hostility. God forbid that a man likes fast cars. But it goes far beyond that. Self-defense is demonized, guns are disparaged as the root of evil. Men are decried as potential rapists and even talking to a woman is considered a potential violation of the rules of masculinity. Feminism used to attack masculinity through the weasel word “patriarchy,” but in recent days it has begun a much more direct assault: So why do I say that I am broken? I was raised in a climate hostile to masculinity. I remember in school being taught that fighting back against a bully was somehow empowering him. Submitting to the bully, and being concerned about his self-esteem, was considered the right thing to do. This made school a living hell for me, and it took many years before I finally stood up for myself. I was told that my instinct to fight was wrong. Indeed, it was considered evil, more evil than the actions of the bully who was probably just having problems at home with, you guessed it, an overly-masculine family member. There was a teacher who told me once that I was going to be wealthy, respected, and successful because I was being submissive. Like a moron, I believed them. Fortunately, reality is a great teacher, and I achieved a modicum of success by, eventually, doing the exact opposite of what I had been taught to do. But even now I know there are gaps in my knowledge and understanding of the world. Traditional masculinity died before I was born, and those of us who seek to resurrect it have only an image of what it once was. Just words on paper, photographs from a different time and the vague sense that the generations prior to the Baby Boomers were, somehow, greater and better than us. We call the generation that fought in World War II the “Greatest Generation.” But they do not describe themselves this way. In the world in which they were raised, doing your masculine duty was expected. It was normal. It wasn’t great, per se, so much as it was the bare minimum. A minimum, I might add, that very few of us live up to. Instead we build man caves, because we effectively cede the rest of our lives to the feminine. We talk about boobs as if nobody has ever seen a pair of these magical bags of fat. We admire women from a distance, but fear even talking to them. When somebody calls us mean names, our first instinct is to prove that we really are just as dedicated to the happiness of women and other people as those accusing us purport.

In the meantime, we do not defend ourselves against the negative masculinity, thuggery, crime, terrorism. Our society makes excuses for these people. They are poor, they say, or wronged by some kind of historical injustice. Climate change made them act out, perhaps, or the poor Syrian job market made them immigrate to France and shoot people. Negative masculinity is excused, pansy-ass feminine men are held up as role models, and positive masculinity is hated. When the San Bernardino shooting happened, when the Paris shootings happened, the first instinct of modern feminine men was to decry violence, to heap hate upon guns, and to excuse the actions of the supposedly oppressed. One individual claimed that concealed weapon carriers could not possibly have prevented such slaughter. Why? Because they subscribe to the same brain-dead ideology as the teachers in my childhood schools did: fighting back is evil. You are supposed to submit and accept your bullet to the brain. Fighting for your life is wrong. Submission is good. Being nice is elevated above being good and just. If Hitler were alive today and conquering France as we speak, they would excuse the plight of the poor Nazis. Surely, they would say, Hitler had a poor family life and experienced poverty and discrimination, and so the French people should just accept the checking of their overly-masculine privilege. Yes. They are THAT loony. I’m not a good man. I have a long way to go before I achieve my own goals of positive masculinity, of being strong, courageous, honorable, honest, and just. It may be that I never become the man I wish to be, but I will try. And, more importantly, I will instruct my son likewise. Repairing the damage to Western Civilization wrought by anti-male Feminism will probably take generations, but we must start today. Our lives, and those of our children may very well depend on it.