Values Voters Summit Promotes 'New Masculinity' of Ignorance and Fury

[Joanne98]

The Family Research Council wants you to be manly. So the Values Voter Summit, the annual confab of ultra-conservative political and religious leaders that took place this weekend in Washington tried to be hip with a fundamentalist-inspired reenactment of "Mad Men," the popular American television drama that harkens back to the good ol' days when men were in charge and women knew their place.

According to the seminar description on "The New Masculinity," Pat Fagan, senior fellow and director of FRC's Center for Family and Religion, will discuss how "feminism has wreaked havoc on marriage, women, children and men. It is time to redress the disorder it has wrought and that must start with getting the principles and ideals for a new 'masculinism' right."

And you'll never believe what is responsible for the destruction of the male psyche.

A preview of Fagan's remarks can likely be augured from his "monogamy is good, postmodernist polyamorous social welfare state is bad" speech on "Family Diversity and Political Freedom" presented at the 2009 World Congress of Families in Amsterdam.

The three most critical problems facing men are: "Childhood education, sex education and the control of adolescent health programs."

Seriously.

Fagan continues unmasking this scourge of science-based knowledge and self-determination as a direct result of eliminating monogamy money, or abstinence-only education funding:
"By controlling these three areas (education of children, sex education and adolescent health) the culture of polyamory diminishes the influence and dismantles the authority and influence of parents of the culture of monogamy particularly in their ability to form their children as members of their own culture. In a polemical vein, one could say they “snatch” children away from their parents and from the culture of monogamy in ways analogous to the Ottoman Turks of the 14th century who raided boys from Christian nations to train them as their own elite warriors, the Janissaries."
The last bastion of resistance, argues Fagan, is home schooling and a political movement to divert taxpayer dollars from special interests, like doctors and social workers, which serve the Mammon of safety net programs.

So, now you know where the "death panel" and "abortion on-demand" health care reform hysteria from the political right wing is coming from — doctors are the new boogeyman.

But then Fagan takes a darker and more sinister tone in his Amsterdam speech advising men "to engage in the increasingly hostile state and the polygamy culture whenever it 'raids' the territory of his family's domain." He offers no concrete examples of civilized or effective "engagement" merely vague exhortations to "fight for control over what is his and his family's just due."

After the paranoia-stoked fury that derailed any substantive public discussion at the congressional town halls this summer, it is arrogant and irresponsible to issue a call-to-arms to men using toxic allusions of violence and fear.

And if the discussion couldn't get any more prurient, it gets worse.

Joining Fagan on the dais was Michael Schwartz, chief of staff for Sen. Tom Coburn, the ultra conservative Oklahoma Republican and former obstetrician who was recently in the news as a resident of the "C Street House," a Washington, D.C., compound run by the controversial religious and political organization known as "The Family." The secretive organization promotes marital fidelity along with "biblical capitalism," a laissez-faire global economic scheme where Christian men pretty much control everything.

Coburn's C Street House roomie was none other than the very married Nevada Sen. Jon Ensign who reluctantly admitted in July to a long-standing affair with a campaign staffer. Coburn reportedly urged Ensign to break off the liaison and to pay millions of dollars in hush money to the mistress. Coburn denies the latter allegation by the mistress' husband.

The Center for American Progress notes on its Think Progress.org blog Schwartz' remarks blame the "blight" of pornography and homosexuality for the destruction of masculinity.

Continued>>>
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/09/21/values-voters-summit-promotes-new-masculinity-ignorance-and-fury

[ccharles000]

1. k/r

[Triana]

2. IF pornography is to blame, then MEN

ought to stop buying/using/viewing it - because THEY are the biggest consumers of it. I guess this idiot doesn't know that? Or, is he ONLY talking about homosexual porn - while any other kind is A-OK? Likely so.

I guess IF porn is to blame for "destruction of masculinity" then men must've made their own noose in that regard. Now, I don't necessarily conclude that BUT to follow this moronic logic, one would almost have to conclude that, as assinine as such a conclusion would be (not to mention the sneering misogynist, homophobic suppositions of this half-wit to begin with)

Pfft.

[quiet.american]

3. "New Masculinity" = American Taliban. At least, that's what it sounds like to me. nt

[eppur_se_muova]

4. Why don't they ever suggest that the breakdown of traditional families is caused by ...

phony, insincere "Christian" men who cheat on their wives, and regard lying as nothing more than a legitimate strategy?

I would think that idea would carry more credibility.

[Pinker79]

5. A grain of truth here...

"monogamy is good, postmodernist polyamorous social welfare state is bad"

In many ways monogamy is a good system as it promotes social stability. The sexual revolution has transformed male-female relations into a 'free market'. As we know, such a system has its downsides. Unfortunately, a free sexual market tends to favor males who are usually least oriented towards feminist attitudes. The sad fact is that most women will go for the 'alpha male' types who don't have much genuine respect for women. For many guys the free sexual market looks more like sexual fascism where they are shunned for not being 'exciting' etc. enough. Sexual selection in the West is devolving into a situation where high-status males dominate and monopolize the market. Enforced monogamy keeps such players in check.

[TrogL]

6. There is no "breakdown of the traditional family"

...just as there is no "rampant crime" or any of the other fear-based slogans they toss around.

The authoritarian mindset lives on fear. If there isn't anything to fear, they'll just make something up.

[KakistocracyHater]

7. such delicate, dainty men they are....

they're correct about a "new" masculinity, it's just not the kind they want. Fishy men-out, fiery men-in. Jason & the Argonauts, old 'Hero' stories, X-Men, are all good inspiration; Jason cried on the shore when some of his men died fighting, it's honest to have emotional responses & unrealistic (as well as) unhealthy to repress them.