THE MARRIAGE STRIKE -- Why Reluctant Males Just Say No!

Iconoclast ^ | August 25, 2003 | by Wendy McElroy

[clintonbaiter]

If we accept the old feminist argument that marriage is slavery for women, then it is undeniable that -- given the current state of the nation's family courts -- divorce is slavery for men.....

[clintonbaiter]

Strike! Strike! Strike!

[RLK]

Presumably people get married out of love and affection. The average shallow self-absorbed American woman is not even likable or is barely tolerable let alone loveable.

[anncoulteriscool]

I think some article similar to this was posted a week or so ago and got alot of response. It turns out that men are "relectant" because women are money-grubbing, backstabbing, selfish golddiggers who generally gravitate towards jerks. But thats OK. Its almost football/hockey season. Praise the Lord!!!!

[cavtrooper21]

Who is kidding who here. With the laws and judges that run the civil courts these days, being a man in a divorce case is a death sentence.
Why do you think I'm still married...
Face it guys, it's cheaper to keep her. And better for your kids.
Really.
Just eat good rich food, drink good beer and enjoy a good cigar. You'll be gone a little quicker, but you'll enjoy life more. And chances are, if you are enjoying life, you spouse will give up trying to nag you to death and jump on the bandwagon. Then life will really be better.
I did this, and its working.

[kdmhcdcfld]

Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free...

[Eala]

3. They want to avoid divorce and its financial risks.

I've been married for a long time with no intent of changing that condition. But having observed what transpired with one member of the previous generation and the horrendous and injust legal battles inflicted upon him by a (now revealed) rapacious Gaian/Wiccan, coupled with what I've read here and elsewhere, were I to wind up single again, whether widower or divorced, I doubt I would marry again. Too risky -- and not just for the finances.

[donmeaker]

I will never again be married. Marriage is when two become one, and less than one. All that he has becomes hers, and all that he loves he gives up for her sake. All that she hopes for is likewise sacrificed on the alter of the future together. So they mutate from the persons that each was and found attractive to persons who they never were, and detest. When divorce occurs, it is expensive, because it is worth every penny.

[thoughtomator]

Well, why would a man marry? What do we get out of the deal?

It's not like men marry for sex... after all, it's famously available without marriage.

Children? Why bother when you can make the woman do raise them all on her own? You could have children with hundreds of women if you pleased and not take care of a single one, but still fulfill your biological destiny.

Financially, unless the woman is quite rich and/or the sole breadwinner, there are only losses involved.

[xm177e2]

1. The number of marriages per 1,000 unmarried women Age 15+ has declined from 73.5 to 46.5.

2. The number of divorces per 1,000 married women Age 15+ has risen from 9.2 to 18.9.

These statistics would be a lot more convincing if they were of women of age 15-35 and not 15-115.

[nhoward14]

Buying the cow turns the milk sour.

[StatesEnemy]

It's not just a matter of cheating the matrimonial shackles(notice the root of that word!), more importantly it's the jealous guarding of one's spermatozoa.

Give 'em just one of those squiglies, and they gotcha by the balls.

[StatesEnemy]

Financially, unless the woman is quite rich and/or the sole breadwinner, there are only losses involved.

See: Heinz-Kerry

[honeygrl]

"I think some article similar to this was posted a week or so ago and got alot of response"

These types of articles always get alot of response because a lot of men here like to think that every woman is a money grubbing whore. I hate to burst their bubble but we aren't all like that. I've been happily married for 6yrs to a man who makes just enough for us to live pay check to pay check so I can stay home with our 2 young kids until they start school. When we got married he didn't even have a job at all. If we divorced, there would be no money for me to take. If we were all money grubbers, there wouldn't be any lower or middle class men married at all. The only thing I specifically wanted in a man when I married was someone who treated me with respect and someone who loved me as much as I loved him. I was lucky enough to get exactly what I wanted and more. He's also a wonderful father, a caring spouse, a hard worker, and his family is amazingly nice to me. If all the women you meet are money grubbing, backstabbing, selfish golddiggers who generally gravitate towards jerks, then I think you should find a new place to meet women. I suggest the internet. That's how my hubby and I met.

[1stFreedom]

Well, I've avoided buying a house for a few years now. We don't have any savings to speak of. Not much to split. We only have one kid.

Now my wife wants out and if nothing else, there isn't much to fight about.

I'm also unemployed with no UI (self employed), so she won't be getting all that much.

In some ways, the ball is in my court. Why? Because she'll need to remarry quickly due to lack of financial resources. She cannot live here in NY on $20k. Put in another 10k for child support and it is extremely hard to live her (Westchester County).

Yea, I'll end up at the "Y" for a few years. So what. As long as my son is cared for and provided for I'll be happy.

I give her two years tops before she is remarried. Then I'll bust my ass and get a really great paying job. Sure, that'll increase the child support, but that's a lost cause.

[Vinnie]

I went to a wedding about a month ago.

Well into the reception it was time for the bride to throw her bouquet. All the single women and girls crowded around.
The bride turned her back to the crowd, threw the bouquet over her back.
The women fought over it.

Then it was time for the groom to throw the garter.
After much fanfare taking the garter off, he turned his back to the gathered single men and tossed the garter....

The men acted as if it was a hand grenade..They backed away from it and plop it landed on the floor.

It was sooo funny!!

[Alberta's Child]

Three cheers for Honeygrl!

In the immortal words of Warren Zevon, "It's hard to find a girl with a heart of gold when you're living in a four-letter world."

[Alberta's Child]

Ping for an interesting perspective.

[1stFreedom]

>>Just eat good rich food, drink good beer and enjoy a good cigar. You'll be gone a little quicker, but you'll enjoy life more. And chances are, if you are enjoying life, you spouse will give up trying to nag you to death and jump on the bandwagon. Then life will really be better.

I did that but she still nags me to death. This technique only works with women who aren't strong headed like my wife.

I really, really, fell sorry for the next man she marries.

Also, as I stated in my previous post, I'm unemployed. I earned all of $48k last year, and 8k of that was from cashing in a 401k. She might walk with 7 - 25k alimony/support, but hey, that ain't squat to live in NY with.

By having such a low support level, she has a big incentive to seek remarriage and rather quickly. ;-) Thank GOD for the DOT COM BOMB!!!

(BTWk,

[Voltage]

Women are like elephants, I like to look at them, but I wouldn't want to own one....W.C.Fields