The trouble with men

Spectator ^ | Issue: 15 October 2005 | Molly Watson

[Bon mots]

In my experience, the root cause of the epidemic lies with a collective failure of nerve among men our age.

WRONG!
Guys aren't stupid.
Why would they be in a hurry to sign a legal CONTRACT that more than 50% of the time ends in failure due to the woman, who knows that she will get the lion's share of assets, custody of the children and can use the court system to harass, intimidate and even imprison the man when or if things get bumpy.

A young man would have to be out of his mind to sign a standard marriage contract. This is the backlash.

Women are equal in the workplace and all that. But put one of those equal women in divorce court and it all changes.

Feminists and the majority of American and Western women regard modern men as little more than living, breathing ATM machines. So do the courts.

Just look at some of the backlash.

[Marie]

This is something I don't understand. Why should you have to give up your life to be married? Can't marriage be a partnership with husband and wife valuing each others differences and interests?

HAHAHAHAHA!!! *snort!* AAAAAaaaa- hahahahaha!!!! (gasp) HEEEEEeeee-- HAHAHAHAhahaha! *wiping tears*

Oh, that was funny! Thank you for that!

[ooioo]

No, you're right ... I disagree with you, so I automatically must not have read the entire article. Sorry I made such ridiculous assumptions, I'll just shut up from now on unless I clear my opinions with you in advance.

[gridlock]

Women can't have babies when they are over 40.

Most men, for whatever reason, are unwilling to have babies when they are under 40.

There is an obvious solution to this problem. Unfortunately, it is one that will leave the current crop of 40+-year-old women as the last ones standing when the music stops.

My fearless prediction is that in the next great demographic shift it is going to be much more common for 45-year-old men to marry 25-year-old women. The older man is mature enough to desire children and, for the most part, has the resources to provide for his wife, so she can be home with the children until they reach school age. The younger woman will find it much more beneficial to her career prospects to finish her education, take time for children, then re-enter the workforce full-time in her early 30s.

The younger men can spend their time posing in front of the mirror and working out at the gym. As for the older women, well, it's not going to work out so well for them.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

She didn't mention women being selfish, did she?.....

The nerve and the hypocrisy of it all in her statement, after she makes a comment like this .
( " But faced with a generation of emotionally immature men who seem to view marriage as the last thing they’ll do before they die ".)

Another reason that men might be hesitant to marry is the family court laws are stacked in favor towards women.

[Clemenza]

I know that you disagree here.

[nightdriver]

"...we have little option but to wait, busy ourselves with making the most of our careers and hope that Mr Non-Phobic Right eventually makes himself known to us before our ovaries pack up completely."

Does she have any concept of how the formal marriage means that a man puts the fate of his life into the hands of the biased, mean and liberal courts?

At any whim of the wife, she can dissolve everything he has worked for all his life.

I'm not amazed at the lessened rate of marriages, I'm amazed that there are as many marriages as there are in this age of womens' "liberation."

[Clemenza]

Women have to focus on their careers if there is no one to provide for them.

Women have to choose between having a career or motherhood. Another advantage to being a man.

[Marie]

I think a person who refers to children as "little brutes" is starting off with the wrong attitude. But then, when I pick up my almost-2-year-old after his nap, I tell him, "I missed you while you were asleep, James!" Could just be different personalities.

Oh, heck. I call my kids "Kidlettes", "Hurricane (fill in the blank)", "Puppies", "Apple Butt" (daughter hates that one! *snicker*), "Bratlings", etc. I also say it with a twinkle in my eye and tell them how much I adore, miss and appreciate them every single day. Hugs, back scratches, raspberries, snorts in the ear, cuddles, and tickles are without limit. It's called "teasing" and humor and the kids know that.

People can be so stuffy! (Good thing kids aren't!)

[untenured]

Bewley went on to talk about the whopping cost that older women having less healthy babies is putting on the National Health Service, and concluded that women must be persuaded to have babies younger.

Found in the index under, "Socialized medicine, unintended consequences of."

[peter the great]

I have a theory about where to look for a potential spouse how about Church. First of all you have something in common from the start meaning the faith. Which means should the two of you be practicing members of a given faith that will basically mean that the two of you will be on the same page from the start about a lot of things.

[TAdams8591]

"You don't understand. A man has to give up his life for the marriage. That means he doesn't buy a bass boat instead of school supplies just because he wants a bass boat. He doesn't spend nights and weekends working on his race car instead of spending time with his wife and family. He doesn't hang out with his crumb bachelor friends so they won't accuse him of being "whipped". That's what we did as bachelors. That behavior has to die."

The same it true of women. They give up buying clothes, shoes, cute little sports cars, taking fun vacations and hanging out with their girlfriends. It's no different for women in that regard.

[gridlock]

Just between me, you and the lamp post.....the wife still harbors a little guilt about you selling your boat years ago...

Your old boat sold at 30

You new boat bought at 50

[Lazamataz]

The trouble is that very few of our male contemporaries are what you might call twig in beak.

Britain is wholely incomprehensible.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

" Can't marriage be a partnership with husband and wife valuing each others differences and interests? " ........
In todays world, it will be " HER INTEREST " that will be valued the most.

[Lazamataz]

You don't understand. A man has to give up his life for the marriage. That means he doesn't buy a bass boat instead of school supplies just because he wants a bass boat. He doesn't spend nights and weekends working on his race car instead of spending time with his wife and family. He doesn't hang out with his crumb bachelor friends so they won't accuse him of being "whipped". That's what we did as bachelors. That behavior has to die.

I sold my soul for rock-n-roll.

[grellis]

WTF? roflol...decaf, pal

Now...why not try answering the question I posed? You have my permission, ya know.

[TAdams8591]

"In my experience, the root cause of the epidemic lies with a collective failure of nerve among men our age.

Of course not every man his age is in a state of prolonged adolescence, but a critical mass of them are."

The above is very true and has been for a long time.

[puroresu]

LOL!

Yep! Feminism and the sexual revolution have screwed things up for everyone, but probably more for women than men. Men can pretty much get what they want from women now without worrying about commitment. Everyone loses this game in the long run, but, hey, it wouldn't be liberalism otherwise!

[Tax-chick]

There's a lot to be said for that, too. Still, I don't think any person is as truthfully self-revealing in a face-to-face context (especially one involving the opposite sex) as he or she is when functioning as an anonymous username.