The Testosterone Crisis

American Thinker ^ | November 22, 2008 | Ed Kaitz

[neverdem]

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.

[GourmetDan]

"Both political parties now believe that they can garner votes by playing the yin, or compassion card."

They can and do.

That's what universal suffrage was all about back in the early 20th Century. Adding 100% more voters driven by estrogen and feelings. It's surprising it has taken this long. Ann Coulter is right.

[csmusaret]

Men can always take DHEA and ZMA.

[Bahbah]

“I’m 6 years old, have my own bike - I’m a free man”.

LOL. Love it. What a great kid.

[Melas]

There is absolutely nothing manly about telling your wife to shut up. As a matter of fact, it makes you less of one.

[raptor29]

Ain’t that the truth? Really tired of it, and ain’t standing for it, anymore. Never did, actually, but I stood around and watched others cave. Now, I’ll speak up, aggressively.

[ReneeLynn]

So, you associate being a man with telling someone to shut up? Are you married? And if so, do you tell your wife to shut up? Or are you one of those guys who tell other guys what to do but wouldn’t do it yourself?

Perhaps your reaction comes from an atmosphere lacking in the proper, mature management of testosterone and how to have a way with women. I’m a woman and telling me to shut up would be up there on the ‘things you don’t say to me’ list.

Real men know how to treat real women. With a self-assured respect.

[Emmett McCarthy]

Well, he’s 18 now and still has the edge. Kind of the creative, critical thinker type who can usually cut through the bull-— pretty quickly and cleanly. Doesn’t always know exactly what to do about it, but who does? It’s a process for any young person. If we have just enough of them who figure out that if you stand up, speak up and tell the truth, “kings and armies have no power over the natural man”, well, there may be hope.

[Bahbah]

Some guys don’t have a testosterone problem. Glad they are on our side.

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/195096.php

[E. Cartman]

FTA: "Chinese emperors for example attempted to head off this underlying and menacing threat of imbalance by castrating their ministers."

Chinese emporers would have felt right at home in either The House or Senate.

[PistolPaknMama]

Oh, THAT is hilarious!

[raptor29]

Sorry, dear, but while we have listened to logic such as yours, our country has gone straight backward. So you can save your time-worn, liberal, anti-men accusations for someone else. And by the way, Shut Up. For once.

[worst-case scenario]

As opposed to a President who would yield command to the Iraqis? Because that is what the new SOFA will enact.

[PistolPaknMama]

all you men out there: tell your wives to shut up every once in a while

Actually I was tough on my kids. My now 30-something daughter told me about 5 or 6 years ago that she wasn't mad at me any more. She thanked me for teaching her to be independent, responsible and competitive. If my husband had told me to shut it, it might have turned out much differently.

[PistolPaknMama]

We should get our kids OFF Ritalin, and like drugs

These drugs are way over-prescribed just to make whiney parents' lives easier. There are, however, cases where they are appropriate. And some kids who really do need help aren't getting it just because of the mindset like yours. Not being critical, just making an observation. I do agree with what you mean.

[raptor29]

Actually, when someone needs to be told to shut up, someone needs to do it. And on balance, over the past 40 years in America, men have backed down from telling their mindless, emotion-over-reason wives to shut up. On virtually every major problem plaguing this country right now, you can trace it back to a choice of emotion over reason, as directed by leftists who know the dynamics of the people involved. So shut up and pay attention to some of this, for once.

[Weirdad]

Great article, thanks.

[SaintDismas]

Don’t get mad and don’t bother with arguing with this “man”. Not worth your time.

[penowa]

"I have a son contemplating a career in the Army. What do I tell him, to serve a Commander-in-Chief who would yield command to the UN?"

Tell him what my retired career Navy husband told our oldest grandson who was planning to follow in Grandpa's footsteps - DON'T DO IT!

[fr_freak]

Oh, and all you men out there: tell your wives to shut up every once in a while when they are mindlessly spouting emotion-based bulls**t. The major reason for our country’s slippage over the past 40 years is that American men have been convinced to be more like European men, namely, wusses who let woman have the influence.

I don't know if you meant to tell them "shutup" literally or figuratively, but I wholly agree with the figurative part. With the literal part, it may be necessary sometimes to tell your wife to shutup, but I think it is rarely proper to be disrespectful to your wife, if you respect your marriage. In fact, I think being overly agressive, violent or disrespectful in a situation that doesn't require it is a sign of weakness. People resort to that level of aggression often when they don't have the resolve to stand by their position without inducing the emotional fervor. The best way to handle an out-of-control wife situation, in my opinion, is to be firm but controlled; you simply refuse to be swayed by her hysterics regardless of their intensity, you stay firm in your stance, and you MAKE happen what needs to happen. But don't ever be disrespectful to your wife.

Anyway, you are absolutely right in the overall sense - that men need to be the leaders again. I have seen almost universally, this acceptance among men that the wife/girlfriend is always right. You also see this attitude reflected in just about every TV show and movie out there these days. The "happy" ending is usually when the man realizes that he is an idiot and that he should just do everything the woman tells him. Complete BS, but it is a cultural phenomenon that has been promoted fiercely for the last 30-40 years.

As much as feminism tries to peddle the BS, the fact is that many women are ruled by emotional knee-jerk reactions and will do things and promote actions that are detrimental or even destructive to themselves and others in the long run but that feel good right now. This is where the partnership of men and women comes in - the man MUST be the voice of reason or discipline in these circumstances. If he is lazy, or intimidated, and fails to be firm in his stance, her emotionalism will doom them both, and their children. By the same token, a man that relies strictly on logic or strategy while ignoring the human costs, especially where children are concerned, also has the potential to wreak havoc and cause long-term destruction. We must balance each other, and right now we are WAY out of balance, with the pendulum so far out to the feminine side that a huge conflict is almost inevitable. This must be fixed.

Just my opinion on the subject.

[Melas]

Now, I’ll speak up, aggressively.

Online. I doubt you'd have the stones to say much of anything to anyone in person. There is a near universal truth that the bigger the internet bully, the more the coward in the real world.