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I think women are MORE RUTHLESS than men. Much more ruthless, and hands-down more crude and cruel, as a general rule....What's been more destructive or constructive to human history is entirely irrelevant, in my opinion. It's like asking, has drought or flood been more destructive to earth geology?

In an earlier post you wrote:

That is what disgusts me, and it is a weakness I see indulged more often by women than by men. Being a woman myself, I catch myself tending toward the shrill hysteria, the pure-emotion-based reaction that goes along with being female.

You must be disgusted with yourself right now because you have just engaged in a poorly reasoned argument based on emotion.

You're arguing that women are more destructive than men in their weaknesses and yet you're unconcerned about finding precedence for this novel opinion in human history? Come on. As a crusty old professor of mine used to say, "Think, damn it, think!"

I have no argument with you about "mean girls". Girls can be ruthless. But men can be just as vile. Human nature is inherently bent.

Men have done a pretty good job in Western Civilization of containing "dominance, force, brute strength, and desire to spread their seed as far and wide as possible" to minimize "gang rape, sex trafficking, and honor killings." I give them -- and Judeo-Christianity -- credit for that. When women in America start understanding the negative consequences of over-protectiveness and over-mothering, I will give them credit for that, too.

You seem to give women very little credit for fostering civilization. The Judeo-Christian men you seem to credit with founding western civilization actually thought women were the civilizing force. One of my favorite stories from Plutarch's lives was an anecdote he tells of how the ancient Romans finally settled in Italy. Having fled the fires of Troy, they were sailing the Mediterranean for a place to colonize. The women were tired of constantly moving from place to place, so when they came ashore on the Italian peninsula, the women set fire to the boats while their men slept so that they would be forced to finally settle down. Plutarch wrote of them as heroines because if they hadn't done that, Rome would have never been founded!

And of course the most important image in the rise of Christian civilization was that of a Lady holding her Child.

As for the "over-protectiveness and over-mothering" of women in America today, you may have a point. However, the most famous mother on this national stage this year was a lifetime NRA member who hunts, fishes, and proudly boasts that her first born son is defending our country in uniform in a distant war zone far from her protective care. I'd say that's progress, wouldn't you?