The hate group Trump called out at Tuesday's debate subscribes to a version of masculinity that researchers say is a driving force behind climate denial.
WOW. Absolutely fascinating and connecting some of the most important of ugly social trends emerging in these planet-warming years. Very important, very spot on. THANK YOU EMILY for putting this out there. A MUST read for the climate movement. And for all international political observers as well.
I like your analysis, lots to think about. BTW I am white (23 & me says 99.9 N. European), male, own a diesel truck and somewhere there's a working rifle on the premises, but I can't identify w/ Proud Boys, or their queer (meaning unusual) adolescent ideas of superiority, sexual potency or the need to defend a past we need to release. I don't think that makes me less masculine to embrace the future, like when I drive our plug-in Prius, set out the recycling, support Emily Atkin's Heated, clean my solar array or anything else that might give my family and our planet a chance to survive. I think we can develop male role models than have moved beyond subjugation of anyone and look at their enrollment in protecting the planet as a manly job to be shared with the women and anyone who identifies differently. That's the job for real men...and women...and nonbinaries, not some cult of self-righteous vigilantism!
I agree! I personally embody a lot of masculine energy too — I like being competitive and crushing beers and lifting weights and being strong and holding myself accountable. Masculinity inherently is not the problem; it’s rigid, overwhelming, no-room-for-error toxic masculinity that seeks to destroy anything or anyone that falls outside of it.
On a totally different topic, did you see the Law Firm Climate Scorecard that came out today? Detailed analysis of which firms were working the most with fossil fuel firms and which were more environmentally inclined. If you want to see who is enabling fossil fuel companies in legal actions, see here:
I like your analysis. To me, it is becoming clearer that your current election is a contest of competing cultures: the Conservative "toxic masculinity" that you describe against a more caring Liberalism.
I don't fully understand this divide: it seems to be a product of your social evolution from the past 40 years. You have a uniquely American sense of the world and how best to cope with it. Your compulsion with preserving a positive image and/or concealing weakness (real or perceived) and of doing whatever is necessary to provide for yourself/family is foreign to Canadians like me. We don't brag about starting work at 6 AM and working on 4 hours of sleep: we complain about it! It seems that Conservatives have taken the tenets underlying this world view and tipped it over the edge, whereas Liberals are scaling it back in reaction to what they see around them. The difference between "full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes" and the moderating "wait: you can't do that!" seems to be irreconcilable.
That said, you're still very different from us. You have a small minority that wants Medicare-for-All, whereas anything but this is inconceivable to Canadians (save for a small minority). So I'd say that you're right about the petro-masculinity that you describe, but you need to abstract yourself from your culture to see more fully its American context.
ugh, these guys make me roll my eyes so hard, they're so moronic and pathetic I feel 2nd hand embarrassment for them. I mean, who is raising these scum bags?
Using gasoline, and "dominating" the earth with atv's and guns makes (certain) men feel powerful. Come to Az. where every white guy has a giant pickup or muscle car and guns his engine between each traffic light. Gorillas only pound their chests, men ruin the entire planet. These guys were always there but Trump gave them license. Why else would we have cheap gas?
Jesus woman, you connect the dots - thank you
This is excellent Emily, thank you for your work.
WOW. Absolutely fascinating and connecting some of the most important of ugly social trends emerging in these planet-warming years. Very important, very spot on. THANK YOU EMILY for putting this out there. A MUST read for the climate movement. And for all international political observers as well.
I don't comment often, but I just needed to say that this was a slam dunk analysis.
I like your analysis, lots to think about. BTW I am white (23 & me says 99.9 N. European), male, own a diesel truck and somewhere there's a working rifle on the premises, but I can't identify w/ Proud Boys, or their queer (meaning unusual) adolescent ideas of superiority, sexual potency or the need to defend a past we need to release. I don't think that makes me less masculine to embrace the future, like when I drive our plug-in Prius, set out the recycling, support Emily Atkin's Heated, clean my solar array or anything else that might give my family and our planet a chance to survive. I think we can develop male role models than have moved beyond subjugation of anyone and look at their enrollment in protecting the planet as a manly job to be shared with the women and anyone who identifies differently. That's the job for real men...and women...and nonbinaries, not some cult of self-righteous vigilantism!
I agree! I personally embody a lot of masculine energy too — I like being competitive and crushing beers and lifting weights and being strong and holding myself accountable. Masculinity inherently is not the problem; it’s rigid, overwhelming, no-room-for-error toxic masculinity that seeks to destroy anything or anyone that falls outside of it.
You hit them where it hurts!
On a totally different topic, did you see the Law Firm Climate Scorecard that came out today? Detailed analysis of which firms were working the most with fossil fuel firms and which were more environmentally inclined. If you want to see who is enabling fossil fuel companies in legal actions, see here:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f53fa556b708446acb4dcb5/t/5f755753f217027860728759/1601525603800/Law+Firm+Climate+Change+Scorecard.pdf
If someone isn't very concerned about the Proud Boys, then they're not paying enough attention.
I like your analysis. To me, it is becoming clearer that your current election is a contest of competing cultures: the Conservative "toxic masculinity" that you describe against a more caring Liberalism.
I don't fully understand this divide: it seems to be a product of your social evolution from the past 40 years. You have a uniquely American sense of the world and how best to cope with it. Your compulsion with preserving a positive image and/or concealing weakness (real or perceived) and of doing whatever is necessary to provide for yourself/family is foreign to Canadians like me. We don't brag about starting work at 6 AM and working on 4 hours of sleep: we complain about it! It seems that Conservatives have taken the tenets underlying this world view and tipped it over the edge, whereas Liberals are scaling it back in reaction to what they see around them. The difference between "full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes" and the moderating "wait: you can't do that!" seems to be irreconcilable.
That said, you're still very different from us. You have a small minority that wants Medicare-for-All, whereas anything but this is inconceivable to Canadians (save for a small minority). So I'd say that you're right about the petro-masculinity that you describe, but you need to abstract yourself from your culture to see more fully its American context.
their senses of masculinity are as impressive and compelling as an old man beating a puppy, not very much
where do men like this come from?
ugh, these guys make me roll my eyes so hard, they're so moronic and pathetic I feel 2nd hand embarrassment for them. I mean, who is raising these scum bags?
Ditto on all kudos. My 1970s/1980s radical feminist/pagan Spidey sense is tingling. "Power over" just took on an additional meaning.
Using gasoline, and "dominating" the earth with atv's and guns makes (certain) men feel powerful. Come to Az. where every white guy has a giant pickup or muscle car and guns his engine between each traffic light. Gorillas only pound their chests, men ruin the entire planet. These guys were always there but Trump gave them license. Why else would we have cheap gas?
And don't forget they love obnoxiously noisy petroleum fueled machines - motorcycles and muscle cars.
The environmental movement and BLM movement have the same enemy. It's imperative that we unite.
holy f(r)ack! this is great!!