Are you aware that every large corporation openly and unapologetically discriminates against hetero white males? (I've gotten his unanimously from about a dozen younger friends, none of whom are particularly ideological; in fact one is/was a Bernie bro). If you wanted create a generation of misogynists, you couldn't devise a better plan. And, the discrimination applies to college admissions too.
The utter absurdity of "preferencing" women because of possible past discrimination can be shown by saying "Because my grandmother was discriminated against, my brother must be discriminated against.". They aren't the same people. You have to make these distended arguments about the legacy of sexual discrimination still holds girls back; despite any evidence of this.
I say "possible past discrimination" because I'm 65. The Bakke Decision was 1978 when I was a sophomore in college. So, "affirmative action" had been in place since the early 70's; so basically my entire adult life. When I matriculated to MIT in 1976, they were crowing how they'd gotten the % of females up t0 22% from 9%, which immediately struck me as absurd. Just admit the best students and let the chips fall where they may. Of course, that's not what happened. And now it's like 52%, which is absurd. A casual review of HS students' interests show that girls are far more interested in The Arts etc than boys. Maybe they are all polymath geniuses.
Re: feminism. It has changed. My mom was a second wave feminist, as am I. These "feminists" today are really just man-haters and grifters. But, they have the power of the media, hollywood, Law, etc behind them. As a Classical Liberal I just never thought I'd see a day like this; where "equality" is really "equity" which is really just enforced equal outcomes. (Actually, enforced unequal outcome, since women are overrepresented if you think about it.0
The problems/poor choices young women make (that you've eloquently discussed) are a direct result of all this. Males are suspect. Your career is your source of happiness (and we're going to hire, promote and pay you well !!). You don't need a man. And then suddenly you're 40+ and having a husband (I won't say "life partner") and kids sounds like something I should have done.
Life is trade-offs. You can't work 70 hrs a week on your career and also have a family and a marriage and extended family. Women in my generation were filled with guilt with either path they took (career or marriage/family). I'd long hoped that would change. That women would be happy with whatever path they took. Young women today, as you have documented, aren't even aware they are making a choice. Until it's too late.
If females, girly men and the Leftwaffe would quit putting unqualified people into positions of power and decision there wouldn't be a discussion.
Say what you will, but most women still make decisions based on emotions, and are easily manipulated.
Between skin color and genitalia look at all the fools we have put into places of power trying to make things "equal"
Mayor's, Police chief's, Universities administrators, head of the Secret Service.
Presidential candidates.
However what females do have going for them in the fight to make all things "equal" is power nagging. The verbal ability to drone on and on about some miniscule agenda item, and the charge of sexual harassment.
Mike drop, here you fly the plane, just let me off first.
How about support for our shared humanity and health of community?
I was interested to see the decline in support for child care in the home. This is likely to reflect the experience of the respondents, as in 2024 most people were in child care. My question is what is best for the child? What is best for the health of the community?
I am far from convinced that we are doing right by either. Children's identity is formed by their early experience and the best people to form that identity are the parents if we value diversity as it is the families that hold the values of culture. When a child is in day care they are inculcated with the values of the state as they are spending most of their awake time with paid care givers who for the most part don't love them.
As to the gender wars, most conservative women think of themselves as equal to the men. If you have ever spent any time with Muslim families, you know that while the women might cover their head, don't be fooled in to thinking that the men are in charge, because they are not.
Interestingly, if you spend any time with Hutterites, you also know who is really in charge, and again it is not the men.
The leaders of Muslim countries and Hutterite communities are most certainly not women friendly, and women in these communities support boys having more advantages growing up over girls. The only power women have is behind closed doors; that’s not exactly liberating.
All this article did for me was fortify my skepticism towards surveys. A researcher can get the results they want by adjusting the question.
Having said that, I am in favour of a strict meritocracy. I spent a career in a construction trade, and women who could do the work were paid the same as men. Women who could not didn’t last long, but neither did the men.
Hi Tara - just a comment that since your June hiatus of reprints, all of your Weekend Reads have been guest essays which is disappointing to those of us who subscribe to your Substack to read your voice and hear your take on current affairs. Hopefully this is nothing more than a summer blip.
Feminism is a cult.
Or a "new" religion.
Tara,
Are you aware that every large corporation openly and unapologetically discriminates against hetero white males? (I've gotten his unanimously from about a dozen younger friends, none of whom are particularly ideological; in fact one is/was a Bernie bro). If you wanted create a generation of misogynists, you couldn't devise a better plan. And, the discrimination applies to college admissions too.
The utter absurdity of "preferencing" women because of possible past discrimination can be shown by saying "Because my grandmother was discriminated against, my brother must be discriminated against.". They aren't the same people. You have to make these distended arguments about the legacy of sexual discrimination still holds girls back; despite any evidence of this.
I say "possible past discrimination" because I'm 65. The Bakke Decision was 1978 when I was a sophomore in college. So, "affirmative action" had been in place since the early 70's; so basically my entire adult life. When I matriculated to MIT in 1976, they were crowing how they'd gotten the % of females up t0 22% from 9%, which immediately struck me as absurd. Just admit the best students and let the chips fall where they may. Of course, that's not what happened. And now it's like 52%, which is absurd. A casual review of HS students' interests show that girls are far more interested in The Arts etc than boys. Maybe they are all polymath geniuses.
Re: feminism. It has changed. My mom was a second wave feminist, as am I. These "feminists" today are really just man-haters and grifters. But, they have the power of the media, hollywood, Law, etc behind them. As a Classical Liberal I just never thought I'd see a day like this; where "equality" is really "equity" which is really just enforced equal outcomes. (Actually, enforced unequal outcome, since women are overrepresented if you think about it.0
The problems/poor choices young women make (that you've eloquently discussed) are a direct result of all this. Males are suspect. Your career is your source of happiness (and we're going to hire, promote and pay you well !!). You don't need a man. And then suddenly you're 40+ and having a husband (I won't say "life partner") and kids sounds like something I should have done.
Life is trade-offs. You can't work 70 hrs a week on your career and also have a family and a marriage and extended family. Women in my generation were filled with guilt with either path they took (career or marriage/family). I'd long hoped that would change. That women would be happy with whatever path they took. Young women today, as you have documented, aren't even aware they are making a choice. Until it's too late.
Here we go again.
The "Pudenda Agenda"
If females, girly men and the Leftwaffe would quit putting unqualified people into positions of power and decision there wouldn't be a discussion.
Say what you will, but most women still make decisions based on emotions, and are easily manipulated.
Between skin color and genitalia look at all the fools we have put into places of power trying to make things "equal"
Mayor's, Police chief's, Universities administrators, head of the Secret Service.
Presidential candidates.
However what females do have going for them in the fight to make all things "equal" is power nagging. The verbal ability to drone on and on about some miniscule agenda item, and the charge of sexual harassment.
Mike drop, here you fly the plane, just let me off first.
How about support for our shared humanity and health of community?
I was interested to see the decline in support for child care in the home. This is likely to reflect the experience of the respondents, as in 2024 most people were in child care. My question is what is best for the child? What is best for the health of the community?
I am far from convinced that we are doing right by either. Children's identity is formed by their early experience and the best people to form that identity are the parents if we value diversity as it is the families that hold the values of culture. When a child is in day care they are inculcated with the values of the state as they are spending most of their awake time with paid care givers who for the most part don't love them.
As to the gender wars, most conservative women think of themselves as equal to the men. If you have ever spent any time with Muslim families, you know that while the women might cover their head, don't be fooled in to thinking that the men are in charge, because they are not.
Interestingly, if you spend any time with Hutterites, you also know who is really in charge, and again it is not the men.
The leaders of Muslim countries and Hutterite communities are most certainly not women friendly, and women in these communities support boys having more advantages growing up over girls. The only power women have is behind closed doors; that’s not exactly liberating.
All this article did for me was fortify my skepticism towards surveys. A researcher can get the results they want by adjusting the question.
Having said that, I am in favour of a strict meritocracy. I spent a career in a construction trade, and women who could do the work were paid the same as men. Women who could not didn’t last long, but neither did the men.
Feminazis seem to have gotten their wires crossed at the Olympics also.
On one hand, look at the Italian boxer who had her face caved in by a dude. Check out her shiner.
And then we have the women's volleyball competition with their asses hanging out. Check out those fine specimens.
Hi Tara - just a comment that since your June hiatus of reprints, all of your Weekend Reads have been guest essays which is disappointing to those of us who subscribe to your Substack to read your voice and hear your take on current affairs. Hopefully this is nothing more than a summer blip.