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Links: Michael Kimmel and Amanda Marcotte on masculinity, misogyny and Anders Breivik

The world doesn't need any more macho Nazis

A couple excellent pieces on Anders Breivik and misogyny.

First: The other day I posted a link to a piece by Michael Kimmel on Breivik and the sexual politics of far-right thought. It turned out that the article was a draft that got published prematurely.

Now the final version of the post is officially up at Sociological Images:  A tale of two terrorists redux. Kimmel argues that what we know about Breivik thus far

indicate[s] that … it will be impossible to fully understand this horrific act without understanding how gender operates as a rhetorical and political device for domestic terrorists.

These members of the far right consider themselves Christian Crusaders for Aryan Manhood, vowing its rescue from a feminizing welfare state. Theirs is the militarized manhood of the heroic John Rambo – a manhood that celebrates their God-sanctioned right to band together in armed militias if anyone, or any governmental agency, tries to take it away from them. If the state and capital emasculate them, and if the masculinity of the “others” is problematic, then only “real” white men can rescue the American Eden or the bucolic Norwegian countryside from a feminized, multicultural, androgynous immigrant-inspired melting pot.

Meanwhile, Amanda Marcotte at Pandagon offers some thoughts on Misogyny and Terrorism:

[T]here’s definitely a strong link between misogyny and violence that can’t be denied.  Misogynists are far likelier to be violent people than non-misogynists, which is why rape and wife-beating are such common crimes.  (Domestic violence is the number one cause of injury for women 15-44.)  All bigotry provokes violence at its ends, of course.  This isn’t the Oppression Olympics.  But misogyny and violence go hand in hand so often because misogynists really buy deeply into the idea that women are weak and men are “strong”, by which they mean aggressive.  A steady drumbeat of misogynist thought couldn’t be better designed to reach the unhinged and cause them to lash out violently, all while imagining themselves to be big, tough men who claim they were forced—with “why did you make me do this?” being the battle cry of wife beaters—into violence.

Discuss.

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redlocker
13 years ago

Still not sure if Marc is serious…

I mean, besides, has Marc done any actual activism on his anti-humanism? Has he participated in live debate? Talked to professors? Marched on the streets? Or is his stance just something one “adopts” in order to make their misanthropy seem reasonable?

ozymandias42
13 years ago

Imma switching my gender to “gender-confused” now.

Also, Marc, honey, sweetie, sweetheart, I think you were talking about the population explosion there? But the problem is that that is easily solved by making people wealthier, distributing birth control and most of all giving women rights. In fact, most developed countries are reproducing at well below replacement levels. No oppression required!

Molly Ren
13 years ago

I kinda want to think Marc *is* serious. Having all his weird trains of thought add up to a philosophy dedicated to killing off 90% of the human race is kinda poetic.

Also, it’s more fun to laugh at him.

Molly Ren
13 years ago

“In fact, most developed countries are reproducing at well below replacement levels. No oppression required!”

JOIN THE DARK SIDE, MARC! SAVE THE HUMAN RACE!

Snowy
Snowy
13 years ago

You don’t care what my nose looks like? What? Marc, are you sure you even know what eugenics means?

Sharculese
Sharculese
13 years ago

But the problem is that that is easily solved by making people wealthier, distributing birth control and most of all giving women rights. In fact, most developed countries are reproducing at well below replacement levels. No oppression required!

marc actually considers sustainable population management to be genocide.

Marc
Marc
13 years ago

But the problem is that that is easily solved by making people wealthier, distributing birth control and most of all giving women rights. In fact, most developed countries are reproducing at well below replacement levels. No oppression required!

I know, but the problem is the dysgenic effect of this!

in order to make their misanthropy seem reasonable?

misanthropy = life experience

Sharculese
Sharculese
13 years ago

that’s not me distorting his position either. i can’t remember which thread it was but he was here last week arguing basically that.

Molly Ren
13 years ago

Not oppressing people and controlling the population will lead to them all having bad genes? You can’t link us to something that says it’d be better off if 90% of the population were killed off AND complain the gene pool will shrink at the same time!

Molly Ren
13 years ago

“misanthropy = life experience”

Well, you’ve had a shitty life, then. I’m sorry.

redlocker
13 years ago

“misanthropy = life experience”

Wait, what?

So, you think you’re justified in treating people like shit because you think that people are shitty? In what way?

Molly Ren
13 years ago

“So, you think you’re justified in treating people like shit because you think that people are shitty? In what way?”

We’ve POISONED THE EARTH and we’re all going to DIE IN OUR OWN FILTH AND STUPIDITY, that’s why!

Marc
Marc
13 years ago

I kinda want to think Marc *is* serious. Having all his weird trains of thought add up to a philosophy dedicated to killing off 90% of the human race is kinda poetic.

I’m attacked that I am not a real activist… well, are YOU all? The best thing may be that you run some blog… Take this molly creature, the only thing in her head is sex and she runs a blog about that while I am sitting here and, though I may not do that much, at least I am concerned about the important things and this is NOT sex!

I wrote letters to Pentti Linkola and he thought he found them interesting and inspiring. I’m still in contact with him, and he IS active, more active than you all!

ozymandias42
13 years ago

Marc: But it factually hasn’t caused a dysgenic effect. IQ has risen over the past hundred years as America shifted into a low-birth-rate low-death-rate demographic model. It’s called the Flynn effect.

Molly Ren
13 years ago

@Ozy: Really? *eyebrow raise*

@Marc: I have been waiting for a troll to insult me about my sex blog ever since I started posting here. Don’t you guys ever follow links?

redlocker
13 years ago

“I’m attacked that I am not a real activist… well, are YOU all? The best thing may be that you run some blog… Take this molly creature, the only thing in her head is sex and she runs a blog about that while I am sitting here and, though I may not do that much, at least I am concerned about the important things and this is NOT sex!”

The sex blogs also have activism mixed in, genius. Holly and Molly being a few of the prime examples.

Ah, Pentti Linkola…you mean this guy: http://www.penttilinkola.com/

That’s…interesting.

redlocker
13 years ago

Also, some more info on Pentti Linkola, from Wikipedia:

“Linkola believes that Finnish society should ideally be ruled by an environmentally-aware elite. This elite would ban almost all use of motorized vehicles, and transfer populations from bigger cities to the countryside to create an agrarian society. This would eliminate the need for parking lots and construction, and trees would be planted on major roads. Industrialists and technologists would be retrained as agricultural labourers. Procreation would be licensed, with an average of one child born to each woman. Local autarchy would reduce the need for travel, which would be done by foot, paddling, horse or bicycle, instead of by cars, aeroplanes or motorboats.”

Wow. Just…wow.

Molly Ren
13 years ago

“The sex blogs also have activism mixed in, genius. Holly and Molly being a few of the prime examples.”

Awww, I’m a “prime example”? :’) (And mentioned in the same breath as Holly, yay!)

*cough*

/narcissism

redlocker
13 years ago

Sorry for the multi-posting, but here’s more from the Linkola fansite:

“Impact

Linkola is one of the few voices who advocates:

1) No immigration
2) Downsize population
3) Kill defectives
4) Stop rampant technology

In the eyes of the most credible sources, planet Earth can sustain a half-billion humans without any sizable destruction of our habitat, or any loss in species or stability of our ecosystem. Any numbers higher than that, no matter how much they recycle, will cause environmental chaos. The modern leftist-tinged environmental movement is terrified of telling anyone that they cannot breed and keep buying whatever strikes their fancy, but someone must do this in the future. The sooner we do it, the fewer people in the future will be left without a means of sustenance and thus require termination.

As Linkola himself has said, “We still have a chance to be cruel. But if we are not cruel today, all is lost.”- Pentti Linkola, meditative ”

So, in other words…a “benevolent dictatorship” with an emphasis on enviromentalism?

darksidecat
darksidecat
13 years ago

“But eugenics is unnatural, nuclear power is natural but eugenics…”

The Appeal to Nature Fallacy is your default argument, not ours. But keep attacking that strawman while being completely oblivious to the fact that you are yourself engaging in said Appeal to Nature Fallacy yourself for your entire argument.

redlocker
13 years ago

@Molly: Hey, no problem. More exposure is cool, right? 😉 I forgot to mention Ozy, but really, who hasn’t heard of her around her at this point. 🙂

Ami Angelwings
13 years ago

And back! xD

So Marc is basically internet Ra’s Al Ghul xD

Also Molly, you should be included w/ Holly, you’re both awesome! (and -ollys 😀 )

So… when do ppl make fun of my blog? xD

Marc
Marc
13 years ago

The sex blogs also have activism mixed in, genius. Holly and Molly being a few of the prime examples.

Molly’s blog… I only see a blog completely dedicated to some weird fetish. I’m normally a very open person and don’t care about what you do in your bedroom (aside from uncontrolled procreation), but the pictures I see here are just pure decadence!

“That there are billions of people over 60kg weight on this planet is recklessness.” — Pentti Linkola

Marc
Marc
13 years ago

And back! xD

But I will soon go, I am so disgusted by you all I can’t stand it any longer!

I just hope that this horrible Molly creature gets the calories for her fetish from high-efficiency C4 plants like corn and not from mixed food with vegetables or even meat!

And while Molly accelerates global warming with her fetish, the poor camels in Australia are shot. Horrible.

redlocker
13 years ago

@Marc: “Molly’s blog… I only see a blog completely dedicated to some weird fetish. I’m normally a very open person and don’t care about what you do in your bedroom (aside from uncontrolled procreation), but the pictures I see here are just pure decadence!”

I see you’re…struggling to be a person who is like, “EW, fatty fat fatties!” while trying to say, “Hey, whatever floats your boat.” My gosh, the level of flip flopping is unbelievable.

““That there are billions of people over 60kg weight on this planet is recklessness.” — Pentti Linkola”

Nice way of sneaking a fat joke in. If that’s how you view people like Molly…I gotta say, you’re missing out. A LOT.