A member of the Postindustrial Community shares his thoughts about the Democratic Party’s losses in the last election and the assessment of one PA lawmaker on her way out.
Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Susan Wild is great. She is what I think a representative should be.
However, as Wild is advocating effectively for good stuff, I don't think she is getting to the heart of what we need to do to fight MAGA.
[If you missed it, read the remarks by Rep. Susan Wild here.]
All else being equal, we [the Democratic Party] would have won had young men not swung for MAGA by huge margins.
Men were fed a toxic brew of grievance, misogyny, racism, and xenophobia. They fell for it because they are vulnerable, they are lost.
They are unsure of their role in society and feel frustrated at being excluded and reviled as a problem rather than the secure breadwinners and heads of households.
I spent some time working on a documentary about the Massai in Tanzania for National Geographic years ago. They have a brilliant solution for managing that difficult and disruptive transition from boyhood to manhood…
They are declared warriors!
It's great! They get to carry a spear and are tasked with defending the village from enemies (there are none), lions (damn few) and otherwise be generally great.
They have to help old people, keep an eye on kids, and the best part is that they should decorate themselves and look beautiful.
When we first arrived at our village, very far from the nearest road, the young warriors crowded around our Land Rover. I thought it was to get a look at us and to check out the cool vehicle … but no.
They were crowding around to look at their reflections in the glass of the windows and the mirrors. They were on task! I was so impressed.
We need a message for men that lionizes them and gives them a role in liberal society and governance. They need to be tasked with being defenders of democracy.
Everything must depend on them to be vigilant against corruption and make sure billionaires and our enemies aren't weaseling their way in and taking power away from us.
The Right is doing just that, but, of course, turning them into toxic, fascist tools.
