Issue directions to Machos:
Rowdy Politics: Time for Masculinity Madness Again?
Op-Ed by Hendrik Wieduwilt 🔗🔗🔗🔗
Americas politics have turned into a toxic testosterone-filled frat house. Is this the era of the almighty macho?
Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently had a week to remember. His meeting with President Donald Trump earned him applause from every corner, rightly so, as Merz nailed it.
He presented Trump with a powder-coated gold sculpture. He grinned ear to ear, knowing that nobody in America enjoys a grumpy old man - least of all our golden-toupeed leader. Merz stayed mute when unrequired, following the famous monkey logic rule - otherwise, he might have ended up as ashes in the fireplace like other world leaders before him.
Politics: Merz outsmarts Trump The meeting could barely have gone better. Merz even endured the petting, though unwanted groping might be a sign of touch hunger. Merz responded appropriately in fluent English and was praised for it.
Some compliments were rough and raw: The Chancellor was "difficult". Merz didn't mind being labelled "simple", Trump later added. "You've gotta be a pig in this world," the Ärzte sang.
This camaraderie fit the setting, as only men were visible in the background, apart from Trump's chief of staff. And it matches the current neomasculine mood: Youngemen are swooning again for pickup artists and musclemen (usually combined with crypto investment tips). Merz's PR team made sure to share the arrival at the White House in a pumped-up black limo set to thumping hip-hop beats on Instagram. If you can, you can.
Navidi News: Trump vs. Musk - A Bloody Fight for Power The mechanisms of media power are still governed by classic dominance gestures: Who pushes whom where, who pats, who crouches, who's afraid of dogs? Speaking of fear of dogs: Could one imagine Angela Merkel during that visit? Reporters might have asked her why she wasn't wearing a suit. And Trump would probably have offered her a muscle-building course at Mar-a-Lago with a sly smile.
Men's Ministry
One might find this appealing, but too much testosterone can turn into machoism - and those who embody a macho mindset make macho decisions. In his conversation with Trump, Merz compared the conflict in Ukraine to a game of tag among children, suggesting that sometimes we should let them fight it out. It's a shocking image, and it's a macho one: it reveals a desire to find out who the better fighter is.
Time for Change?
Is gender equality becoming obsolete again? Is a reversal of the trend in sight after years of increasing female representation in leadership positions? Is the drama in the Oval Office and personnel policy in ministries and coalitions really an invitation for young women to try politics?
Politics: “No lectures” from Merz on the AfD And: “Don't we have other problems?” That's what the comment section trolls (m/m/m) are already yelling. Of course, we do - bad weather forecasts for Pentecost, lingering emails from the tax advisor, and that pesky allergy season - but a surge of masculine energy in global politics could be one. Especially since male friendships aren't always unbreakably loyal, as one might promise after the thirteenth beer on men's day.
This is evident in the White House: a ridiculous power struggle has erupted between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, leaving us to wonder who will pee on the other's dinner first out of raw spite. Rationality no longer plays a role here, as Musk even considered scrapping a space program in a fit of anger. One can only hope that the bromance between Trump and Merz doesn't end similarly.
A Man's World
"A Man's World", sang James Brown in a song penned by a woman. In it, men are the makers, they build things and buy them from other men, even though the refrain declares that the world is "nothing" without a woman or a girl.
Elon Musk should listen to the rest of the song, it ends as dark as a ketamine hangover:
"He's lost in the world of man
He's lost in bitterness"
He is lost in the world of men, lost in bitterness.
So, men: Step it up. Or, we'll send a woman next time.
Related Articles:
- Men's Frat House Politics: Still a Man's World? 🔗
- Reviving Toxic Masculinity: A Global Perspective 🔗
- The Great Masculine Shift: A Toxic Reversal? 🔗
- The meeting between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Donald Trump, a display of macho camaraderie, raised questions about the current neomasculine trend in politics and business.
- As more world leaders adopt a macho mindset, there is increasing concern about the impact on decision-making in finance and general-news, with the potential for disregard of feminine perspectives and values.
- The future of leadership may depend on a shift away from traditional masculine dominance, as embracing a more balanced approach to decision-making could lead to better outcomes in politics and beyond.
