Is the MRM wrong but useful? How then can we fight feminism?

I’ve gotten lots of great feedback from men’s rights advocates, which is pretty big of them, given that I basically called them a bunch of socially-stunted monkey-spankers.  I’m still working through the comments, so please don’t feel insulted if I haven’t addressed yours yet, or if I addressed it only flippantly.

I especially appreciate Novaseeker’s thoughtful defense of MRM from a Christian standpoint here.  He makes a couple of important points that I would like to address.  First, in the political arena we must often form broad alliances which will necessarily include people we don’t like.  Refusing to do this condemns one to impotence.  He gives the example of the Democratic and Republican parties.  Now, to be honest, if the American electorate were evenly divided between three parties–the Republicans, the Democrats, and a men’s-rights party, I’d vote straight-ticket for the men’s-rights party at every election.  In a “who’s-the-least-evil” contest, they win hands down.  However, as it is, both patriarchists and MRM are politically insignificant, so these sorts of considerations don’t apply.  (I realize that Novaseeker will probably dispute this claim, but it seems depressingly clear to me.  The world is moving in a direction of more aggressive feminism, with no major force in the West standing in opposition.)  Supporting MRM or patriarchy won’t help you change the world, but it will change yourself.  I assert that embracing patriarchy will make a man better, while embracing MRM will make him worse.  Of course, there are many virtuous men, loving husbands and fathers of daughters, who support MRM, but I think their virtue exists in spite of, rather than because of, MRM.  No man was ever made a better person by being told that he’s a victim.  this does raise a problem: if both MRM and patriarchy are politically irrelevant, how should we address the larger culture?  Am I preaching political resignation?  No, I’m not.  In a minute I’ll tell you what I do recommend.

This brings us the Novaseeker’s second point, that MRM can be thought of as a sort of grab-bag of materials to help men navigate the hostile modern world.  Some of the tools in the bag are morally objectionable, but most are neutral–i.e. they can be used for good or evil–and so men, including Christian men, can use what they find morally unproblematic.  This is a good point, and it does cause me to qualify my condemnation.  There is some decent material on MRM websites.  There’s nothing wrong with men knowing how deeply the state is beholden to feminists and how greatly men are held in contempt by feminist activists.  MRM is a good place to learn about this.  However, Novaseeker and I disagree about the proportion of objectionable material.  He brings up the example of men learning game to improve their marriages, but in fact this is impossible.  Game is always morally corrupting, and it always poisons relationships, not because of any particular advice it gives me but because of the very framework I am to use when thinking about a woman.  The image of women as amoral, instinctive animals is the heart of game.  Take it away, and you’re left with common sense advice to be bold and self-confident, and one doesn’t need game for that.

Most of what one finds in the MSM bag isn’t distinct facts, but mental categories that one uses to interpret facts.  Nothing wrong with that in itself; no one can think without categories.  Some of the MSM ones are of questionable value in interpreting the world, though.  The idea of men and women as two opposed interest groups is feminist and evil, but it lies implicit in some MRA comments.  The category of “mangina” probably obscures more than it reveals, because it lumps together men who oppose MRM for very different reasons.

How, then, do we fight feminism?  First, some unpleasant facts:  both Christianity (patriarchy’s main support in the West) and classical liberalism (of which MRM is one of the better advocates) are doomed, at least as socially relevant forces.  The feminist steamroller is too powerful.  Another generation of persecution and propaganda will seal its control of the West.  Then two great forces will remain in the world:  the feminist-materialist Left and Islam.  These two will battle for the ultimate fate of mankind.  Islam has the numbers and fanaticism, but it doesn’t yet know the enemy it’s facing.  That’s where we Christian patriarchists come in.  We have studied this enemy; we know its tricks, and we have meticulously dissected its ideology.  When the time comes, when the Left throws off its pretended friendship with Muslims, we must offer Islam our services.  In the battle between Islam and the Left, there can be no doubt who we should wish to win.  A final victory of the Left would mean the extinction of humanity’s spiritual heritage.  Even with the help of Christianity’s remnant (which, truth be told, won’t be that significant), it’s not clear that the Muslims can win.  What is clear is that they’re the only ones left with a shot.

So you see, I’m not totally lacking in grim realism.