Annapolis grad and nuclear submarine commander, former President Jimmy Carter famously said, “The United States is the most warlike nation in the history of the world.” We don’t like to see ourselves cast in this light, but the truth is that America, more than any other nation on earth, is the great promoter of violence.
We make life complicated, but in concept it is remarkably simple, although in practice things can get complicated. The simple truth is that in every moment The Universe presents you with two choices:
Futurists and other consultants had been telling them, warning them (and their unions), about what was going to happen, and they couldn’t, wouldn’t, hear it. The power of rationalization is so strong that these organizations were brought to their knees because their leaders could not, would not, accept the changes that others could see.
Drug addicts, criminals, domestic abusers, school shooters, pedophiles, neo-Nazis, gang members – we treat these behaviors differently without realizing that they are all manifestations – symptoms – of deeply seated pain. Pain that originates from the same source. Realizing that might shift our treatment of these people dramatically.
Most men today are doing very well. They finish school, make healthy choices, and accept the world of work and the responsibilities of family. For men like these, opportunities today are excellent.
For others however, the transition is more difficult. For these men life is a constant challenge. Their masculinity is always on the line.