"It is amazing what happens when men get together. Here in Australia a few friends got together over a beer in the city of Melbourne ..." and then found themselves running down Lygon Street naked at 1.00 am.

But I'm with you all the way.

Men are important. Men are well, men. And amen to that.

I just wish the men on the HMAS Sydney had been a little bit more alert to the fact that the little old cargo ship they were hauling over was a German raider. I suppose that's a case of risk taking behaviour - which would have been a more interesting subject for your article.

Not your most compelling effort, Warwick, but I applaud your intention. The contribution of men in our world today is often overlooked, with little regard given to the often dangerous ways in which that contribution is made. As an example, I know hundreds of tree loppers and as many landscapers, fencers and builders thanks to my work. There would be fewer than a dozen women among the lot. Even when I add in the joiners, furniture-makers and cabinet-makers I can only add another half-dozen or so women. The work that all of these trades do (and my own, milling) is dangerous, physically draining, dirty, noisy and not especially well paid (apart from the builders and they're on a knife-edge). Women will take the poor pay, but none of the rest, especially when they can earn the same whilst sitting in an air-conditioned office or shop, chatting with like-minded women.

Cheryl, your point about risk-taking is well made. Sadly, there is little reward for risk in our society, except at the level of the stock market, perhaps. Without risk takers we risk stagnation. They are the ones who allow the rest to live at ease.

Boy the silence is deafening, and speaks volumes.

Antiseptic “Without risk takers we risk stagnation.”

Yes, why is it when they are seen in one light, the risk takers are the hero’s of the day but

Change the nature of the risk and those dirty “speculators” are demonised as the scourge of humanity.

Whilst every child acquires half their genetic makeup from the mother, the other half are a bequest of their father.

I have always believed children benefit the most from the active involvement of both parents in their lives and was delighted when the previous Australian Liberal government applied an appropriate adjustment to parental / custody laws, correcting the irrational errors of the previous socialist government.

I personally find the notion of a special “Mens Day” a pointless exercise in stating the bleeding obvious,

just as a “Woman’s Day” is equally pointless but

the UN is an organization populated by political manipulators but with no teeth and as such is perfectly suited to sponsor of the completely pointless

This is a classic!

Is there any day in the calendar that isn't someone's day.

Actually there is a gap on June 7. That's the only day left. I propose a day called international Tourette Syndrome sufferers who are Owners of Gay Dogs day!

Classic Article.

I liked...

' 1. improving gender relations between men and women; '
If only the feminists had that as their no.1 goal! Once again men lead by example!

'Yes, men are necessary. '

This shows the state of the world, where it needs to be said that yes, men are necessary. Not valued or loved or anything like that, just necessary. A necessary evil perhaps?

'Men take risks and die to save other lives during calamities and war.'

Queue feminist rebuttal... No more than women! Women are the unsung heroes of war and the major casualties, the innocents! Men are the ones who create the wars! If the world was run by women, there would be no war! The history books are full of the history of men, all the power and recognition in the workplace is given to men, they don't deserve their own day! It is women who are the ones in need of recognition! Behind every great man is a greater woman!

Houellebecq <"The history books are full of the history of men, all the power and recognition in the workplace is given to men, they don't deserve their own day! It is women who are the ones in need of recognition! Behind every great man is a greater woman!"

Oh hear hear Houellebecq! This is the best comment I have read in ages.
A voice of reason in a sea of testosterone!

Yet again, Warwick comes up with a 'woe is all men' article, with the usual bitter anti-maternity groupies nodding wildly in excitement at his words.

Yes, we should praise some men who are truly heroes, both in and out of the home. Just as we should for the many female heroes we have in the world.

Anticeptic extols the virtues of the many tradesmen in our society, who do indeed have some very dirty, heavy jobs that are necessary to us all at times. There are often many nice things that can be said about tradesmen.

However, Anticeptic seems to suggest that it is only men that do the important, dirty jobs. Would you say that nursing and caring for the sick and elderly in our society are clean jobs? These jobs are predominantly attended by women, because many men just can't handle it.

Let's just praise everybody who does a good, difficult job, rather than praising one gender over another.