When I was a young fellow, I helped a mature lady neighbor horse breeder occasionally.
One day I helped her put a mare, in season, in with a stallion. As we watched to make sure that there was no trouble with them, the mare was all over the stallion.
While watching she said,"now see that, once she's in foal, she'll kick the sh#t out of him, if he comes near her." "We women are just like her". "If you want to get on with us, don't give us what we think we want". "We realy only want one thing from you blokes, babies".
Unfortunately, I was in my late 30s before I remembered that advice.

The article rang hollow. Reading it you would never think that there are thousands of men out there who would top themselves today given the chance and some will do just that.

Why don't boys and youth get a mention? There are thousands of Australian boys on MSN chat right now talking about how they are cutting themselves up with glass and razors through hopelessness with life.

Maybe it was all too hard and the author sought refuge in trying to define men and masculinity from a feminist perspective. Maybe Australian universities are chockers with and stultified by, feminist theory.

Maybe (and I believe this) the truth and the eventual solutions can only come from the grassroots. The intellectual elite did not serve women very well and men should be very wary of being led by the similar academics, long on theory and idealism and short on life experience and ethics.
Peter West you need to come to some mens' groups and hear the sharing of life experience. There is agony out there and it was not just caused by feminism, it was there all along and it needs to be addressed.

And no, the 'problems' is not as trite as being deficient in skills to get along with women. While you are at that you might casually note that there are bugger all resources available for men and boys who are in need of help.

I cannot believe that Peter West lives in the same country as Biddulph and others. Have a chat with them please and urgently. What about some feedback from men? Sheez, Peter you would get better information just sitting around the campfire at a camping ground.

Some of the people commenting on this seem not to have read the article properly.

They just bring their own beefs and grizzles along. Mention "gender" and everyone seems to snarl and bristle these days. Nobody is satisfied, I guess. Maybe people were happier in years gone by. Or maybe they just got on with it.

A medieval fable talks about a knight who is sent on a very difficult quest.
The riddle is "What do women want?"

After many many years, after killing a dragon, hunting a wild boar, and finding the secret pathway, an old crone tells him the answer.

What do women want? Their own way.

Alas … after 40 years of research up to the 70s Peter West seems to be somewhat out of touch with the men issues in the ‘Naughties’ – contemporary male concerns can be much more likened to basic survival in a totalitarian state.

I have to agree with Hamlet – “who says men have to move forward?!!”, yet I would word my defiance differently – Peter's dialogue, although diplomatically worded leans towards a deficiency model of men that reflects gender discrimination – the type taught and adored by feminists separatists.

Don’t blame me Peter for my comment – you stated that men need to “have some ideas about feminism, and get them out there”. The trouble is, if and when real men speak up, feminists, popular culture, and media etc ban (shout down, omit, threaten) dialogue that is not feminised! If we say what we think - the girls won't like it.

An example at the street level -I have had dialogue with men about male emanicipation who have said, in hushed wispers, that they agree with what I say, yet if they dare voice it they would never get another date - sexploitation silences week men.

We have no right to a voice, yet your words endorse the popular rhetoric that men cannot communicate. Your particular version of this propaganda is common to men ‘experts’ that subscribe obediently to the deficiency model pushed by junk science Feminism – now established language across all strata of society, social theorists, health workers, and off course the mob rule language on the streets of ‘girl talk’. All with little critical analysis.

Seeker echoes my thought exactly - there is no crisis in masculinity, but there is oppression of Fathers and Family; and real men (and real women) must fight to resist.

Silversurfer, I have to agree with what you are saying.

When the girls do not like hearing what men are saying, all sorts of things get thrown at them such as "hating women", "wanting to return to patriachal mode" (if that model ever really existed?)

Mens rights and fathers rights groups get accussed of wanting to turn back history or are as Trish Wilson maintains "The fathers's(sic) rights movement seeks to destroy the legal protections of women and children, primarily custodial mothers."

Neil Lyndon who wrote an article around a decade ago had been accused of having a small penis, as well as other things. Interestingly Neils ex was given custody of their son. If she had been a man the court would not have allowed her to have any contact with him.

I think Thomas Ellis in his book "The Rantings of a Single Male" sums it up reasonably well;
"I’ve got years of feminism, political correctness, and male-bashing clogging my arteries. So do most men, though they pretend not to notice. I wasn’t aware of the extent of the damage until I began some serious self-examination."

"Women react angrily to any criticism, and they can stay angry a long, long time, holding out for that male apology. Lots of women now automatically disregard any male viewpoints, since they believe criticism of women is a form of verbal abuse. They will rip apart a relationship if they are offended, even if they are wrong. Women are in really deep."

"When I began writing, I was concerned that I would upset female readers. I got over it. What is so abhorrent about offending women? They take full liberty in offending us."

Point well taken JamesH - What is so abhorrent about offending women?

These are the type of questions that lead to male emancipation from 40 years of feminist conditioning. When single I pursued emancipation with a passion and workshopped my own freedom – never looked back. There are many illusions that are a big con and a few simple steps reveal their slim hold on our psyche :-)

Challenge yourself with these amazing experiences:

Identify the absurd compulsion to please women. Refuse to please women! – they’ll be much happier if you don’t pander to their whims.

Speak up about Men’s rights. Jettison any restraint base on the need to please. You don’t need anything from them, and more importantly, if you can’t speak openly, they have nothing of value to give you.

End sexploitation. Deny women sex! - I found this really enjoyable in a town where women outnumbered men 3 to 1. You’ll find that you have a lot more self control than they have.

Enjoy trans-national internet dating, preferably Asian. Refuse to date Ozi girls.

Go dancing and avoid the women who try to use dance as a mating ritual – just enjoy the music.

Never chase. Given that there are 350,000 more single women than single men in Australia, it is an illusion to think that you have to chase them. If you like to chase, expect to be sexploited.

Identify and expel any compulsion to look at women. When girls strut their stuff, cross to the other side of the street and avert your eyes. Your gaze feeds them the power to enslave you. Taste the freedom!!

These exercises, and more, can be very revealing and can become addictive. Don’t stop until you are a free man. Unfortunately this will make you more attractive.