If marriage is so bad for men how come the studies always show that married men have a greater life expectancy than single men, but life expectancy is no better for a married woman than a single woman.


Polygamy: Men don't like the idea of women having multiple husbands because they won't know if the children are theirs or belong to the other men. This is not a problem for women in polygamous relationships except in terms of financial help, because they always know who their children are.

PONCAN: Women voted with their feet and walked away from motherhood and the traditional female role and this is why---women received the message, Quote by Usual Suspect "Look any fool can run a house (and look after children) and because you don't get paid in cash, the job has no worth."

My daughter who has four children and works full time, earning the highest wage, gets really angry when her husband sits on the couch and doesn't put as much time into tending to the childrens needs as she does. She said to me "What do I need him for Mum? I earn double what he earns and I do more of the childcare as well".

I was reading an article by women who have reached forty and havent had children. I thought it was by their own choice. Not so, in a lot of cases, apparently. They said they started relationships with men in their late twenties and five or six years into the relationship when they felt the need to have children around age 35 or 36 the men didn't want to commit and would take up with another 29year old who wasnt interested in having children if they left the relationship. If they stayed with the man they just didnt have children. Only 3% of women can become pregnant after age 40 and a lot miscarry continuously in their very late thirties. So the lack of commitment to family and having children seems to be on the part of the men here.

And why not? with the smorgasboard of sex available all over the place and the men being able to delay fatherhood for longer. The women see this lack of commitment and they think, well I'm not going to have children and then have to do it all by myself. That means less and less families and just constant serial relationships.

Women's liberation has contributed to this because all this available sex is no doubt a result of the pill and the relaxing of societies taboos regarding women having multiple partners like the men.

Usual Suspect: << I can only gather you two are in your twighlight years, or have exposure to some kind of fundamentalist religion. Man who do you people mix with? I don't know any men like the ones you describe. >>

I can't speak for Fractelle, but while I'm not exactly in my 'twilight years' I'm old enough to know to read previous posts in a thread before jumping in and making an idiot of myself. We were responding to comments by some male contributors that suggested that Australia's male suicide rate may be increased by some men not coping with the changed nature of gender relations in Australian society, wherein women are generally no longer willing to automatically defer to their male partners as heads of households. I don't know any men like that either, but I'm willing to accept the possibility that there's some out there.

As for being exposed to fundy religion, I can safely say that OLO is about the only place I ever encounter it directly - a bit like I'm only exposed to the whining of men who'd like to return to the 1950s at OLO, rather than at the pub or my place of business.

Steel: << Excuse me... but masculinity and male roles are timeless and infinite. Just as female roles and femininity are so. They have a solid scientific, biological basis. However, do not mistake me for a fool here (I know that by now you will be thinking something to this effect). >>

I don't think I'm making a mistake, Steel. You should look up the distinction between sex and gender before blathering on about human gender roles. There is very little that is biological about who is the head of the household in contemporary families.

<< Do not call men who commit suicide "losers". That is a disgrace. >>

I think that any man who kills himself rather than adapt to the changed realities of gender roles in Australian society is by definition a 'loser'. What you call him - a winner?

CJM:"
I think that any man who kills himself rather than adapt to the changed realities of gender roles in Australian society is by definition a 'loser'. What you call him - a winner?"

This is the second time you've tried to conflate male suicide with some imagined sense of loss in gender relationships. Frankly, that's idiotic.
The problem of male suicide is a serious one, being a significant cause of premature death for men in the 20-40 age group. One of the significant factors that has been put forward is family breakdown and the consequential loss of contact with children, as well as the financial impacts of having to deal with the CSA. Despite mush circumstantial and anecdotal evidence, the CSA has consistntly refused to release numbers of cases that are closed due to the suicide of the (male) paying parent and has refused to cooperate with Coroners investigating suicide. Even when Coroners have handed down reports implicating the actions of the CSA, that Agency has refused to acknowledge any culpability. The previous Minister, the disgusting Joe Hockey. appeared on TV trumpeting his Government's determination to "hound [fathers] to the grave", a statement that was then backed up by the then National Compliance Manager, now CEO of the CP League of Qld, Angela Tillmans, who stated her intent to "make people fear the next phone call".

The State has deliberately chosen to allow men to be sacrificed on the altar of "gender equality" and their children are the weapon of choice. I can't see how anyone can take any pride in that, or find anything remotely amusing in it.

U-Sus

My previous post was the first contribution that I have made to this discussion. In it, I posited some reasons why men are feeling so disenfranchised. Maybe my opinion is incorrect. But at least I am trying to understand.

If you gave any thought at all to my posts you would be aware I am far from being in my dotage. You would also know that I am an atheist, therefore not subject to any religious dogma.

Anyway, if statistics are true, more men top themselves than do women. That is why I posted some links for men who may be having difficulties coping. Maybe you could check them out. You might learn something.

As for not knowing the type of men CJ, R0bert and I have been discussing, personally I have only known two people to commit suicide, male and female. The male OD'd on smack and the female could no longer deal with her clinical depression - two friends lost forever.

As for my ex-husband, he simply found himself a woman he could manipulate more easily than me. Although I hear she divorced him too.

So just what was the point of your post? You appear to have a personal grudge.

Or was it to have yet another go at people who have the sheer temerity to place their opinions on ONLINE OPINION?

I really think you need to cheer up, the following video clip is from a fave 80's band, The Cramps playing two songs that will make you feel much better about yourself: "All Women are Bad" and "You Got Good Taste".

Rock Out!

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=o7X2M9xvjEw

Sharkfin, the words - "What do I need him for Mum? I earn double what he earns and I do more of the childcare as well" if said here where I am came from by my daughter, I would step in immediately and act as a family elder should.

Did you pull your daughter aside and explain commitment and the vows she took, and maybe what would be best for the kids? Did maybe you explain that just maybe the kids could be trained better and pull their weight as well? Did you also ask your daughter if her career was more important than her family? Did you pull your son in law to one side and seek the other side of the argument? Did you explain that he should be doing something more positive about the early warning signs of marriage failure, and that he should be showing a bit more leadership and resolving problems before they get out of hand. Did you explain to your son in law the hopeless and bias family system in Australia, and what would happen if his wife walked out on him – especially with 4 kids – and if he wants to be a weekend dad or full time dad? Or – did you snigger and support your daughter regardless forgetting your grandkids and their possible future in a broken family?

You see, where I come from, family elders take the responsibility seriously. My response to you is to pull your finger out and take care of the 6 people who should be looking to you for guidance.