Conservative American manhood has never looked weaker or more foolish. Of course, manhood is a complicated idea and not one I’d normally bring into a discussion about the extremely crude actions of a superpower throwing its weight around. But it is the MAGA movement itself, and the far right in general, that has thrust its notions of masculinity back into centre stage.
And fair enough: politics is a process of deciding how societies run themselves, and these movements have been very clear about their desire to rearrange society to put white men back on their thrones, white women back in the kitchen or the nursery, and everyone else back onto the periphery. Inevitably for a fantasy built on nothing but deep contempt for women, loathing for difference and terror of change, it falls apart the moment you test any if its loudly proclaimed beliefs. The whiplash 180 performed by the evangelicals, especially, has been astonishing to behold, as decades of incessant, shrill moralising about family values fell instantly silent the moment the MAGA orgy rolled into Washington led by an adjudicated rapist.
It’s how they could convince themselves that Joe Rogan knew more about viruses than virologists; how they still believe that a reality TV star who bankrupted casinos is a business genius worthy of running a country. Since then, the chest-thumping by the MAGA broligarchy has been as tinny and transparent as a tech billionaire in the front row at an inauguration. “Warrior spirit!” it has roared as it has brought Russia back from the brink of economic and military collapse.
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“Rule of law!” it has bellowed as it tried to overthrow an election and then prostrated itself to a criminal who was besties with a paedophile. “Freedom of speech,” it has howled as it goes through your phone, making sure you haven’t said anything mean before it’ll let you into its country. “Jesus is lord!” it has chanted as it gave Israel weaponry to kill and main more children in the Holy Land than Herod could ever have dreamed of. “America first!” it has whooped as it has made sure the world unites behind its back.
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