Return to Patriarchy?

Donald Trump has appeal as a father figure (I argued in the previous blog) and his presidency can be understood, among other things, as a return to patriarchy. He emanates self-confidence, strength, and assertiveness. He is a revival of "paterfamilias!" His is a crude, chauvinist, even lewd patriarchy, but a patriarchy nevertheless. It helps that he has a gorgeous family that seems to be happy and fiercely, inexplicably loyal to him. Compare him with his competition. Barack Obama exudes rationality, gentleness, passivity and weakness. It is not his fault: he was fatherless and mentored by men like Reverend Wright and Saul Alinsky who were themselves stuck in adolescent rebellion and resentment against authority. It is no wonder that he lacks gravitas, forcefulness, and above all paternal authority. In his marriage, Michele seems to be so much more fierce, strong, even threatening. If I were Putin or Assad I would not fear Barack, but I would not want to mess with Michele. As a couple they model the emergent matriarchy of our culture: the woman is determined, fearless, competent, intelligent and multi-tasking her family care, career and altruism. The man is gentle, meek, reasonable. He is man as idealized in the liberal (distrustful) feminine psyche: free of the fire of evangelical fervor, entrepreneurial risk, or martial vigilance. The liberal hates nothing more than the vigorous virility of the preacher, the businessman or the soldier! Hillary, on the other hand, in the legacy of Jezabel, has corrupted her own femininity through careerism, ambition, and a liberal messiah complex, but especially by her embrace of sexual liberation. For political reasons, she became the protector and enabler of her predator husband even to the point of attacking the women already victimized by him. Trump's male chauvinism is repulsive, but mild in comparison with the deeper, darker, disguised misogyny of the Democratic Party. Their contempt for femininity as virginity and maternity is the other side of their dismissal of paternity. The Clintons and Obamas are moderate, pragmatic, and irenic about almost everything (militant Islam, Wall Street, immigration) but fiercely militant about contra-ception and abortion. This pill that is poison for the woman's body but more toxic for the soul, the family and the social order...this pill MUST be available to everyone, paid for by everyone, approved of by everyone. The other hallowed sacrament that can never be challenged is the legalized intrusion of cold, sharp, metal instruments into the woman's body to dismember and destroy the innocent, defenseless one sheltered therein. I could never have voted for Trump and am worried about his regime in many ways even as I hope for the best. But at the least, he is a relief from the relentless, insistent, oppressive tyranny of the Party of abortion, sterile sex, and the deconstruction of marriage, sexuality and family. With the Supreme Court picks and the demise of Obamacare mandates we can at least breath a sigh of relief that our government is not a perpetual attack upon the values we have cherished for generations! For a while maybe we will not be forced to pay for contraception and abortion, to place little adoptive girls with two gay men or little boys with two lesbian women, to bake cakes for gay marriages, and to share our bathrooms with those who suffer such painful gender confusion. So, the deplorable Trump patriarchy will at least be a relief from the anti-maternal, anti-paternal Jezebel matriarchy of Hillary. But what we really need is a revival of authentic paternity as tender care, reverence, chastity and gentle strength; what we really need is a resurgence of maternity as generosity, reverence and inspirational loveliness. For that we don't need a President or a Congress or a Supreme Court...we can all of us work for that where we are right now!