Afghan men are paying the price of silence.
When the Taliban took over, they imposed severe restrictions on women: They could only dress in approved ways; they must cover their hair and lower faces; they can’t be educated past the sixth grade; their job opportunities are severely restricted; they can take taxis only when accompanied by a man; and on and on.
When these limits were imposed, Afghan men were silent.
Now they are paying for that as the Taliban imposes restrictions on them: They can’t wear jeans, only approved clothing; they have to have beards of the approved length; and the better attend mosque regularly or else.
Some Afghan men are now regretting their silence. They allowed the lives of their wives, daughters, mothers and sisters to be constricted in the name of conservative Muslim values as interpreted by the Taliban.
This should be a cautionary tale for every man everywhere on the planet.
Don’t worry about Donald Trump per se. Even though he wants to be an autocrat, he doesn’t care about anyone lifestyle provided he can hold power, make millions of dollars and stay out of jail.
But read the 2025 project. It does make fascinating reading, especially if you stop to think about it’s implications for turning the presidency into a nearly all-powerful institution. That would come at the expense of Congress and the Courts. It would also come at the expense of people, especially working people, be they middle class or not.
The authors of 2025 like to talk about how the left is corrupting and destroying this country. They decry the decline of the family and community and talk about the left pushing policies that further that decline.
But what is their alternative?
The first shot already has been fired when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe. Now some states are legislating what a woman can do with her reproductive system, at times with laws so draconian as to threaten, and some even cost, a woman her life.
These laws impact men as well, perhaps not as directly, but the impact is there when a wife dies because doctors fear prison for providing vital health care, or when a child who has no chance of survival has to be carried to term. The psychological harm to both parents comes on top of the physical harm to the woman. And that physical harm impacts the father emotionally.
That is just the first step for Project 2025. The authors talk about, in effect, turning the clock back to the 1950s or before when most women stayed at home raising children in what appeared to be stable families and communities.
Some families and communities were stable. Some were not. 2025 looks at the past through rose-colored glasses, only seeing what they want to see.
Men, do you really want to restrict what your partner can do with her life? Do you really want to see the one you love miserable because her life is so restricted? I’ll guarantee her unhappiness will impact you as well.
And if her life is restricted, your life will be as well.
Can the government do such things?
Not as directly as the Taliban, but through the imposition of fiscal policy and social pressure. Make childcare unaffordable through the imposition of requirements which will push up costs, thus forcing one parent to stay home. Pass a national law banning abortion after six weeks and making it a crime punishable by prison sentences for medical providers. Pass discriminatory legislation designed to “protect women.”
And there is a lot more a fertile brain can come up with, including building social pressure demonizing women who choose career over staying at home.
All that would impact men as well. And then there are things that can be targeted at men, such as ending no-fault divorce, requiring ruinous alimony and child support payments all in the name of keeping the family together, no matter how miserable the marriage is. Are children really better off living with parents in a dysfunctional marriage? The government could impose tax rules benefiting a one-worker family in an attempt to deprive couples of the incentive for both to work.
And social pressure could be exerted ridiculing men who “allow” their wives to work.
So men, take a lesson from Afghan men: Silence won’t save you. If you don’t care about the women in your life, then at least worry about how these thing will impact you.
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