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PaperclipPerfector  8d ago (text post)   25390 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of December 15, 2025

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There's still a lot of men who are pushing the angle that it's all the fault of women for [spin the wheel and pick your reason] no babies but who would run off to Antarctica the minute they got "Honey, I'm expecting!" message.

I'm not sure which specific comments you are referring to, but I think what's common is that (1) someone (usually a man) will say that public policy needs to limit women's choices in order to improve fertility rates; and (2) someone (usually a woman) will interpret this as an attack on women; an attempt to assign "fault" for societal fertility problems.

In my opinion, addressing the fertility crisis would require policies and norms which will a lot of women will perceive as being coercive and unfair. For example, discouraging women (but not men) from pursuing advanced education and careers such as attorney, business executive, etc. Is advocating for such policies "pushing the angle that it's all the fault of women"?

but who would run off to Antarctica the minute they got "Honey, I'm expecting!" message.

Based on my experience, that seems pretty unusual. All of the conservative pro-fertility men I have encountered were reconciled with the idea of traditional marriage.

It is pushing the angle that "it's all the fault of women" if the solution is only applied to women.

It is pushing the angle that "it's all the fault of women" if the solution is only applied to women.

I don't see why. It could just be that this is the only way to solve the problem regardless of who (if anyone) is at fault.

In any event, your objection is just a matter of semantics. For example, opening the door for (and encouraging) women to participate in higher education and more advanced careers pretty clearly has a negative effect on fertility. Stopping that encouragement and closing those doors can reasonably be expected to have an opposite effect. If advocating for such policies is equivalent to "assigning fault," then so be it. It does not change the underlying reality of the situation.

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