An article published this week in Management Issues calls for female leadership arguing that perhaps the testosterone male approach (that is; rape, pillage, plunder) may not be the kind of leadership we need in the 21st century. "The dominance of a male, macho, risk-taking business culture is at the heart of the world's economic woes – and knee-jerk rescue plans may be making things even worse".
It's prompted me to reproduce a post I wrote a few years ago derived from the uncompromising news produced by The Yellow Times which was forced off the web by the Republican war machine prior to US/UK invasion of Iraq. Paul Harris, a Canadian freelance journalist wrote an article called Why women have ruined the world. In it he says;
"It has been my experience over a half century, most of that alive, that women tend to be much better people than men: more honest, more loyal, more caring, more thoughtful, more trustworthy, and much less dangerous. But women are to blame for the state of the world because they have utterly failed to take charge of it". He goes on to say;
"I am proposing a new world order - not that crap that George Bush the Elder was always talking about or even the biblical stuff that believers are always trying to force on others. I mean something real, something substantive; something designed to fix the mess we're in. I am proposing a political movement whose sole purpose is to convince all the nations of the world to change their laws so that only women can hold political office."
The article ends with;
"Think this is an idiotic notion? Then think on this: If men don't run things, there is no Hitler. There is no Mussolini. There is no Napoleon. There is no Hirohito. There is no Attila. There is no Genghis Khan. There is no Inquisition. There are no Crusades. There is no Robert Mugabe. There is no Ariel Sharon. There is no Stalin. There is no George Bush; Wouldn't that be a safer and happier world?"
I happen to agree with him.
When men are in power, the difference between rape and seduction is only a question of salesmanship. They exercise power in a manner that is actually weakness disguised as strength.
In general, my experience of participating in online communities and social networks in the past few years is that despite their male dominance (in their early stages of development) the posture, attitude and expression of these communities are predominantly female. By this I mean people are genuinely welcoming, offer unsolicited benevolence, guidance and assistance and freely give the most valuable thing that anyone can give; their time. This isn't normal for most of our male dominated organisations and institutions.
"If men don't run things, there is no Hitler. There is no Mussolini... Wouldn't that be a safer and happier world?"
not sure about this argument. just because there have been more terrible male leaders than women, it doesn't automatically follow that women make better leaders. women simply haven't had the same opportunity to be leaders at all, terrible or otherwise. we can't say that certain women in those men's position wouldn't have behaved just as badly.
not having had the chance to be a bad leader doesn't make you a good one by default.
Posted by: emma | February 04, 2009 at 09:31
I started adding my comment to this, but it grew like Topsy, so I have created a post on my blog instead. Long story short: I disagree with the sweeping generalisation approach... even as a woman!
Posted by: Karyn Romeis | February 04, 2009 at 10:20
If men don't run things...then it would obviously have to be the women... but wouldn't that create unbalance all the same? And I'm with Emma...'not having been a leader, doesn't make you a good one by default.'
Only when you are there, and able to act, will we know.
I believe in balance and in the need for a change at many different levels of the society...
Adapting M L king's thought: what I would like to see is that people are not judged by their gender, race, status, etc, but rather by the content of their character!
We need balance. The world is made up of men and women, so why can't we co-exist in harmony? Why is there a need for one of the two to be dominant?
Posted by: Cristina Costa | February 04, 2009 at 10:39
margaret meade, "if the armies of the world were made up of women, we would see the most ferocious wars in the history of the world"
Posted by: gregorylent | February 04, 2009 at 12:24
Umm what about Boadicea http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boudica
Posted by: Geoff | February 04, 2009 at 14:23
"When men are in power, the difference between rape and seduction is only a question of salesmanship."
Speak for yourself.
Posted by: dirigible | February 04, 2009 at 19:35
If women were never allowed to be leaders, we wouldn't have had Thatcher...
Balance is the key thing, not single gender dominance. Whilst large groups of men tend towards high-testerone and willy-waving, large groups of women tend towards back-stabbing and bitchiness.
In this case, it's really not about gender, it's about systems that allow the right sort of people (fair, ethical, inclusive, intelligent, humble) to become leaders, rather than just promoting the loud-mouthed and cocky.
Posted by: Strawbs | February 04, 2009 at 21:32
If the title weren't so provocative...I may not have found you. Except for Euan. :)
Ok, so here's some food for thought, and I certainly don't want to argue your points, because I agree with them...mostly.
Men have botched many things. I also think in many places women are still considered second class citizens - online, in various levels of technology, politically et al.
I'd just like to comment to a culture that has changed in many ways, because todays future women play on a playground that is vastly different than the one I grew up on. It is mean, back biting, physically agressive and not a very nice place to be. The idea that if women had power and men had not, the world would be a different place is tantamount to saying that all things men have done are invaluable. This is simply not the case, and further it keeps us separating ourselves from each other in unhealthy ways.
I think as others have claimed it's not so much about which sex runs things as whether we can find a balance that places only the most suitable candidate in said position.
This is a bigger issue than our world will see resolved. As long as we compare apples to oranges we will have trouble understanding that what is best for our world is that we find a way to live harmoniously.
Posted by: Sheryl Breuker | February 07, 2009 at 23:23
Don't get me wrong: personally I wish there were more women in power. However, the argument in the original post is redundant because it's absurd to claim women would be more effective in power purely on the grounds that some men have done a bad job of it. If one thing fails that does not prove the alternative is preferable.
Surely, in the absence of objective proof as to wehter men or women would be better in power, experience should tell us that a balance of male and female influence is necessary for a properly functioning society.
Posted by: cheese | February 18, 2009 at 16:58
I think the people who have posted here are missing the author's point. Men are generally more agressive, and have pushed humanity to the brink of annihalation via weaponry and war. How many women despots have there been? Not many, and not just because they haven't been given a chance...that would never have stopped a Hitler or a Napoleon in seek of power. Women don't seek power as often as men, and that's exactly what WOULD make them generally better leaders.
The most destructive forces on earth were created by men: religion, war, and weapons. Think about it. Until there is a balance of power between men and women, we will continue on our present path, that is a testosterone-fueled race car headed for a cliff.
Posted by: mtwyogal | February 09, 2010 at 17:56
My sentiments exactly. Thank you for your comment.
Posted by: Oaxaca | February 09, 2010 at 19:46
Wow. Its not about if the persons a male or female in power. It should be about a single human beings characteristics. Our leaders need to be the true good people in this world, men or women. They both have their flaws but you cant be biassed
Posted by: shook | June 16, 2012 at 09:11
A man also created earth. Women can be just as aggressive as men. It all depends on the single person. Everyones different. What would a women do when 9/11 occurred?
Posted by: shook | June 16, 2012 at 09:15
This article was written for the sole purpose of the writer getting feminist on his c@ck. Nothing more. He's a fraud, an idiot, and way too blatant. Anyone that takes this page with an ounce of seriousness without clearly seeing the manipulative and hidden motivation in it, should go back to school or the sheep herder, whichever is quicker.
Posted by: Serpentor | January 17, 2013 at 16:02
I thought it was funny when you mentioned men do alot of willy waving with their testerone. I can see why they win wars, seeing that in front of the enermy. Bit kinky if you ask me. haha. Men eh!. Gives something for the enermy to write home about.
We are all to blame. We all need one another. We all make mistakes. We are only human. No one is better.
Women can be horrible to one another. Just the same. bad bad women. hehe.
Posted by: [email protected] | March 20, 2013 at 11:52
What do u mean a man created earth? God is not a man silly haha. And 911 wouldn't have occurred at all, if it wasn't for stupid men! I agree with Mtwyogal. But i do believe women have faults too but overall woman do less damage in the world than men.
Posted by: chaide | April 21, 2014 at 17:21
You sound like one of those aggressive war hungry out of control men! The truth is his comments have more truth to them than anything else, and deep down u know men are failing this world.
Posted by: chaide | April 21, 2014 at 17:27