our androcentric culture-第23节

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chained　to　his　chariot　wheels；　and　braying　trumpets。

When　property　became　an　appreciable　factor　in　life；　warfare　took　on　a
new　significance。　　What　was　at　first　mere　destruction；　in　the　effort　to
defend　or　obtain　some　hunting　ground　or　pasture；　and；　always；　to　secure
the　female；　now　coalesced　with　the　acquisitive　instinct；　and　the　long
black　ages　of　predatory　warfare　closed　in　upon　the　world。

Where　the　earliest　form　exterminated；　the　later　enslaved；　and　took
tribute；　and　for　century　upon　century　the　〃gentleman　adventurer；〃　i。e。；
the　primitive　male；　greatly　preferred　to　acquire　wealth　by　the　simple
old　process　of　taking　it；　to　any　form　of　productive　industry。

We　have　been　much　misled　as　to　warfare　by　our　androcentric　literature。　
With　a　history　which　recorded　nothing　else；　a　literature　which　praised
and　an　art　which　exalted　it；　a　religion　which　called　its　central　power
〃the　God　of　Battles〃never　the　God　of　Workshops；　mind　you！with　a
whole　complex　social　structure　man…prejudiced　from　center　to
circumference；　and　giving　highest　praise　and　honor　to　the　Soldier；　it　is
still　hard　for　its　to　see　what　warfare　really　is　in　human　life。

Someday　we　shall　have　new　histories　written；　histories　of　world
progress；　showing　the　slow　uprising；　the　development；　the　interservice
of　the　nations；　showing　the　faint　beautiful　dawn　of　the　larger　spirit　of
world…consciousness；　and　all　its　benefitting　growth。

We　shall　see　people　softening；　learning；　rising；　see　life　lengthen　with
the　possession　of　herds；　and　widen　in　rich　prosperity　with　agriculture。　
Then　industry；　blossoming；　fruiting；　spreading　wide；　art；　giving　light
and　joy；　the　intellect　developing　with　companionship　and　human
intercourse；　the　whole　spreading　tree　of　social　progress；　the　trunk　of
which　is　specialized　industry；　and　the　branches　of　which　comprise　every
least　and　greatest　line　of　human　activity　and　enjoyment。　　This　growing
tree；　springing　up　wherever　conditions　of　peace　and　prosperity　gave　it　a
chance；　we　shall　see　continually　hewed　down　to　the　very　root　by　war。

To　the　later　historian　will　appear　throughout　the　ages；　like　some
Hideous　Fate；　some　Curse；　some　predetermined　check；　to　drag　down　all　our
hope　and　joy　and　set　life　forever　at　its　first　steps　over　again；　this
Red　Plague　of　War。

The　instinct　of　combat；　between　males；　worked　advantageously　so　long　as
it　did　not　injure　the　female　or　the　young。　　It　is　a　perfectly　natural
instinct；　and　therefore　perfectly　right；　in　its　place；　but　its　place　is
in　a　pre…patriarchal　era。　　So　long　as　the　animal　mother　was　free　and
competent　to　care　for　herself　and　her　young；　then　it　was　an　advantage　to
have　〃the　best　man　win；〃　that　is　the　best　stag　or　lion；　and　to　have　the
vanquished　die；　or　live　in　sulky　celibacy；　was　no　disadvantage　to　any
one　but　himself。

Humanity　is　on　a　stage　above　this　plan。　　The　best　man　in　the　social
structure　is　not　always　the　huskiest。　　When　a　fresh　horde　of　ultra…male
savages　swarmed　down　upon　a　prosperous　young　civilization；　killed　off
the　more　civilized　males　and　appropriated　the　more　civilized　females；
they　did；　no　doubt；　bring　in　a　fresh　physical　impetus　to　the　race；　but
they　destroyed　the　civilization。

The　reproduction　of　perfectly　good　savages　is　not　the　main　business　of
humanity。　　Its　business　is　to　grow；　socially；　to　develop；　to　improve；
and　warfare；　at　its　best；　retards　human　progress；　at　its　worst；
obliterates　it。

Combat　is　not　a　social　process　at　all；　it　is　a　physical　process；　a
subsidiary　sex　process；　purely　masculine；　intended　to　improve　the
species　by　the　elimination　of　the　unfit。　　Amusingly　enough；　or　absurdly
enough；　when　applied　to　society；　it　eliminates　the　fit；　and　leaves　the
unfit　to　perpetuate　the　race！

We　require；　to　do　our　organized　fighting；　a　picked　lot　of　vigorous　young
males；　the　fittest　we　can　find。　　The　too　old　or　too　young；　the　sick；
crippled；　defective；　are　all　left　behind；　to　marry　and　be　fathers；　while
the　pick　of　the　country；　physically；　is　sent　off　to　oppose　the　pick　of
another　country；　and　killkillkill！

Observe　the　result　on　the　population！　　In　the　first　place　the　balance　is
brokenthere　are　not　enough　men　to　go　around；　at　home；　many　women　are
left　unmated。　　In　primitive　warfare；　where　women　were　promptly　enslaved；
or；　at　the　best；　polygamously　married；　this　did　not　greatly　matter　to
the　population；　but　as　civilization　advances　and　monogamy　obtains；
whatever　eugenic　benefits　may　once　have　sprung　from　warfare　are
completely　lost；　and　all　its　injuries　remain。

In　what　we　innocently　call　〃civilized　warfare〃　（we　might　as　well　speak
of　〃civilized　cannibalism！〃）；　this　steady　elimination　of　the　fit　leaves
an　everlowering　standard　of　parentage　at　home。　　It　makes　a　widening
margin　of　what　we　call　〃surplus　women；〃　meaning　more　than　enough　to　be
monogamously　married；　and　these　women；　not　being　economically
independent；　drag　steadily　upon　the　remaining　men；　postponing　marriage；
and　increasing　its　burdens。

The　birth　rate　is　lowered　in　quantity　by　the　lack　of　husbands；　and
lowered　in　quality　both　by　the　destruction　of　superior　stock；　and　by　the
wide　dissemination　of　those　diseases　which　invariably　accompany　the
wife…lessness　of　the　segregated　males　who　are　told　off　to　perform　our
military　functions。

The　external　horrors　and　wastes　of　warfare　we　are　all　familiar　with；　A。
It　arrests　industry　and　all　progress。　　B。　It　destroys　the　fruits　of
industry　and　progress。　　C。　It　weakens；　hurts　and　kills　the　combatants。　
D。　It　lowers　the　standard　of　the　non…combatants。　　Even　the　conquering
nation　is　heavily　injured；　the　conquered　sometimes　exterminated；　or　at
least　absorbed　by　the　victor。

This　masculine　selective　process；　when　applied　to　nations；　does　not
produce　the　same　result　as　when　applied　to　single　opposing　animals。　
When　little　Greece　was　overcome　it　did　not　prove　that　the　victors　were
superior；　nor　promote　human　interests　in　any　way；　it　injured　them。

The　〃stern　arbitrament　of　war〃　may　prove　which　of　two　peoples　is　the
better　fighter；　but　ft　does　not　prove　it　therefor　the　fittest　to
survive。

Beyond　all　these　more　or　less　obvious　evils；　comes　a　further　result；　not
enough　recognized；　the　psychic　effects　of　military　standard　of　thought
and　feeling。

Remember　that　an　androcentric　culture　has　always　exempted　its　own
essential　activities　from　the　restraints　of　ethics；〃All's　fair　in　love
and　war！〃　　Deceit；　trickery；　lying；　every　kind　of　skulking　underhand
effort　to　get　information；　ceaseless　endeavor　to　outwit　and　overcome
〃the　enemy〃；　besides　as　cruelty　and　destruction；　are　characteristic　of
the　military　process；　as　well　as　the　much　praised　virtues　of　courage；
endurance　and　loyalty；　personal　and　public。

Also　classed　as　a　virtue；　and　unquestionably　such　from　the　military
point　of　view；　is　that　prime　factor　in　making　and　keeping　an　army；
obedience。

See　how　the　effect　of　this　artificial　maintenance　of　early　mental
attitudes　acts　on　our　later　development。　　True　human　progress　requires
elements　quite　other　than　these。　　If　successful　warfare　made　one　nation
unquestioned　master　of　the　earth　its　social　progress　would　not　be
promoted　by　that　event。　　The　rude　hordes　of　Genghis　Khan　swarmed　over
Asia　and　into　Europe；　but　remained　rude　hordes；　conquest　is　not
civilization；　nor　any　part　of　it。

When　the　northern　tribes…men　overwhelmed　the　Roman　culture　they
paralysed　progress　for　a　thousand　years　or　so；　set　back　the　clock　by
that　much。　　So　long　as　all　Europe　was　at　war；　so　long　the　arts　and
sciences　sat　still；　or　struggled　in　hid　corners　to　keep　their　light
alive。

When　warfare　itself　ceases；　the　physical；　social　and　psychic　results　do
not　cease。　　Our　whole　culture　is　still　hag…ridden　by　military　ideals。

Peace　congresses　have　begun　to　meet；　peace　societies　write　and　talk；　but
the　monuments　to　soldiers　and　sailors　（naval　sailors　of　course）；　still
go　up；　and　the　tin　soldier　remains　a　popular　toy。　　We　do　not　see　boxes
of　tin　carpenters　by　any　chance；　tin　farmers；　weavers；　shoemakers；　we　do
not　write　our　〃boys　books〃　about　the　real　benefactors　and　servers　of
society；　the　adventurer　and　destroyer　remains　the　idol　of　an
Androcentric　Culture。

In　politics　the　military　ideal；　the　military　processes；　are　so
predominant　as　to　almost　monopolise　〃that　part　of　ethics。〃　　The　science
of　government；　the　plain　wholesome　business　of　managing　a　community　for
its　own　good；　doing　its　work；　advancing　its　prosperity；　improving　its
moralsthis　is　frankly　understood　and　accepted　as　A　Fight　from　start　to
finish。　　Marshall　your　forces　and　try　to　get　in；　this　is　the　political
campaign。　　When　you　are　in；　fight　to　stay　in；　and　to　keep　the　other
fellow　out。　　Fight　for　your　own　hand；　like　an　animal；　fight　for　your
master　like　any　hired　bravo；　fight　always　for　some　desired
〃victory〃and　〃to　the　victors　belong　the　spoils。〃

This　is　not　by　any　means　the　true　nature　of　politics。　　It　is　not　even　a
fair　picture　of　politics　to…day；　in　which　man；　the　human　being；　is　doing
noble　work　for　humanity；　but　it　is　the　effect　of　man；　the　male；　on
politics。

Life；　to　the　〃male　mind〃　（we　have　heard　enough　of　the　〃female　mind〃　to
use　the　analogue！）　_is_　a　fight；　and　his　ancient　military　institutions
and　proce