Hail to the (Macho) Chief: America's Politicking Playground
A Rebel Yell by Hendrik Wieduwilt
Order the Machos to execute the instruction
In contemporary America, politics resembles a frat house squabble. Is this the new order of things?
Germany's Chancellor contender, Friedrich Merz, has just experienced a week for the record books. His Oval Office visit earned him kudos from all corners. Merz nailed it, communicating flawlessly.
He gifted President Donald Trump, a gold enthusiast, a gilded trinket. He flashed those pearly whites because nobody in America appreciates a gloomy grouch. He kept quiet when he wasn't spoken to, a wise move following primate logic - lest the gaudy *toupee* goldsmith might've tossed him into the fireplace, like previous leaders.
A Perfect Score for Merz - The Audience is Astonished
The meeting's success was beyond question. Merz even endured the unwelcome fondling -- unwanted touching in such a situation being a desperate grab for attention. Merz responded courteously, and English was his language of choice, earning praises.
Some compliments were crass and cheeky: We were told that Merz was "stubborn." Later, he claimed he didn't want to come off as "dimwitted" to Trump. Remember The Doctors' hit, "You've got to be a pig to get by"?
This camaraderie felt appropriate given the all-male crowd present, save for Trump's chief of staff. And as if reflecting the neo-macho tide, young men are once again captivated by pick-up artists and muscle-heads -- often in combination with cryptocurrency investment tips. Merz's social media team hyped his Instagram appearance with an ominous black limousine pulling up to the White House and setting the occasion to pulsating hip-hop beats. Go big or go home, right?
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The mechanics of power now revolve around dominance displays, like who shoves whom aside, who pat, and who cowers. Discussions of fear of dogs bring us to Angela Merkel -- could you picture her visiting like this? Reporters might've wondered why she didn't dress in a suit. Trump probably would've invited her to his weekly "Bauch-Beine-Po" course at Mar-a-Lago with a sly wink.
The Ministry of Men
Many see this as a return to the past, but gender parity has its flaws. If memory serves, Christine Lambrecht, who was tapped as Germany's Defense Minister mainly due to gender equality, almost single-handedly destroyed the Bendler Block's reputation with a crazy New Year's Eve video, reminiscent of a bomb explosion.
Now, her successor Boris Pistorius has chosen another State Secretary, Jens Plötner, which caused a stir due to his dovish stance on Ukraine support. However, it's important to remember that the Federal Ministry of Defense is now entirely run by men.
Politics Trump's Child Comparison Highlights the Entire Problem
This setup might seem appealing, but masculinity can too easily slip into machismo, and those who cultivate a macho outlook make macho decisions. Trump compared the conflict in Ukraine to a wrestling match between kids, allowing them to duke it out. The analogy is appalling, but it's a manly spectacle -- here, the desire is clear, to determine who can fight better.
"Aren't there more pressing matters to attend to?"
Is feminism passé again? Is there a reversal after years of increasing women's representation in leadership roles? Is the scene in the Oval Office and the personnel policies in ministries and coalition committees a call to action for aspiring young women to enter politics?
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And: "Aren't there other problems?" The anonymous commenters are already chiming in. Of course, we have issues, like seasonal allergies, unanswered emails from tax preparers, and misleading weather forecasts for Pentecost -- but a testosterone surge in world politics could also be one. Since male bonding isn't as unshakeable as it may seem after the thirteenth beer on Men's Day, we should all be concerned.
Indeed, this is exemplified by the White House: A strange feud has erupted between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, leaving us wondering if, out of sheer hurt, one will urinate on the other's food during dinner. Rationality no longer matters in this instance, as Musk even contemplated canceling a space program in a fit of anger. Let's hope that the camaraderie between Trump and Merz doesn't end similarly.
It's a Man's World
"It's a man's world" belted out James Brown in a song penned by a woman. Here, men are the architects, constructing systems and buying them from other men, even if the world, as the chorus sings, is "empty" without a woman or a girl.
Elon Musk should heed the ending of the song, for it unfolds as dark as a ketamine trip:
"He's lost in the world of men
He's lost in bitterness"
He is lost in the world of men, lost in bitterness.
So, men: Grow up. Otherwise, we'll send a woman next time.
We're going to be in the same room, discussing politics and general news, just like Friedrich Merz and President Donald Trump recently did. It seems that in contemporary America, as well as in some global political circles, the atmosphere resembles a frat house squabble, with power dynamics revolving around dominance displays and macho posturing.
