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Episode-732- Leadership and Its Role for American Survival — 37 Comments

  1. “Men must again be men and woman must realize they are not men.”

    FINALLY! More people willing to touch on this very vital, yet touchy subject. An 800pnd gorilla in the room.
    It’s mostly sensitive because it of course involves the 2 core makeups of society, men and women. In most shows, there are of course women listeners. If they have been unfortunately lead off course all these years, and hear a revealing truth that goes contrary, and they let pride block the vision to see truths, it can really touch an explosive nerve; letting emotions overtake, arguing from that standpoint instead of from core facts.
    BUT, these vital issues NEED to be addressed and civilly discussed.
    As well, for rulers against us, set to carry on this agenda for their benefit, a hugely effective one, bringing up this topic almost always meets with opposition.

    With the push of feminism by Friedan, Steinem, etc., there has been a huge inbalance and therefore a breaking of families, if not literally by physical division, then psychologically, and if anything, a simple loss of emotional connection, of love.
    Family is THE core of a nation. Destroy, break down, divide a family and well, it’s natural a nation will fall apart, will be weak, and if desired, can be more easily controlled!
    Might I add, IMHO, stray from a core faith belief and it’s also natural things will decay.

    Aside from the obvious suffering people have been going through and are going through, there has been and is, silent suffering, broken families, broken, empty, unfulfilling relationships, hurt children, little love, etc.

    Truly, what a mess things have become!

  2. So happy you covered an important aspect in today’s society. I’ve often asked, “Where have all the men gone?” Great segment !

  3. @Jack,

    Great topic.

    You made the very true point that Men need to start standing up and being responsible in their roles in life. You mentioned the forces that have worked to undo this, and that is spot on. I made reference to this a while back, but I think the first step is to draw a line against these attempts to intimidate people by ruthless attempts to label people–Haters, racists, sexists, etc. More often that not these days, these accusations have no basis, and yet have been extremely effective.

    People in this world (men and women) need to be self-aware and self-assured enough to stand up against that. We need to stop being so eager to seek praise from people we don’t even know, and who have no respect for us anyway, and won’t even if you capitulate to their intimidation.

    Stop caring about what someone who is WRONG says about you. Speak up and say that you’re not going to accept that nonsense, and move on, doing the right thing anyway.

    We live in a world controlled by propaganda and political correctness, and that needs to be rejected. Be prepared, these people who live by this, will NOT stop, and they will increase their attacks. Stand firm.

    Another thing–this (As you note) isn’t about puffing up your chest and playing “big man.” Unfortunately, that caricature of leadership, is all that many of our young people know. Lack of a father-figure is a huge part of this, and even fathers that are present are often as incapable as the people are supposed to be leading.

    Turning this trend around is vital, so thanks for saying it.

  4. And I want to comment on what you said about military leadership …

    When I was teaching school, I figured out very quickly that no teacher (or parent) MAKES the children/students OBEY.

    Instead, the children CHOOSE to COOPERATE.

    Getting a grasp of that reality is one of the key difference between a lousy teacher and an outstanding teacher.

  5. bravo,,,you are so not pc,,its the yin and yang of it all,,and it all is meant to balance out ( did you read the tao de ching or something Jac?)it is such a monumental disservice to blur lines and say we are “equal”,,my husband is totally stronger than me,,but can he find something in the frig ?! haha

  6. these aren’t exactly what I was look for but I think they get the point across. Basically, traditionally culture’s had male rites of passage (initiation into the male world). Joseph Campbell refers to it as the men’s club (there’s more about this in the link below titled The Power of Myth but it’s six hours of watching). It’s similar to Jack using elephants as an analogy. The modern world no longer initiates males into their “role” in society the way it once was in traditional cultures. Without the adult males to guide/dominance to adolescent males the guys bond together into gangs, etc. The nearest thing to the tradional initiation for young males to becoming larger than themselves is through the military and esp the spec ops.

    anyway these are in the ballpark for an explanation
    Why Males Need Initiation (Part 1)
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5G0_jm1SRu8

    Joseph Campbell–On Becoming an Adult
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGx4IlppSgU&feature=relmfu

    first episode to The Power of Myth
    http://www.mevio.com/episode/92858/the-power-of-myth-with-joseph-cambell

  7. Oh yeah, I college fraternity initiation rituals is a carry over from the traditional ritual of boys going to live in the men’s society.

  8. Good show Jack, hits home, 23 years old here. I have learned the self responsibility aspect to life. I believe that is the key to my life turning out different than all the others my age that I see living in their parents house just circling the drain. Or buying large screen tv’s while getting food stamps, disgusting. oops heh heh there goes the temper a little bit.

  9. Absolutely kick ass show! It brings to mind George Carlin’s pussifcation of America.

  10. Excellent show today. I was on a walklistening to the podcast and found myself saying,”Amen!” several times. (This isn’t something I say very often)

  11. Its scary that we think so much the same way about things Jack, before I thought I was the only one.. I work with some real morally bankrupt people, there fooling around with other co workers and there married ugghh.. Its good for me to hear your show because when your surrounded by that at work day in and day out it tends to wear on a person.. Great show keep it up

  12. Jack this was a great episode. Two of the leading factors for our failing society is a lack of morals and a lack of responsibility.
    I am writing childrens books that will help parents teach their children morality and responsibility. This needs to be taught by parents at a young age, and hopefully my books can get the teaching process started. If you are interested you can listen to free audio versions of my books at http://www.childrensbookswithmorals.com . It is never to early to teach your children about morals.

  13. Jack,

    I am 26 years old and this is not only what I needed to hear, but how I try to live my life. I agree with the other comments about how immoral our society is and how the femanazi’s have destoryed what it means to be a leader.
    Keep up the fantastic work and know that there are people out there that are listening and being led by your example and using it in our own lives. Take care.

    Kerry

  14. Thank you Jack!!! This was a trophy winning podcast!

    Here is a line from my resume that was always a winner:

    >I try very hard to project a good, positive image. Being a team player also means being a leader for it takes a group of leaders to create a solid team. I find it vitally important to express professionalism, not only for an employer but for oneself as well. Then and only then do we all reap the benefits of success.<

    I owned a company and have been a salaried supervisor. You are 100% correct in saying that if you are willing to take a bullet for your troops that they will do everything in the world for you. I have never been in the military. I used The Golden Rule as my guide in how I treated anyone working for me.

    Keep up the superior work Jack. You are a bright shining spot in a country where the lights are getting dimmer by the minute. God bless you!

  15. This show is probably one of the best you have done. I knew you had hit this idea on the head with your commentary on a married couple’s handling of their bank account. Marriaage has to be a partnership in every area. I served 24 years in the USAF and retired as an E7 you and I have the same training, lead from the front. I served with many SNCO that did not. Great work and great courage to stand by your convictions.

  16. Thank you, Jack! As a baby boomer female, over the last few years I have come to believe after reading the works of Dr. Pat Allen and Allison Armstrong, that the feminist movement and sexual revolution has destroyed the family and community. We women were led astray by both these concepts and we took the men with us. Now at this late date in my life I am reaping the “fruits” of this belief system in my own marriage. Although I now see the false doctrine, I’m afraid it may be too late. However, I’m teaching my twenty something daughters that there is another and better way to relate to men, and that it is vital for marriages and families to stay intact. Again, thank you for this episode – your strong voice will surely go a long way to help us correct this dire situation.

  17. Jack, good episode and it’s a topic I’ve been thinking about for a while now. I’m 30 so I’m probably right at the threshold of all of this.

    Honestly, at my age and younger we’ve had A LOT of shit thrown at us over the years. Instead of Ward Cleaver (who pretty much embodies everything talked about in the show), we had Al Bundy, Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin in our homes every night. We’ve seen countless Adam Sandler movies devoid of anything heroic where it doesn’t matter if you’re a complete loser, you’ll still end up saving the day and getting the beautiful blonde girl. The only way most us of know how to express masculinity is through adopting an alien “urban” culture and emulating Tupac or putting on an Affliction shirt and go around looking for bar fights (or some combination of the two).

    We were taught the wrong kind of individualism – whatever we do is just fine and someone else will always be there to take care of things. Furthermore, we’re above hard work and starting at the bottom. No one has the right to tell us what to do or expect anything out of us. We can always scream “don’t judge me!” or something else we heard on Jerry Springer.

    We have trouble with women because we’ve been fed notions about them through rap videos, internet porn and celebrity scandals. No one is really sure how you should treat and interact with women or “bitches” as a lot of my contemporaries would say and honestly, not many are sure what to expect out of a healthy relationship. Also, sending 25% of your check from working at the Verzion kiosk in the mall each week to your “baby’s momma” and maybe doing something with the kid once a week counts as responsible fatherhood. There seems to be more men simply pissing in the gene pool than actually wanting to raise healthy families. I’m glad my father was an actual man and not someone only out of their teens by a technicality.

    Now here’s a bit of advice for all the young men out there: There are A TON, count them, A TON of attractive, intelligent and capable women out there who absolutely do not relate to most men their age because most of them are wearing novelty t-shirts and spending their lives playing video games, smoking dope, drinking and dodging responsibility with a dumb happy-go-lucky grin constantly on their faces…or on the other hand, they’ve got their pants around their ass, speak ebonics and want to live in some Dr. Dre fantasy world. Ever wonder why so many women aren’t having children but choosing to have dogs instead? It’s because they don’t want to put up with this shit. If you can prove to them that you’re a real man through your actions and how you carry yourself, they will be beating down your door.

  18. Fantastic show. So important. I’m going to listen to it again!!
    (Loved your hair product comment, but I’m betting Ward Cleaver had a lot of product in his hair, but it probably wasn’t scented? Haha.)

  19. Maybe Ward used Brill Cream?

    But the point is still well-taken. Anyway, I’m sure it was JUST Brill, as opposed to mousse + gel+ hairspray, plus spray tan.

  20. In my family, my wife is the leader. I have no problem with that- she’s decisive, uber-intelligent, able to analyze situations quickly & make meaningful decisions. Also, her life experience is far greater than mine- she’s a born leader.

    I don’t get all these people whining about how women standing up for equal rights = destruction of the family! To me, this is an empty right-wing talking point. One only need to look at history to see how women were treated (hell, continue to be treated) when nearly every society was based on patriarchy.

    Enjoyed the show, but didn’t think it was 100% on the mark.

    • @Jason,

      I did all I could to explain I am 100% for equal rights and I do not oppose women doing anything

      1. They want to
      2. They are capable of

      But I have to say it personally sounds to me (with an understanding that one paragraph above is all I have to go on) that you are choosing to be weak and letting your wife take on all responsibility instead of some responsibility.

      I am also NOT RIGHT WING and I grow weary of anyone saying that I am, how many right wingers work not being opposed to gay marriage into this subject. If I am wrong about you fine, if I am not, MAN UP and lead your family. That whole she has more experience treads NO WATER with me brother. If an armed thug threatened her and your children would you “let her lead” or would you stand up and be a man?

      • Hey Jack- I meant in the comments section. Every time I hear someone blaming the break down of morals / society / family, etc, its usually penned on women, gays, atheists, minorities, etc. That right-wing remark wasn’t directed at you- but rather some of the comments I read here.

        We have a shared responsibility, but I’m wise enough to know to let her take the lead, because she’s a 100% better leader than me & completely capable in that dept.

        Jack, I know her and her life- so it doesn’t matter if it treads water for you or not. I wouldn’t wish her life on anyone, not even an enemy. Some of the greatest leaders are borne out of adversity, hardship and a crap-filled life growing up.

        Funny you mentioned the armed thug scenario. We have been in that exact predicament (two thugs, child in the back seat), and if I stood up to be a man with all the bravado that taunt insinuates, we wouldn’t have been able to walk away unscathed. I let her lead & we were able to walk away. The whole stand up and be a man taunt holds no water with me. Being a man means taking responsibility & knowing what your limits are (like one commenter wrote above- yin & yang). Women can be better leaders and I don’t understand why that reflects negatively on the man in a marriage.

  21. Women don’t need men any more; men are now an option. 45 years of Feminism has reversed the gender roles, putting women in the power position.

    Perhaps I am not alone in my decision (which has been formulating for many years) to give up on finding True Love and think like a hermit. It may require 2 more generations for Western Civilization to overcome the “Feminist Mistake” which has driven everyone mad.

    At least these days we don’t get yelled at for opening doors for women, so there may be hope 😉 That madness peaked in the 70s.

    Chivalry is not dead! 😉

  22. Of course, spending most of my adult life in Southern California may have had an effect on my thinking. Out here in the real America (Ohio) people still believe in marriage and in men being men. Unfortunately, I am new in town… dang. 😉

  23. Jack, you hit a good balance. Right now I’m seeing many in our culture fall into one of two extremes. You have rabid feminism on one side and hyper patriarchy on the other.

    Loved your show – great stuff. You hit the nail on the head when you said a good leader is full of determination. Apathy kills leadership and unfortunately there is too much of that around.

  24. Excellent show. Part of the reason there is a lack of male leadership is that divorce laws favor women and treat men as second-class citizens whose only purpose is to pay child support. I think more men would be better leaders to their children if they were granted more shared custody and allotted more time with their children.

  25. Pingback:Here we go again … Rick Perry, the Aga Khan and who … oh yeah, Ron Paul … « Citizen Kane in a Strange Land

  26. The story about the sheep is true. Livestock flourish when you let them decide to do what you want rather than force them to. If you let them choose to follow you, they will. If you force them, they will run away and avoid you. If they are running away all the time and being chased and forced, they are stressed and do poorly. This does work with people too.

    • @Ron, I am sure the premise is true but I seriously doubt the story to be anything other than a parable.