Gronk

THE LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR Whitlam in this Federal election believes that women should not serve in combat roles in the ADF. This is at the obvious level just evidence that the man is a gronk. His views about women are backward, creepy, juvenile, and most importantly, wrong. At a grander level though this man's views aren't about women at all but about manhood and masculinity, part of the Triumph of the Operator:

The "cult of the operator" is a term used to describe the glorification and romanticization of SOF within military and political circles, particularly in the United States. It reflects an obsession with the image of the elite warrior—highly trained, rugged, and seemingly invincible—who is perceived as the ultimate solution to complex security challenges. This mindset often elevates operators to a near-mythical status, overshadowing the broader strategic, diplomatic, and conventional military considerations necessary for national security...

...But this mindset extends beyond the military sphere, influencing broader cultural narratives around masculinity and business. In popular culture and media, the elite operator archetype embodies a hyper-masculine ideal—tough, resilient, and unyielding—setting an unrealistic standard for what it means to be a "real man."

This culture of violent individualism is, needless to say, almost exactly the opposite of how I view the examined life, and the opposite of any kind of example of a worthy participation in society. It's a repulsive vision of masculinity, and provides no wonder that the kind of men who buy into it, damage themselves and damage others. It shouldn't need saying but does. And we have alternatives, both in infinitely different and more positive masculinities, and in models for how we arrange our human organisations.