Joe Biden’s Toxic Masculinity
His need to prove his manhood is putting us all in danger.
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William Kilpatrick is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. His books include Christianity, Islam, and Atheism: The Struggle for the Soul of the West (Ignatius Press), What Catholics Need to Know About Islam (Sophia Press), and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Jihad.
According to some analysts, Joe Biden won the presidential election because he was perceived to be the kinder, gentler alternative to Donald Trump.
Trump was often portrayed as a prime example of “toxic masculinity”—a loud-mouth braggart who would go to wat at the drop of a hat in order to prove his toughness.
Increasingly, however, it looks as though Joe Biden is the one with a bad case of masculine toxicity. And his need to prove his manhood may be putting us all in danger.
Almost everyone agrees that Biden’s manner of exiting Afghanistan has made the world a more dangerous place. The common explanation is that the West’s enemies will be emboldened by Biden’s perceived weakness. The irony is that Biden himself most likely intended the hasty retreat as a sign of strength—a bold and decisive, “damn-the-torpedoes” type of action.
Biden apparently hoped to accomplish what his predecessors had been unable to accomplish—namely, to bring our troops home from Afghanistan. Moreover, to burnish his image, he determined to accomplish the task before the symbolic date of 9/11. In many ways, it was typical of the traditional masculine behavior that is now condemned as toxic. For reasons I’ll discuss shortly, Biden quite likely saw himself as being in competition with previous presidents. Unlike them, however, he would be the one to finally get things done. In the process, he exhibited another masculine trait that is now considered toxic—a narrow focus on the task at hand with little concern for the larger context or for possible consequences. Thus, in his anxiety to close shop in Afghanistan, he prematurely closed down Bagram Airbase, the logical place for staging an evacuation. Biden also managed to invert the logical sequence for exiting Afghanistan. Instead of bringing American civilians home first, he first evacuated the troops, leaving the civilians stranded in enemy territory. Like a reckless teenager on his first solo drive, Biden ignored all the stop signs.
After recalling the soldiers he had impulsively sent home, Biden allowed the Taliban to supervise the roads leading to the Kabul Airport. On August 26, an ISIS-K terror attack outside the airport gate killed thirteen U.S. service members and more than 100 Afghan civilians. Biden responded later that day with a vow: “To those who carried out this attack…know this: We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay.”
Now that’s a perfectly reasonable thing for the Commander-in-Chief to say—provided that the intended message is “Don’t mess with the USA, or there will be consequences.” But it’s an altogether different thing if what the President meant was “Don’t mess with me.” And with Joe Biden you never know for sure. Was he trying to protect Americans or was he trying to protect his “rep” as a tough guy? If his chief motivation was “this makes me look bad, so I gotta do something,” the “something” that gets done might well prove disastrous. That turned out to be the case when, three days after the airport suicide attack, the U.S. military responded with a drone strike that mistakenly killed ten innocent civilians (including seven children) instead of ISIS terrorists. What sort of pressure did Biden apply to the military? Was it “Make sure you’re on target; we don’t want any civilian casualties”? Or was it more along the lines of “Make them pay, and make it fast”?
Now, you might not think of Joe Biden as a tough guy with a reputation to defend, but there is a good deal of evidence that this is how he thinks of himself. Here are some examples:
- At a rally in 2018, Biden boasted, “If we were in high school, I’d take him [Trump] behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.”
- While touring an auto plant in March of 2020, Biden got into a heated argument with an auto worker over gun control. Biden told the man, “You’re full of s***,” and then, “Don’t try me pal… do you want to go outside?”
- While visiting a Mack Truck facility in June of this year, Biden claimed that “I used to drive an 18-wheeler, man.”
- A video-clip from 2017 shows Biden speaking at a pool renaming ceremony in Wilmington, Delaware. During his speech he recounted a story from 1962 when he worked at the same pool as a lifeguard. The story concerned Biden’s face-off with “Corn Pop,” a gang leader and a “bad dude.” After Biden expelled him from the pool, Corn Pop warned that he would be waiting outside. And sure enough, after work, Biden, armed with a six-foot length of chain confronted Corn Pop and three of his gang—all carrying straight razors. After some tense moments, Biden managed to defuse the situation with a combination of masculine persuasion and generous compromise. And after that, the gang leader and the future president became good friends. Whether Biden’s “Blackboard Jungle” moment occurred as he described it is a matter for conjecture, but it does give us a window into his mind.
The anecdotes above suggest that Biden is very defensive about his masculinity. He tells a story that calls attention to his toughness and bravery. On the campaign trail, he uses street language when arguing with a worker and then challenges him to a fight. On another occasion, he expresses a desire to “beat the hell” out of Trump. In short, his interactions with other men often have a macho or mano y mano quality.
Here’s a final example. In December, 2019 during a campaign stop in Iowa, Biden got into a tense exchange with a middle-aged man that ended with the 77-year-old candidate challenging the obviously overweight fellow to a push-up contest. The catalyst for the challenge was the man’s contention that Biden was too old to be president. Biden replied:
Look, the reason I’m running is because I’ve been around a long time and I know more than most people know and I can get things done. That’s why I’m running. You want to check my shape? Let’s do push-ups together. Let’s run. Let’s do whatever you want to do.
When the man ended the conversation by saying that he wasn’t going to vote for him, Biden responded, “I knew you weren’t man. You’re too old to vote for me.”
Sociologists, and psychologists have long known that boys and young men with an insecure sense of masculinity are prone to bullying, aggression, and violence. But concerns about manhood are not limited to young men. One’s sense of masculine identity can be undermined at any stage of life by job loss, financial problems, divorce, and health issues—or by old age.
Some men gracefully accept the physical and mental decline that comes with aging, but many do not. Their strength and health are a matter of pride to them, and they often cannot accept or even admit any diminishment in their abilities. In their own minds, some septuagenarians think that they are still in their forties or fifties—still capable of punching out a thirty-year-old if provoked.
For most elderly men in denial about their abilities, this is only a problem for themselves, their close relatives, and for unwary motorists who share the highways with them. But if the elderly man in question happens to be the president of the United States, it’s a problem for everyone. If the man who commands the Army, Navy, and Air Force can’t command his own impulses, then we’re all in trouble.
The question is, why did Joe Biden run for the presidency in the first place. Except in the case of a severe stroke or aneurysm, cognitive decline is a slow not sudden process. There was plenty of time for Biden to recognize the symptoms and to realize that he might be unable to carry out the duties of chief executive. When he threw his hat into the ring, he must have been aware that there would be problems down the road. But apparently, his masculine pride overruled his common sense, and also his sense of responsibility to voters. Instead of bowing out gracefully, he was determined to show everyone that he still had what it takes. Like an over-the-hill boxer, he deluded himself into thinking he could still go another ten rounds. In retrospect, his decision to run looks like a reckless choice—the kind of thing that a teenager might do on a dare.
Many who voted for Joe Biden are now having buyer’s remorse. They thought they were voting for a kind and thoughtful elder statesman. Now they are beginning to realize that the thoughtful old gentleman of their dreams is himself a dreamer—one who dreams adolescent dreams of glory about taking the “bad dudes” of this world behind the gym for a thrashing.
As for the really big bad dudes such as communist China? Well, that’s a different story. Like most bullies, Biden will willingly submit to the dominant males in the bully hierarchy. And he’ll expect you to submit also.
Or maybe he's just a jerk.
Biden* lives in a Waler Mitty world. But where Mitty did good, Biden* is evil.
Excellent! For years, I have called him Joe "Walter Mitty" Biden! I guess one has to be of a "certain age" to make the connection. LOL
“ In their own minds, some septuagenarians think that they are still in their forties or fifties—still capable of punching out a thirty-year-old if provoked.”
This is demonstrated in the Hollywood movies that still insist their “heroes” can take on all comers as they age and expect us to believe it accurately portrays reality. Have you seen Will Smith in “Gemini” I think he’s a great actor but jeez!
Will Smith sucks but old farts who think they can pound on young bucks are definitely fooling themselves. Reasonably tough guys in their 40s or 50s can pound on average guys in their 20s or 30s but not the ones who've actually been in fights over the years, only the ones who've never been in a real fight. A 78 year old man couldn't even whip a woman in her 30s.
But he's called Dementia Joe for a reason. He probably has false memories of glory as a tough guy because he can't remember he's really just a blowhard. I bet he's never been in a real fight in his life. He doesn't even have any facial scars.
His verbal attacks are all 100% safe because of his security entourage, and he knows it.
Yeah, he's a despicable and contemptible coward. Like the Hildebeast, he doesn't possess a single human virtue, only an endless supply of vices. He's human trash. And he's an untalented, incompetent hack on his best days.
Anyone PinnocchiJoe asks to fight can laugh and say, "With Secret Service, chicken shit?"
Yeah, the mind remembers what the body used to do, and thinks it can still do it.
So true! Before he died, my friend used to talk about what he would do in a fight. Made me smile. We're past it.
Biden knows he is protected by Secret Service so he is being a bully.
Biden is a bully, a liar and a chickenst. I’d have been happy to take this whining pussy behind the gym at any age and beat the living st out of him. I still would.
I'm impressed, but watch out for his sniffer.
He'd probably fall down and break a hip trying to run away from you.
"fall down and break a hip"
For sure. You've probably seen even more cases of that than I have. For some reason, early in life I catalogued in my mind the reasons for death, and falls was one of the main ones. I kept warning people, noone listened, and they paid the price, sad to say.
Yeah, back in the day a broken hip was a death sentence for old people. My grandmother and great grandmother both went out that way. My great grandmother fell twice on the concrete steps in front of the house she shared with my grandmother and survived the first one because she was a tough old bird who weighed less than 100 lbs but the second one got her. My grandmother was stout and already had advanced Alzeimer's when she fell so it was a deadly combo for her. My last wife told me that a broken hip was a huge deal for patients in the nursing home she worked at and the staff tried as hard as possible to prevent it. Maybe treatment is better now but I don't know.
I worry about falling too and I'm only middle aged. You're right to worry. I fell down on some scree in 2019 and it ripped my flesh and left a purple scar for awhile. I thought I was so old it was going to remain purple, LOL. Hiking can be more dangerous than people think, especially if you're careless. Not much of a fall, I know, but people hurt themselves in tubs and showers regularly. People die that way on a regular basis and not all of them are old. Don't drink and drive? Don't drink and shower, either!
Recently a girl I was with spotted a huge purple bruise on my back that I didn't know was there and freaked out because she assumed I'd fallen down drunk and forgotten about it. I hadn't but booze was definitely involved, even though I don't have any idea how it happened. Who knows. I injure myself regularly without realizing it. If an accident doesn't hurt enough, I don't really notice it and I don't give it a second thought. She got pissed off at me, too. I hate when chicks get angry with me, and when they do it's time for them to go. "I'm tired. I'm going to rest. You better go." I broke out a drink two seconds after she was out the door, ha ha. Things are different if you're out with them and you're dumb enough to be in their car instead of yours, though. They have power over you. She told her best friend all about it just like she always told her about intimate details (even disgusting stuff like the rim job she gave me) about our sex life and said I was a drunkard, blah, blah blah. Women share all that stuff about sex with their friends, you know. At first I wondered why her friends kept hitting on me behind her back. The jokes on her though because I'm with her best friend now, ha haw! She's better looking but even more perverted. Hopefully she won't push me down any stairs when I inevitably make her angry.
But I digress because I have insomnia.
Yeah, thanks! True to life info.
I have grab bars in my shower. A life saver.
Girls gossiping has been one of the banes of my life, and a current worry since I talked too much with one recently. That's why women have such an advantage over men, they just spill the beans about everything, so they all know everything about what is going on, while the men are clueless.
Speaking of falling, I've fallen twice since I moved 6 years ago, fortunately no serious injuries, though there could have been. I have some clunky old low boots that I got online that I have never fallen in, so I now wear those exclusively.
My apartment is new and is a unit designed for handicapped tenants, so it has grab bars in the bathroom like yours. Those things are handy (ha ha.) The floor and shower design were faulty though and the ceiling kept leaking and flooding my unit on the fifth floor all the way down to the first floor but I got the worst of it. My bathroom ceiling and doorway had to be replaced along with the handicapped shower. My thermostat outside the bathroom was damaged, too. Some dumb chick who was living above me kept washing me out. I'll give her credit for coming down to apologize one day. Now I have a shower tub but they took away the grab bars inside and that cool flip down seat it had. Damn! The sneaky workers also took my hand held shower nozzle and replaced it with a crappy stationary one! They said they had thrown out the hand held one, the lying f---s. It's probably in another customer's shower already. I still have the grab bars around the toilet, though. Those were life savers when I gave up heavy drinking and had to support myself with them as I yakked into the toilet and felt like passing out. I miss that folding seat in the shower, too. No way could a guy break his hip falling off one of those things. Bonk his noggin or knock out a tooth, I guess, but that's not life threatening. And yes, I would sit on it if I'd been drinking, LOL. You should get one, they're great.
omg, is that due to shoddy construction in San Jose?
I was surprised how good construction was out here in the sticks as compared to the big SF Bay Area cities.
Toxic Masculinity is a code word for the speaker having toxic femininity...
Or a resentful lesbian with less masculinity than she wishes she had....
As far as the question of "Why did Biden run for president in the first place" I have no doubt that his reason were tied up with his exalted opinion of himself, including his decision to ignore his degrading mental health. But what about his family, his wife and children, the people who supposedly love him? There's no way they could deny his failing mental health OR the great dangers of the presidency increasing the confusion and pace of his mental decline. I have wondered WHY did his family allow this to happen to this man the love. I took care of my mother through Alzheimer's and know first hand how easily confused they get. I would never have, knowingly, put in her in any situation making it harder for her; in fact, I worked hard to limit our situation to calm, peaceful, happenings, nothing abrupt, nothing complicated. But look at this poor man. His days are filled with the constancy of total confusion. I would never have voted for him, and was disappointed that my fellow citizens decided even a very sick man and incompetent woman were worth doing Trump in. I do feel sorry for Biden and the fact that he is being used, manipulated and abused by both his loved ones and the colleagues surrounding him. He should be spending his last years in peace, not subjected daily to speedier decline.
His campaign and election protected him from negative coverage and investigation. Now, he continues his crooked profitable ways.
The reason you don't understand why the people around Dementia Joe have allowed him to be used as a doddering and bewildered puppet (albeit an evil one) is because you're a decent person. His handlers are anything but, including his tramp wife. Don't waste your empathy on that lowlife. He's been a lying, conniving, vindictive, cowardly, and corrupt scumbag his entire life. He's flat out evil. Just look at his behavior in his semi lucid moments. He's NEVER honest or decent, and is usually passive aggressive (he knows he won't face repercussions) vicious.....against mainstream Americans, especially the working class he's always pretended to support.
He should be in a prison hospital for the short time he has left on Earth. He's a criminal thousands of times over, and an irrefutable traitor many times over. And only one scoop of ice cream for deserts.
Yeah, his wife is a puzzle to me.
Me too. Maybe she probably figured she could upgrade her gold digger status? I just can't believe any woman has ever had sex with that lowlife because she was attracted to him. His personality is offensive and even when he was young he wasn't exactly attractive.
Obviously you're a nice person but he is unworthy of your kindness.
“ Was he trying to protect Americans or was he trying to protect his “rep” as a tough guy? ”
Tough guys do not work in government, with the exception of the military and emergency services. The government is too soft a life, no real challenges, nothing to do other than moan about their lack of resources.
Joke Bidumb is all talk and always has been. The "Corn-Pop" story is the fakest lie I've ever heard outside of a Jen Psuki press conference. He's a pussy. A blowhard. He couldn't do a single push up if his life depended on it. Donald Trump could kick the shit out of him in less time than it took me to type this sentence and Big Mouth Biden KNOWS it. He had a chance to back up his false bravado during the debates and chose not to. it wasn't a wise choice, it was cowardice.
And impulsiveness is a feminine trait, not a masculine one. women are prone to live in the moment without considering or even caring about consequences, not men.
Dementia Joe has NEVER had what it takes. He just wanted the title of President for the glory and graft, the same as Obama. He's so stupid he doesn't know the Presidency is a real job, again, the same as Obama. He's so incredibly stupid he STILL thinks he can just nap through the presidency and that the job will do itself, even after his unprecedented string of abject failures and minute to minute manipulation by his ostensible employees. "I'll get in trouble if I answer any questions. I'm supposed to walk away now." "My butt's been wiped." Yeah. A real man's man tough guy. He can barely walk or talk.
Toxic masculinity? Toxic weakness and constant attempts to hide it with empty boasts. A classic case of over compensation for weakness. Biden is a bitch.
I tend to think that Obama was a bit more ideologically corrupt. Biden is just plain corrupt. But yeah, his Corn Pop story. OMG he conjured that in the darkest recesses of his corrupt mind.
I agree.
Yeah, that line about taking a length of chain to confront Corn-Pop sounds suspicious to me. I'm glad I heard the story though, I was wondering who Corn-Pop was.
Biden is not a man he's a pathetic doddering senile sack of pus.
Attempting to "analyse" his administration is like going into a morgue and trying to strike up a conversation with a corpse.
Or trying to talk to a turd in a sewer. I hate that guy.
" concerns about manhood are not limited to young men."
That's for sure. Good point.
Why did Biden run in the first place?
A cynic might posit that he was bound, by contract, or by extortion.
Film fanatics might suspect a threaded probe inserted into his medula oblongata, just like the dad in Invaders from Mars [ 1953].
By whatever happenstance, whether forensic accountants finding a telltale deposit slip, an MRI of the compromised brain case revealing a Martian control module, an IRS net worth test of the Biden tribe or some eureka discovery of evidence not currently obvious would be a Godsend.
Just like Popeye Doyle felt about Frog One, this guy is dirty.
Isn't it nifty...
You have to provide proof of the Vaccine to enter a Football game...
But they're concerned about people being forced to show a Voter ID in order to vote...
Go figure...
Joe "Studs Lonigan" Biden.
More like Ichabod Crane or Walter Mitty.
I bet you could take out Biden with just one of your Ayn Rand quotes. HaHaHa
One of those things could take anybody out.....to sleep. Comic books are less juvenile.
It would be a waste of time. An Ayn Rand quote would be as way above his intelligence as it is yours.
Archie comics are above Joke Bidumb's intelligence. So are crayons and paper.
Claims THX, the King of the Down Votes. How many Down Votes did you get today?
Well, now we know who you really want to be.
My neutered dog is more of a MAN than Biden the Dumb Old C U N T EVER WAS!
the only good democRAT is a DEAD DEMOCrat
Biden ran because Obama told him to do so. Obama needed a puppet and Biden was it. Notice the other loser of Obama's choice was Kackles. Both are fools that will take orders from Obama.
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Biden is just another loud mouth coward politician. The black terrorists, marxists and muslims running the DNC and now the USA don't even care about rubbing American faces in it anymore. That they use an old senile corrupt sexual harasser white man to do it is just icing on the cake for them.
Yep.
Why does that last sentence make me see a plastic Biden on top of the icing on a party cake saying, "C'mon man, eat me!"?