Over the weekend, the rescue operation for the Thai soccer team and coach trapped in a cave in Thailand gained steam. By Tuesday morning, the United States woke up to the news that all 12 boys and their coach had been rescued.
Since June 23, the boys and soccer coach remained inside the six-mile Tham Luang cave, more than 4,000 feet below the earth’s surface, and 2.5 miles from the entrance of the cave. A photo of the Thai Navy SEALs who largely remained with the team has gone viral. Such is the world’s admiration of, shall we say, that unique kind of bad-ssery. The rescue has shown not only the power of science coupled with courage, but why society still needs men who have embraced their masculinity and aren’t afraid of danger.
https://twitter.com/dhonimahiswag/status/1016701095890960384
When the Thai Navy SEALs performed their rescue, officials tweeted, “All 4 Thai Navy SEALs came out safely. Hooyah Hooyah Hooyah.” To quote a line from “The Princess Bride,” “We are men of action. Lies do not become us.”
The Thai rescue operation was no small task, thus why only the elite Thai Navy SEALs were up to executing it. More than 30 U.S. military personnel from the U.S. Pacific Command and at least three British diving experts also offered their expertise to aid the unit.
Two miles of flooded passageways separated the main entrance of the cave to the area where the children had been stranded. While wearing diving equipment and after swimming two miles to reach the boys, two SEAL divers accompanied one boy at a time all the way back. One SEAL led the boy along a fixed rope while carrying his oxygen tank, and the second SEAL followed behind.
The SEALs made an 11-hour trip for each person, The Guardian reports. Before the rescue effort took place, one of the elite unit’s former members, Saman Kunan, died of asphyxiation while delivering supplies to those stranded. The rest of the SEALs are said to be in good health and the team and coach are recovering.
When the SEALs rescued the stranded group, Thailand and the rest of the world applauded. The SEALs have earned this recognition. The rescue seemed to many to be nearly impossible. Anyone who can observe the terrain the SEALs faced and understand even the basics of the mission realizes the task took courage, selflessness, and skill.
Yet to hear feminists talk, especially here in the United States, men are not only expendable but unnecessary. Even for such a time as this?
The feminist movement has progressed from one of equality to entitlement, from one of encouraging women to get ahead to one of encouraging women to hate men simply because of their sex. The third wave of feminism doesn’t just think they’re as good as men, but that men are altogether unnecessary. It’s even the subject of myriad book and article titles. Feminist Gloria Steinem was the one who popularized a spiteful phrase that now appears on T-shirts, buttons, and other paraphernalia: “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.”
Every day men (and women) disprove this assertion. Men make up the majority of many industries that are vital to Americans’ safety and the economy: law enforcement, military, construction, engineering, and more. A rescue of this nature most certainly highlights the value of men in society.
Of course some feminists might argue there were no female Navy SEALs in Thailand or the United States. That’s not exactly true. The majority of women aren’t able to meet the physical standards required of elite units, which is why they’re not admitted. It’s safer if women are assigned in the military where they are able to perform their duties to the best of their ability, without putting others at risk. Politically correct sexism has no place in an arena where safety and performance matters most.
Feminists might help their cause more by allowing for some nuance within the movement. If they chimed in with the rest of the world and applauded men when heroism of this magnitude occurred, they might receive support. It would show they are not simply “pro woman” but pro-society, pro-children, and yes, even pro-men. Yet they refuse. In fact, they behave in ways that worsen these unifying and beneficial goals.
The #MeToo movement notwithstanding, many hardcore feminists spread harassment or rape rumors that later turn out to be false after ruining the lives of the accused, gather for marches in vulgar pink p-ssy hats, and offensively call for the end of men altogether. When women congregate publicly for a cause, they often whine, yell, and backstab.
Of course, the Thai Navy SEAL rescue does not eradicate the need for women, nor does it mean men provide the answer to all the world’s problems. It simply means men are necessary, indeed vital, to society’s safety and sanity. I can think of 13 people—and likely dozens of family members—who will be thankful for their whole lives that some men are men of action, bravery, and strength. So should we all.
