I agree whole heartedly with you EM. It's bad enough self censoring to avoid upsetting blokes here, now we have to self censor in case some ambulance chaser reads a post and sees dollar signs. (Is that the only reason to avoid spreading misinformation?)
Over the years I've witnessed a heavily imposed, feminised, risk resistent culture of "health & safety", which has grown out of the ever expanding, never satisfied, progressive socialism that has infected nearly every nook and cranny of our culture. (This would be the Health and Safety culture that's been pushed forward by those well known Socialists in the Conservative Party just as much as any other government of the last 40 years?) We were warned about the nanny state and now we have it. (Warned about the nanny state by people who would prefer not to be constrained by having to be nice to poor people, I'm guessing) Far too many grown men show no shame about their weakness, that's the kicker. (This is unfortunately untrue, many men guard their weaknesses so strongly they'd rather kill themselves rather than open up to someone about how they feel) They find a way to make being risk adverse sound virtuous. (Because actually weighing up one's actions before committing to doing dangerous things is for wusses?) We don't fight petty tyrants and despots anymore, we conform, we acquiesce, or worse, agree and enforce for them. (On this I absolutely agree, someone should do something about petty despots, though I suspect we'd disagree about who those despots are)
I'm happy to have observed, against all the odds, many, many young people who loathe this emasculating culture as much as I do, but it's still pervasive among boomers of my age. (Like the followers of Andrew Tate? Yes, thank goodness for their contribution to society)
I will never forget the mass hysteria of 2020 as long as I live. That year, and 2021, exemplified just how much masculinity has been devalued, demonised even. Those who didn't conform with the hive mind were vilified. Even today I often see grown men, usually over 60s,walking around town centres with masks on. It's truly pitiful to see. (Absolutely, old people should just die from respiratory illnesses. How dare they have weak immune systems when they get old!)
I wear protective gear because spending weeks in hospital isn't something I enjoy doing. At 16 I snapped a leg that almost lost me my job because of the time I was forced to take off. And having a full leg cast sucks, so I ride carefully to try to avoid such incidents. Injuries, and I've had a few broken bones and road rashes, are a huge inconvenience more than anything else. But I totally understand that 20 isn't 60 and young men best learn the hard way, like I did. (And who paid for all your medical care? I bet it was those dirty socialist nanny staters you loathe so much ... a real man would have refused hospital treatment!)
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