That Nowhere Feeling

I’ve found the biggest barrier with critiquing aspects of the Patriarchy, and framing the factors behind the annihilation of our environment as inherently “masculine,”  is that I’m overly wary (weary) of guys getting their feelings hurt?

I’ve been told my whole life that the destruction of the Earth is a Capitalist problem, that it is a Personal problem – that it starts within “me”. But thinking like this makes me angry because I know it isn’t really true. The subjugation of the environment has largely correlated with the subjugation of women (elements of colonialism intrinsically linked w this).  The power structures that objectify/oppress/discard aspects of femininity and female empowerment  are the same structures that objectify our planet; that see no problem with decimating entire ecosystems (including our own) for personal gain. I kind of see Patriarchal vanity, and deeply repressed fear, as a root cause of this kind of unnatural violence.  “We” as a people did not decide one day that burning down a rainforest for its rich soil would be ok. “We” did not save money by pumping waste into the heart of delicate seabeds, culling everything from the krill to the whales that feed there. These were decisions made for us, justified by powerful egos and indifference to the consequences.

But identifying something as inherently Patriarchal always seems to polarise people who don’t understand that Masculinity is not necessarily Male and I’m sick of fighting with guys who’s voices are literally louder than mine just to recognise something exists. Let alone try and dismantle it. I feel uneasy just thinking about it ..