Both conservatives and liberals reinforce the protection of women and the disposability of men. Conservatives justify it — they call it sex roles. Liberals call it sexism if it hurts women, but blame men if it hurts men. For example, male-only clubs hurt women and therefore liberals call it sexism; male-only draft registration hurts men so liberals blame men for causing the wars they’ve just required only men to fight. Both parties rationalize biology as destiny if it helps women or hurts only men. Similarly, almost all protective legislation is supported by liberals if it protects women.* When it comes to protecting women and disposing of men, both parties are conservative — both are Stage I parties The underlying justification is the unquestioned assumption of woman as victim.
Fomalo victim power a. k.a. Gulf of Tonkin power
Victim power is to relationships what Gulf of Tonkin power is to warfare. Lyndon Johnson could get away with falsely accusing the Communists of attacking an American ship in the Gulf of Tonkin because he knew the assumption of Americans as innocents and Communists as perpetrators would make Congress afraid to question the accuracy of his accusation. In America today, women have Gulf of Tonkin power: the assumption of their innocence gives them the power to make an accusation without being cross — examined in the same way a man would be. The degree to which the government has substituted protecting women for questioning women creates the most shocking pan of this book: Government as Substitute Husband.
•Liberal support for legislation making violence against women (but not violence against men) a "hate crime"; support for protection of mostly women from sexual harassment hazards, but not protection of mostly men from death profession hazards; support for casing requirements for aid to mothers with dependent children, but not to fathers; and support for nearly all of the female-only legal protections (the focus of Part III).
PART III