Why are a lot of old time military men sexist and controlling?

Question

The younger ones aren't quite so bad, but all the older military men I've met come across as control freaks and most seem to really hate women. They don't want to allow us to take combat roles, so why do they see women as inferior? Does the military make them this way or were they like that before they joined? Is the military misogynistic?

Answer 1

When you say older military men...do you mean 35-39 or 40 and older?  The reason I ask is because I'm 40 and an old school military man.  The statement you made, I think, is a generalization about old school military men.  I'd gladly sit side by side with a woman during war time.  Whether it's in a foxhole or in a hospital, it really wouldn't matter to me.  As long as the person next to me is competent and an emotionally stable soldier it wouldn't matter to me. Imagine that, I'm not even making a sexist remark.  

I was in the Army for 10 years and saw s*x discrimination go both ways.  Men berating women and women berating men.  It went both ways.  BUT, I have also seen it in the civilian world as well.  Sexism is lessening as time progresses.  We'll all have to just be patient.    

Answer 2

I think the military might attract that type of man...but also in the past men were all more like that.

Answer 3

Military men follow chain of command. It's what they know. The older ones are from a generation where men were head of the household.

The military is extremely misogynistic. You said "They don't want to allow us to take combat roles, so why do they see women as inferior?" I think you have your cause and effect mixed up there. It's because they see women as inferior, that they do not want them to take combat roles.

Answer 4

Woman if a man had kept you cleaning and raising children as proper and right you wouldnt starts to thinking and nobody needs a woman asking questions.  Specially not a liberal one.  Heh.

Answer 5

i think its just an old school way of thinking.... but a lot of it does make sence in my opinion!

Answer 6

I disagree with that as a military female.

Some of the "older military" men i worked with had never worked with a female before.  So there was some experimentation as to how hard they could push me, what they could expect...I did face some discrimination from some of them but the majority were opened minded enough to at least give me a change to prove myself to them.

I had more trouble from the younger men who were lower ranking and under me.  Old ideas of not wanting to be bossed around by a girl.

Majority of the military men that I know, seem to agree that women should be in combat.  

From what i saw...racism and sexist ideas were brought in from the civilian world, and most people dropped both once they were in for a while.

Answer 7

The Lemur v 1.02:

Seriously, go back to school.  You're insulting women, but your grammar is horrendous.  Who's really inferior?

Answer 8

if they are old men, then they are set in their ways and aren't open to new things.

Answer 9

What age are you talking about here?

Older men (50+) are from a generation where men were MEN.

Most of the soldiers I've had the privilege to know only think women do not belong in a combat roll (other than support) as a "you've got to be able to rely on your buddy" whether it's knowing your partner is going to stand up and blast some shite to h**l for both of your safety (or will she be having an emotional break down) OR, it's pretty well established that a man can drag/carry/push/pull a woman to safety? Can a woman do that for her wounded partner? Perhaps a few German beet farmer's wives.

To those women who are going to rip me a new one... We are emotional creatures. It's a fact.  

Answer 10

Psh. They are just mad because when they went off to war we took all their jobs, and were better at them.

Answer 11

The two reasons that are usually held up for why women aren't suited to combat are

a. That they are on average smaller and less physically strong, and

b. That there is a risk that they will get pregnant.

This perception that women aren't suited to be in the military breeds a belief that they are inferior.