Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Concentrating on the Essentials

Sweden has its share of problems — unassimilated Third World minorities, a skyrocketing rate of immigrant crime, demographic decline, and a sclerotic welfare state, just to name a few — but it’s heartening to find out that some Swedes are concentrating on truly important issues:

Swedish Parents Keep 2-Year-Old’s Gender Secret

Meet Pop, a two-and-a-half-year-old Swedish child whose parents are refusing to say whether the apple of their eye is a boy or a girl.

Pop’s parents, both 24, made a decision when their baby was born to keep Pop’s sex a secret. Aside from a select few — those who have changed the child’s diaper — nobody knows Pop’s gender; if anyone enquires, Pop’s parents simply say they don’t disclose this information.

In an interview with newspaper Svenska Dagbladet in March, the parents were quoted saying their decision was rooted in the feminist philosophy that gender is a social construction.

Well, this is a nice little social experiment. We’ll find out if the feminist theorists are right.

Can you imagine using your own kid as a guinea pig to test radical sociopolitical doctrine on? If it turns out that Betty Friedan’s ideology is flawed, the child’s life may be ruined. But you can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs…

The article continues:
- - - - - - - - -
“We want Pop to grow up more freely and avoid being forced into a specific gender mould from the outset,” Pop’s mother said. “It’s cruel to bring a child into the world with a blue or pink stamp on their forehead.”

The child’s parents said so long as they keep Pop’s gender a secret, he or she will be able to avoid preconceived notions of how people should be treated if male or female.

Pop’s wardrobe includes everything from dresses to trousers and Pop’s hairstyle changes on a regular basis. And Pop usually decides how Pop is going to dress on a given morning.

Although Pop knows that there are physical differences between a boy and a girl, Pop’s parents never use personal pronouns when referring to the child — they just say Pop.

“I believe that the self-confidence and personality that Pop has shaped will remain for a lifetime,” said Pop’s mother.

But what if you’re wrong?

You assume that your ideological enlightenment has rendered your judgment superior to the accumulated experience of thousands of generations of human beings, not to mention millions of years of biological evolution that have hard-wired certain attributes into the neuronal programming of the human brain.

You think you can just wish away all these millennia of human culture and biology with a single triumphant gesture of political self-righteousness. But what if you can’t?

The Local had to go all the way to Canada to find a voice of sanity:

But while Pop’s parents say they have received supportive feedback from many of their peers, not everyone agrees that their chosen course of action will have a positive outcome.

“Ignoring children’s natures simply doesn’t work,” says Susan Pinker, a psychologist and newspaper columnist from Toronto, Canada, who wrote the book The Sexual Paradox, which focuses on sex differences in the workplace.

“Child-rearing should not be about providing an opportunity to prove an ideological point, but about responding to each child’s needs as an individual,” Pinker tells The Local.

“It’s unlikely that they’ll be able to keep this a secret for long. Children are curious about their own identity, and are likely to gravitate towards others of the same sex during free play time in early childhood.”

Pinker says there are many ways that males and females differ from birth; even if gender is kept ‘secret,’ prenatal hormones developed in the second trimester of pregnancy already alter the way the child behaves and feels.

She says once children can speak, males tell aggressive stories 87 per cent of the time, while females only 17 per cent. In a study, children aged two to four were given a task to work together for a reward, and boys used physical tactics 50 times more than girls, she says.

But Sweden has “gender equality consultants”, and they are experts on the reprogramming of children for the purpose of modifying the gender-norming process. Notice, however, that this one feels compelled to qualify her support for the situation:

But Swedish gender equality consultant Kristina Henkel says Pop’s parents’ experiment might have positive results.

The experiment might have positive results. The child might not be psychologically damaged. Pop might grow into a healthy adult.

But then again, he/she/it might not.

So why do it at all? To generate discussion!

“If the parents are doing this because they want to create a discussion with other adults about why gender is important, then I think they can make a point of it,” Henkel says in a telephone interview with The Local.

If you can bear it, there’s more, much more, in the original article. Some of it is critical, but most of the common-sense criticism has to be imported from Canada.

This is a malignant case of narcissism expressing itself as child abuse: a willingness to sacrifice the well-being of one’s own child for the sake of ideological purity.

Decades from now, when they are in their old age and Sweden is living out its multicultural Ragnarök, Pop’s parents can say to themselves:

“OK, so Sweden as a nation has ceased to exist. So we’re surrounded by crime, poverty, and degradation. So our child grew up into a neurotic basket case.

“But at least we refused the oppression of socially-constructed gender attributes!”


That will no doubt be a great comfort to them.

29 comments:

Dark Eden said...

Hopefully when Pop turns 18 he/she can get away from these people and lead a somewhat normal life.

Henrik R Clausen said...

gender is a social construction.

He. My eyes tell me something quite different :)

Being born into a weirdo family is tough luck...

babs said...

Heh! Good luck with Pop!

I was a member of a babysitting co-op for many years. I used to love babysitting the girls as all they wanted to do was draw pictures and engage in crafts. The boys OTOH would use everything they could lay their hands on as a weapon. I counted myself lucky if none of the boys went home bleeding! A good day!!!
Is this their first child? They have a lot to learn.
That is not to say that female children cannot be agressive. We held a birthday party for our 4 year old son and invited his preschool mates. One of the females arrived in the cutest dress with tights that had little pink flowers on them. By the end of the party the tights were ruined and the dress totally stained!

Turd Of Mayonnaise said...

I think I have heard about such lunacy coming from Sweden before.

Ever since feminism has achieved its goal of pushing through liberal legislation concerning "birth control by means of abortion" they were in desperate need of finding another type of issue to play around with. I mean, you can't honestly expect feminists to just sit there twiddling their thumbs and getting bored stiff, now, can you ?

Hendrik is quite right. You can't deny what you are in the long run. Plus you can't deny the merits of developmental psychology as a scientific field. But I suppose this would amount to 'conservative bigotry' in the mind of these 'anti-constructivists' ? (or whatever you like to call them)

PRCalDude said...

This is psychotic. Did these 24 year old have any experience with kids before? As babs said, everything to a young boy is a weapon. Everything to an older boy is a weapon. Everything to a man is a weapon, for that matter. LOL.

Are these parents going to some how suck the testosterone (a glorious chemical) out of their son's veins if their child is, in fact, a boy?

spackle said...

If Sweden does eventually become an Islamic state I have a feeling "Pop's" lifespan will woefully short. A 'genderless' infidel girlman among the Umma!? Poor thing.

ɱØяñιηg$ʇðя ©™ said...

Spackle almost took the words out of my mouth. These parents has obviously failed to notice that their country is well far into islamization already. I don't know, maybe they're both blind? In islam there is no in-between. Either Pop is male or is female. The mullahs will not accept a shemale/hefemale. Pop better choose (or his/her parents do before it is too late as the case migh be) or Pop's future will be hanging from a crane or thrown off a roof top. Those are the choices islam will make for them if they choose to wait for too long. Simple as that.

Jedilson Bonfim said...

This is ridiculous... Nobody "taught" me how to feel attracted to girls, that was something I could feel when I was already four or five, way too young to have been told by any adult that a boy was supposed to go after members of the opposite sex. Of course, regarding that attraction, all I wanted was to talk to them and hold their hands, absolutely nothing else.

From what science has proven, and from what everyone has experienced in their own lives, an individual's sexual orientation is an innate trait. Pressure from no one will make an individual feel attracted to someone from the opposite or the same gender. Susan Pinker got it totally right when she said that once children can speak, males tell aggressive stories 87 per cent of the time, while females only 17 per cent. In a study, children aged two to four were given a task to work together for a reward, and boys used physical tactics 50 times more than girls. We could also talk about how blinking patterns, something which is nearly impossible to fake, are related to one's gender and sexual orientation.

If such an "experiment" took place on US soil, I'd hope that child services would take that poor child away from his/her (?) parents and put him/her(?) in the care of someone who would allow him/her to grow up as any boy or girl is supposed to.

But, since we're talking Sweden, a country whose elites want to see what kind of "good" an experiment in "Somalization" might produce within their borders; the poor kid's best hopes are that his/her parents, or one of them, might eventually come to their senses and put a stop to this insanity.

Ρωμανός ~ Romanós said...

The Mughal Emperor Akbar of India was a very skeptical and reluctant Muslim, who eventually started his own religion rather than become a Christian, because he couldn't stomach the arrogance of the only Christians he was in contact with (the Roman Catholics).

He was all-powerful and took advantage of this to prove some of the assertions of the Muslim clerics to be false. One of these assertions was that Arabic was the original language, that it was God's own language, and that everyone would naturally speak Arabic if they weren't taught to speak other languages from infancy.

So what did he do? He had a large group of infants taken away from their mothers and raised in a special nursery where nothing was lacking, except that not one of the women attending to their needs was ever to speak a word to them. I can't remember the full details, but he may have selected only dumb women or perhaps women who were mutilated so they couldn't speak.

The bottom line was, if the mullahs were right, he would have a nursery of children speaking pure Arabic in no time.

What he ended up with was a large group of children who only bawled and caterwauled, roared and whined like dumb beasts. They never were able to be fully rehabilitated after the experiment was closed.

Akbar was right, but at what cost?

Here again we have people, not even all-powerful rulers, just ordinary citizens, being allowed to dispense with a social convention that, like it or lump it, has been found necessary to the maintenance of a workable society.

Afonso Henriques said...

"“It’s cruel to bring a child into the world with a blue or pink stamp on their forehead.”"


Oh... This cupple is so humane... worrying about cruelty against children...

"And Pop usually decides how Pop is going to dress on a given morning."

So, the parents have given up of forming their child already at 2? They only provide to him economically?
It's like he's a poor 22 years old...

That tells us something: The parents don't care and don't want to bother much with their child. The child should be taken from their parents (hey... where's the rest of the family???) because the parents do not show much interest in "it". Negligency, I believe.

And by the way... is the father an homossexual or a lesbian?

"But Swedish gender equality consultant Kristina Henkel says Pop’s parents’ experiment might have positive results."

For Science, I guess.
Like the Japonese who conducted cirurgical experiments in live Chinese during World War II.
... Or the Inquisition that found great ways of torturing without sheding blood because the bible says that you shall not shed the blood of another human being (unless...).

But Baron, now I'm becoming to think this is a joke. It's just too much. And I sound like a puritane old women. Or a very young one.

I also am starting to think that the biggest problem of Sweden must be the absense of mental institutions to intern the people with mental problems.

Or maybe, the boy has born with two sexes and the parents haven't chose yet... yes, maybe it's it! And then all this feminist thing is just a scam to hide it and proportionate a better life to the boy/girl... I want to think it's it. It sometimes happen, you know.

SHocked. I am shocked. Well done Baron!

ɱØяñιηg$ʇðя ©™ said...

I think the parents might be hetero but that they are extreme leftists who believe gender is nothing but a social construction. They are probably well meaning. Well meaning in the same sense as muslims are when they intend on forcing islam on us kuffar.

One_of_the_last_few_Patriots_left said...

"...Sweden has 'gender equality consultants,' and they are experts on the reprogramming of children for the purpose of modifying the gender-norming process."

Here, let me translate that for you from Marxist-speak:

"gender equality experts" = political
Commissars

"reprogramming of children" = BRAINWASHING of children

"modifying the gender-norming process" = browbeating formerly normal kids into becoming whimpy,
spineless, neurotic psychological basket cases incapable of dealing with life and utterly dependent on government "experts" to "help" them.

Of course, Komrades, your ZEAL is commendable..... your ZEAL to re-engineer society in order to bring about the creation of the New Socialist Man!


But, uh..... I wonder how... the ULTRA-VIOLENT Muslim THUGS which the Swedes are importing by the boatload will react to all of this?

Ilíon said...

"The mullahs will not accept a shemale/hefemale."

Sure they will, in the right circumstance.

Watching Eagle said...

Baron, Fjordman, Zenster, and fellow readers,

This is a good jumping off point for the introduction to several of my soon-to-be-published essays.

First, to those who think 'the military will overthrow the Leftist governments and nuke the MME!', there are TWO obstacles -- one, to have the Leftist governments lose legitimacy in the eyes of the people, and two, to have a plan to establish the legitimacy of the new government. The problem is that the government schools are BUILDING the legitimacy of these LEFTIST regimes which are destroying WESTERN SOCIETY. (Through double edged racism and a consuming desire to END 'WESTERN IMPERIALISM').

Another point this incident shows is how weak the West CAN BECOME. One may think it difficult to see how ISLAMISTS (the Reality Borg) could take over western society, but by the time Muslims reach critical mass (the 2020's), western culture could be far weaker the we would imagine (if the Leftists get their way).

A third point is that hardship is NOT all bad, and ease is NOT all good-- AT LEAST AS FAR AS SURVIVAL IS CONCERNED. When some members of a species living in tough environments are brought in competition with members of the same species used to an easier environment, the members USED TO HARDSHIP have the advantage.

A final quick point is to consider how this nonsense helps the Islamists. This zaniness is ONLY POSSIBLE because the West has lost its sense of its struggle for survival. In Somalia, for example, this would NOT occur (people's sense of the struggle for survival is keenly sharpened by the question 'how do we find the next meal?'.)

When these floods of migrants come to a place like Western Europe, they feel like we Western humans would feel if we were living among aliens who were shockingly WICKED. (SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT Leftist culture mocks, desecrates, and defiles ALL sense of responsibility, discipline, and virtues necessary for survival.)

I say this not in context of Islam per se, but of all the tribal cultures that "the migrants" are coming from. If we know how crazy this is, what kind of shock to these migrants must these things be??? When people feel that things are SO WRONG, they look for something to fix it. THE ISLAMISTS CAN USE THIS KIND OF STUFF TO SAY 'SHARIAH IS THE ONLY WAY TO END THIS CRAZY WICKEDNESS'. One can thus see why the Islamist 'vortex' is so powerful among Muslim migrants.

It was not always this way-- In the pre-Cultural Revolution West,
the west did have a sense of morality, discipline, and responsibility; into which (Qutb aside) these tribal cultures could find much to respect. The tribal cultures could see their own problems when they studied Western culture. Thus, adjustment and assimilation was possible then.

Now, however, these migrants look at our inability to solve this craziness, or even to understand our struggle for survival, as reasons of the inferiority of Western (leftist) culture. They are easy prey for the Islamists who are shouting that they will "solve the problems". We had better defeat the Leftists fast, or the West is toast.


P.S. -- A culture only gets to where The West is (denying the reality of its struggle for survival) after a long period of prosperity and political dominance.
Expecting impoverished cultures to assimilate to the Secular West is like expecting a frog to assimilate when jumping into a pot of boiling water.-- Isn't going to happen.

ɱØяñιηg$ʇðя ©™ said...

"Sure they will, in the right circumstance."

Quite an amusing story. Too bad it wasn't the sheikh who got his jewels removed instead though. But bloody typical. If you have enough power and money you get away with practically anything. Especially in a total corrupt society like this.

Anonymous said...

These are the type of stories that make me realize that I have more in common with Islamic barbarism than I do with people born in the same society as I. If it weren't for the homosexual practice of covering women in hefty bags and forbidding alcohol, I would welcome the Muslim slaughter of people like Pop's parents. Tongue in cheek of course.

thll said...

If 'gender is a social construction' how did the couple produce their child?

Zenster said...

Watching Eagle: This is a good jumping off point for the introduction to several of my soon-to-be-published essays.

I look forward to seeing your work. When you avoid the cliches, your message has a lot more strength.

As to this "gender experiment", I don't know how many other readers feel this way but the whole thing reeks of men-hate. I'd wager that this child, "Pop", is a boy and the parents are trying to wish away the inevitable "cowboys & Indians" or "cops & robbers" games that will ensue past age five.

Either way, this child eventually will send some psychotherapist's kids through college.

Ilíon said...

THLL: "If 'gender is a social construction' how did the couple produce their child?"

The word 'gender' does not mean 'sex,' and it certainly does not mean "the sexual act" -- you see, "they" have already partly taken over the minds of nearly everyone on this point: nearly everyone says 'gender' when they mean 'sex.'

The child does not have a 'gender,' the child has a 'sex' -- and, as Zenster speculates, that sex is probably male.

Ilíon said...

I, for one, quite understand, Orlandob00.

It's quite a conundrom, isn't it?

The leftists are making common cause with the "Islamists," because both hate our western (Judeo-Christian) societies and wish to destroy them.

On the other hand, we who wish to preserve our societies realize that should that evil alliance prevail, at least the "useful idiots" will be out of the picture in short order.

Anonymous said...

Ilíon
It would be sweet irony if the right allied with the Islamists to destroy the Western left. Then good and evil could wage battle without 'psycopathic crazy' interfering once more.

Ilíon said...

I think that irony would be the death of us.

Afonso Henriques said...

Robin, alow me to point out some few thoughts:

"I think the parents might be hetero but that they are extreme leftists who believe gender is nothing but a social construction."

Okay. I know. However, regardless of how far to the left the mother is, an heterossexual male should not believe that gender is merely a social construction because he has had many proofs of the contrary. Many. (So does the mother but apparently she as an entire crowd of feminazis to support her or such)

So, this actively qualifies as a contradiction and lack of logic. So, even if this person looks like he's well meaning, because he's ignoring the reality on purpose we can't really say that he's really well meaning because, once he takes no considerations whatsoever on the field of reality, he truly does not mean anything. And he is not concerned about doing good, otherwise he would care for reality as well.

You can't be well being and ignore reality on purpose although you can be well meaning while ignorant of reality. Two different things.


"Well meaning in the same sense as muslims are when they intend on forcing islam on us kuffar."

Those muslims, on the other hand, really are well meaning because this have a metaphysical basis. They believe that the true salvation is through islam only and therefore they are not being good when they give up the fight for saving fellow kufar's soul.

The muslims who want to kill us or convert us are much better folks than the parents who have screwd their child life just because they can.
Just the fight muslims have to endure to "save" us kufar, is a proof of their well meaning: They do not stop doing good just because it's a difficult task.

Those parents, on the other hand, complicate even what's simple.

Again, mental probelms are probabily the root of one the parents behaviours. Probabily the mother. The father must be a filthy coward only. But of course, about the parents we can only speculate.

Anonymous said...

I haven't read the link to the article yet but...what exactly do they propose to do when poor little Pop goes to school? I mean, doesn't Sweden still have bathrooms labeled "boys" and "girls" in elementary schools? Something tells me that Pop is going to figure it out at that point.

Ilíon said...

AH: "You can't be well being [meaning?] and ignore reality on purpose although you can be well meaning while ignorant of reality. Two different things."

Yes; and "But, I meant well!" is never an excuse.

Afonso Henriques said...

Yes, it's not an excuse.
However... I rather never say never.

;) ;)

laine said...

The moniker Pop alone would traumatize a lot of kids.

Pop's wardrobe includes dresses and Pop decides what Pop will wear. Is Pop wearing dresses?

Poor Pop.

Ilíon said...

If little Pop were living in an English-speaking country, I am pretty sure that when Pop begins public school, the other kids will soon add a second "o" to Pop's name.

Watching Eagle said...

Salome Bintullah,

You haven't paid attention to the "progressive" agenda-- I don't know about the bathrooms in Sweden. However, all this rot will only be for Native Europeans in Sweden, since "the migrants" will need to have THEIR CULTURE "RESPECTED" in the interests of 'TOLERANCE' AND 'DIVERSITY'.

oRLANDOBOO, you are having some new eyes. It would be tragic indeed if the Sultanate of Swedenistan turns out to be NOT THE "WORST CASE SCENARIO" BUT "THE WORST CASE SOLUTION".