… to think that the world (and well-being of women and children) is in the hands of old men

[Mistressofpemberly]

Looking at the news with pictures of Netanyahu, Trump with his MAGA hat on, Putin and the Ayatollah. The world is in a precarious position and, as usual, it is the innocents that suffer.
We seem to be going down a rabbit hole led by mysogynistic old men. I find it galling that aggression and mysogyny seem to float to the top of the leadership heap. Aibu?

I agree, all old, all not very well educated, or failed at school. All selfish. It's sad that history repeats and repeats.

How can we stop these idiots dragging us all into a nightmare that has absolutely nothing to do with any of us? I feel so angry and helpless. Not even scared; just furious!

It always has been. The World is a Patriarchy.

It is concerning how many megalomaniac egotists there are currently influencing global geopolitics.

Honestly I think we shouldn’t get involved.

Not our circus. Israelis crazy. Iranians crazy. US crazy. Russians crazy.

Israel and America are both democraticies.

The words is "in the hands" of people who remain silent.

We all see.things we don't agree with, but we do nothing, either because we don't want to cause offence or because we are too lazy.

The "old men" are not the problem.

Yep. It always has been. Yet try and raise the fact that the vast majority of wars are started by men, and posters go off their heads stating that just as many wars have been started by women……..

What wars were started by women? Maybe started over women...by men, we're always to blame somehow

I know and when have you ever seen a headline saying ‘agressive, over emotional men take world to brink’ with sub articles ‘does men’s temperamental aggressive make them unsuitable to lead’ ‘Are YOU a megalomaniac? Take our fun quiz’ ‘Men: how to get your unstable instincts to hurl bombs at one another while killing innocent women and children under control: ten easy tips’

Shall we add religious old men too boot

@NFItheawkardness need laugh emoji back

Old, narcissistic men. All willy waggling

Yes agree OP.

It always has been.
The news is basically a daily update on what destructive and violent things men have done that day.

And it's not just the rulers. Have you seen the age of the Democratic leadership in the US! Not just the men either. Nancy Pelosi is closer to 90 than not!

Well not convinced Putin or Trump are particularly religious.

What is sad is that 3 out of the 4 were voted in initially. What fools people are and so easy to manipulate. Farage would not look out of place with these horrors.

Yes, given that if a woman commits a crime it is reported 3 times as much, the news is still predominantly about male acts of violence or abuse.

I actually agree with that.
We cannot control what this lot, but we can say that we do not agree with it. Regarding getting anything done, we can only make our thoughts clear to our governments and elect those that align with us. But that is, indeed, a very powerful tool. Just most people are far too busy with commutes, full time jobs, doing the shopping, the cooking, looking after the children and so on, to have the time to follow the news, let alone take part in any petitions and so on. And these guys do bank on that. That we will mostly stay silent.
UK is re-arming. EU is re-arming. At a word of Trump, they are all increasing their armament stocks. We were doing rather well before all these wars started sprouting around. Men with heavy weapons are more likely to start wars. If there are wars and we have to fight, we face even more horrible and cruel ways of warfare. They are spending huge amounts of money that could be spent on health and education, roads, research, infrastructure, green energy projects.....
When we get dragged into one or more of these wars, there are no longer rules of engagements or international laws. Civilians are a very valid target. Hospitals, schools, police headquarters, news, humanitarian aid, medical personnel.... Name it. It is valid. Including nuclear plants and nuclear facilities...... All is valid.
A disarmed world, that uses councils like the UN to sort their issues, who instill on governments that they are there to serve and protect their own people and which uses sanctions to put pressure, is what I aim for. Not this current shit show. I want them to start being men enough to use their words and their leadership. If we are really civilised, we should not use wars (on civilians!) to rule the world.

That should say warfare!

Part of the reason that men like this end up in charge is because they want to be and other aren't' prepared to be the ones to challenge them. In a democracy we can only vote for those who want to be elected. But fewer and fewer people want to get involved in politics, to put in the effort to get onto ballot papers, elected, become politicians. And therefore it is easier for those who do crave that power. So often on here we hear people say 'someone should do something' or 'why is this allowed' but never about people getting involved in local politics or seeing politics as a career option.

I found how to edit my many many many mispellings!

Putin is a murdering dictator who kills his own and I'm sure is Russian orthodox?
But I don't think he uses religion to control.
Trump came in on a strong religious ticket with many... blessings.... but he's probably not all religious at all but he's the president of a democratic country and yes like it or not he got women's vote.
Iran is using religion as a tool to control women and girls.
Taliban and Saudi and Iran all the same

Politics as a career is only affordable for the rich. It’s effectively a series of short term contracts, with no guarantee of renewal, and limited ability to perform your way into renewal.

Who can afford to rely on that?

And we get the democracy we deserve, in that we are responsible for the society we make that elects these old men.

And the big ‘neutral’ organisations like the UN and the EU have their issues too.

@helpfulperson you are very right indeed.
Only extremely wealthy can afford to run for the US presidency, for example.
And we are not enough involved with our own community in UK. I know I am not and I think I should indeed.

@myplace yes, of course, UN, EU .... do have issues. Nothing is a fully perfect solution. But any organisation where you can remove actors if they are not providing what is needed is better. It is a beginning on the improvement path.

This is nonsense. What on earth can ordinary people do? People do protest and it makes not a blind bit of difference.