Defense Secretary's fantasies will likely backfire

Swedish opinion writer Gabriel Zetterström criticizes U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's proposal to offer testosterone supplements to soldiers deemed "too soft." Zetterström views this as a regressive fantasy about masculinity, linking it to a broader right-wing desire for a return to a mythical "golden age."

Hegseth, in his book "War on Warriors," expressed disdain for what he called an "unholy alliance of political ideologues and Pentagon pussies." Now heading the Pentagon, his proposal suggests soldiers should offer not just their lives but also their hormonal systems for the flag. Zetterström argues that Hegseth ignores modern warfare's realities, using the proposal as a symbolic gesture to rally enthusiasm within a specific male demographic.

“

This unholy alliance of political ideologues and Pentagon pussies has left our warriors without real defenders in Washington

The idea of a "crisis of masculinity" is not new, Zetterström notes, citing a 2002 article that described masculinity ideals as always belonging to a past era. He connects this to Donald Trump's political agenda, which he characterizes as right-wing dreams of a bygone golden age. This is contrasted with the Trump administration's skepticism towards anything deemed "unnatural," exemplified by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s stance against medicines and vaccines, a phenomenon Zetterström labels "wellness fascism."

Zetterström questions how this anti-"unnatural" stance aligns with artificially boosting soldiers' testosterone levels. He also points to a similar trend in Sweden, where prescriptions for testosterone have increased significantly, and black market sales are prevalent. Despite myths circulating on social media about testosterone as a miracle cure, scientific evidence suggests otherwise, according to the article.

“

Every new social order is experienced as a blow to the just-past era's male ideal. Real Manhood always belongs to a recently or long-ago past era; it is a standing golden age myth.