CONAN THE GOVERNOR
SCIENCE proves that leftists are the 98-pound weaklings of the political world:
Men who are physically strong are more likely to take a right wing political stance, while weaker men are inclined to support the welfare state, according to a new study.
Researchers discovered political motivations may have evolutionary links to physical strength.
Men’s upper-body strength predicts their political opinions on economic redistribution, according to the research.
The principal investigators – psychological scientists Michael Bang Petersen, of Aarhus University in Denmark, and Daniel Sznycer, of the University of California in the U.S., believe that the link may reflect psychological traits that evolved in response to our early ancestral environments and continue to influence behaviour today.
Professor Petersen said: ‘While many think of politics as a modern phenomenon, it has – in a sense – always been with our species.’
In the days of our early ancestors, decisions about the distribution of resources were not made in courthouses or legislative offices, but through shows of strength.
With this in mind, Professor Petersen and Professor Sznycer hypothesised that upper-body strength – a proxy for the ability to physically defend or acquire resources – would predict men’s opinions about the redistribution of wealth.
The researchers collected data on bicep size, socio-economic status, and support for economic redistribution from hundreds of people in the United States, Argentina and Denmark.
In line with their hypotheses, the data revealed that wealthy men with high upper-body strength were less likely to support redistribution, while less wealthy men of the same strength were more likely to support it.
Men with less upper body strength are more likely to support the welfare state – like Labour leader Ed Miliband
Professor Petersen said: ‘Despite the fact that the United States, Denmark and Argentina have very different welfare systems, we still see that – at the psychological level – individuals reason about welfare redistribution in the same way.
‘In all three countries, physically strong males consistently pursue the self-interested position on redistribution.’
Men with low upper-body strength, on the other hand, were less likely to support their own self-interest.
Wealthy men of this group showed less resistance to redistribution, while poor men showed less support.
Professor Petersen said: ‘Our results demonstrate that physically weak males are more reluctant than physically strong males to assert their self-interest – just as if disputes over national policies were a matter of direct physical confrontation among small numbers of individuals, rather than abstract electoral dynamics among millions.’
Typical Liberal
“It must be true; its SCIENCE!”
Why then do the majority of German, Dutch and Scandinavian men (many of whom are big guys) go for social democratic welfare states? Northern Europe is seen as a beacon by many liberals in North America (were it not for the lousy sexual morals I would too). Could not socialization trump the power of instinct? We aren’t chimps after all (however much we may act like them!).
Really Leon?
My own observation of the wimp factor of males related to politics has more to do with the size of monuments and skyscrapers.
The obelisk by way of ancient example, right up to which nation or city has constructed the highest skyscraper in competition with the others
Men are vocal when criticizing the feminine opinion but we believe it is because they secretly feel threatened especially when confronted to act rightously.
Young and old women really do sit back in private and have some good laughs over how men think .
It is too obviously related to the flesh.
But it MUST be true? It’s SCIENCE! (irony,irony,irony, irony)
The irony was not lost and for a snippet of ‘woman think’……Because I have been memorizing all the latest “scientific” data on what is ” truly” beneficial and recently found to be harmful for my family’s consumption , according to the News bites the Dr Oz show and thousands of web sites , the last time I went into the grocery store my brain froze recalling something bad about each product!
So, although I prepared a wild caught salmon, organic rice and vegetables for the family last night , I personally rebelled and requested the husband bring home a Hershey bar for my own dinner.
NOT the dark chocolate filled with beneficial antioxidents, but the milk chocolate kind brimming with the poisonous sugars and fat. Capped it off with a glass of pinot grigio and rationalized that even though I passed on the benefits of a glass of red wine, I reduced my caloric intake by drinking the white. Women crave chocolate when they are feeling the need for love because the studies reveal it contains the same comforting enzymes . Afterall, it’s scientific so it must be true!
It’s not big per se, it has to do with upper body strength, according to the study. Scandinavians and Germans are tall.
Well MaryAnn if this is true ,the whole country is rushing towards a welfare mindset.
Not only is the average American male shrinking in height compared to a generation or two ago, they are also growing fat and flabby.More and more young men are growing beer bellies and that does not equate with upper body strength unless one counts bending the elbow to bring a can to one’s lips as weight lifting.
I suspect there’s a morsel of truth in this study. At least a truth that shows up in the subject of church attendance.
I’m an usher and greeter at my large Catholic parish, and have started to notice with pain how rarely a certain sort of guy is in church. Tall men with big shoulders, muscular arms, strong wrists, hands scarred by work. Moving with physical ease and confidence. The guys you obviously would not want to get in a fight with.
Many of our fathers and grandfathers were the type of men John Weidner describes and they were supporters of the New Deal and Great Society projects of the Democrats, and the equivalent projects here in Canada. Until recently I was very fit and sturdy (age and a history as a jogger is taking its toll) and I am sympathetic to some of the old time moderate left’s ideas. Does the study take into account the influence of the social and political milieus (my father grew up poor, my grandfathers were immigrants, I’ve worked with the poor as a social worker, etc.) strong guys experience?
“(age and a history as a jogger is taking its toll) ”
Ditto Fr, A word of caution to everyone.
I ran and or walked four miles daily wanting to stave off the genetic related diseases that took both my parents very young.
As a result I had one hip go bad by fifty and the results are now in that all my joints have the tell tale bone spurs of arthritis that must have been there from my youth.
Everything in moderation . We are a society of excesses even when it comes to our health. Looking back I can honestly say that friends who were regulars at the
gym ,male and female ,lifting weights and toning there bodies obsessively ,have either had heart attacks or have had cancers.
One small news story warned that people in their thirties and forties who did repetitive exercises and who were not aware they had arthritis were rapidly destroying their joints.
I cringe when I see all the runners in marathons raising monies for various diseases now wondering how many are accelerating damage to their own bodies.