If you haven’t seen 300, grab a copy from the video store and watch it with your girlfriend, wife or daughter.

Despite all the violence and bloodshed no Hollywood movie can unfortunately miss, you may also learn about the true values a man used to be made of in other times. Just like Maximus the Gladiator, King Leonidas of Sparta is that single person people feel honored to die for. Or rather for the values embraced by King Leonidas and his Spartans.

Women in Macho Societies

300 is a macho movie for sure, but look closely. In such a society clearly dominated by man, you cannot miss the care, love and deep respect King Leonidas shows to his wife. She is in fact the single female character in the whole movie, but what a striking appearance! Even the Persian messenger is offended by the power this woman has in front of her people and king.

I myself come from a country considered rather macho, where most men still think women would better take care of the household and let the man lead. I definitely cannot say I agree with this, but there are here many aspects people from so-called developed countries can hardly understand. Not all bad for women.

Few years ago a Muslim friend, with more than one woman as wife in his country, was telling me that men out there were also having much more respect for their wives. Getting a new wife was also coming with huge responsibilities and, unless you were able to provide her, financially and in other areas, you were not allowed to do it.

I also know it was and it’s still hard for occidentals to understand why women of the “liberated” Afghanistan still want to keep their face covered and do not all hurry to embrace their full democratic rights. Media will always suggest it’s either by fear or silliness. But truth is there are also traditions, cultures and ways of living these people cherish, and occidentals hardly understand.

I remember our arrival in Canada, many years ago. I was amazed by so many laws that explicitly “protected” the woman. It may have looked like a paradise for women, but things were pushed to ridiculous and extreme. There were everywhere phone lines to denounce abuses, association to protect women etc. We were shown how democratic and egalitarian such country is, but many new immigrants could not imagine the need for such excessive coverage. What media will hardly say - and this is what we gradually discovered later, in time - is women from their own country (Canada) were until recently so frequently abused. In ways most immigrants could hardly imagine in their native countries.

Are women more happy in western countries? I see more than 50% of couple are divorced and plenty of single moms live a life from hell to meet both ends, kids and financial needs…

So watch 300, watch the relationship between King Leonidas and his wife, watch the deep love and respect he shows to her husband, and try to better understand that macho societies and countries dominated by man do not necessarily and always mean discrimination in the negative way for women.

True Men, True Values

What is the secret behind the force of this 300 Spartans, that held in place a huge army of Persians? How come the massive army of USA is not able today to “fix” the war in Iraq? Look closely and don’t get mad; I don’t pretend the suicide bombers or radical Muslims have the morality or force of character the 300 Spartans shown, but on the other side, the American side, everybody can see people no longer have true leaders and true values to rely on. Are American paying back for 9/11? In Iraq?! Everyone knows by now that’s a joke.

I was watching the other day on CNN American soldiers, freely speaking about the “idiots” from Capital Hill, while they die there for nothing. Because this is what this war has become, but few admit it: a circus, where politicians rule the world.

Look at King Leonidas and the Spartans around him. When leaders used to lead armies from the front row, there is no man in the world who will not follow them to the death. This is what true leaders and true men were made of. This is how 300 wonderful soldiers can eventually defeat huge armies. With great leaders and true values. And their true value was defending their own individual freedom. No compromise, no surrender, no kneeling. Dignity, pride, amazing courage, ultimate sacrifice. This is not the kind of macho we see today in fashion magazines, from nice looking gay people on their covers. But the kind of macho that makes you proud to be a man.

True Leaders and True Values - this is why movies like 300 or Gladiators are great. And our wives, girlfriends and daughters should watch these movies to better understand us.

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