I remember struggling to talk about this topic on Dagblog a while ago. The term "incel" hadn't arisen yet, so I used the term "American hikikomori" in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook murders, the anniversary of which was today.

A good deal of books on the subject of young men's "failure to launch" come from conservative authors. The phenomenon is global and while the rhetoric may seem brutal and cruel, this article demonstrates that the reasons for this phenomenon are impersonal.

A knowledge economy seems unfairly enough to desire young women more than young men as they are less threatening to the average person. The author notes that, when men were much more desired in employment, the circumstances included soldiering and very hard labor.

The current equilibrium rests on our current wealth and prosperity. If real hard times hit us, the Superfluous Men could literally be forced to work, much as they had in times past, putting us right back where we started.

The author also notes that, while men may recognize that things aren't quite adding up for them, the right wing movements that have arisen to this phenomenon don't show empathy for men in other parts of the world experiencing similar circumstances. In addition, many men subscribe to a worldview that doubles down on the expectations that make this situation so grueling for men, while rejecting social safety nets that would give them a break and a lifeline.