Jacob Mikanowski: belief

Transcript context

…In Eastern Europe, sexual dimorphism, maybe especially in parts of the Balkans, is it likely to go up or down? So a lot of men, they at least put on an air. There’s some kind of manly man, and they work out, they lift weights, they have muscles. Women: there’s a particular set of roles. And Putin in particular, but many other leaders there, like to attack the West for confusing the roles of men and women. Is that going to intensify in the East? Or that’s just going to go away as per capita income rises, and they’ll feminize, too? Well, they haven’t started yet. The Balkan male ethic is alive and well, at least to this observer — and they’re also just gigantic people down in former Yugoslavia. Maybe Greece would be the place to track? I don’t think Greek men have followed some kind of postmodern, Houellebecqian course. I think we’re a long way off from losing the Balkan male, as is a natural species. I think we can improve the economy a lot, and that male culture, that ethos, is going to be around for a while. I don’t think they have anything to worry about. Last two questions. First, an educated American comes to you and says, “Jacob, design for me a two-week vacation in Eastern Europe, but forget about Budapest and Prague.” They’ve already been there. They’re not going to go, or they want to go anyway. For two weeks, where do you send them? What’s the itinerary?…

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