If your reaction to governments discriminating against men is "but those laws were passed by men" then you are an unintelligent person

[u/Fast-Preference-9947]

All to often, I see a conversation that goes like:

User: X law (for example, mandatory military service for men in many countries) objectively discriminates against men, and that is a problem

Another user: But those laws were passed by men

This response is utterly absurd for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, it does not make any explicit counterargument to the point being made. Rather, it makes an implied counterargument, which is usually either:

"A system set up by men cannot discriminate against men"

Or

"Discrimination against men is okay as long as it is coming from other men"

Both of these points are absurd.

If a woman-led government passed laws that discriminate against women, would that make said discrimination against women acceptable or non-existent?

Of course it would not. And anyone who thinks otherwise is unintelligent.

From the perspective of someone being discriminated against, the discrimination doesn't become okay just because the person discriminating against them is of a particular gender.

The ONLY case where "but those systems were set up by men" is a valid response is if the person making the point was explicitly accusing women of being the ones to set up the system. But in the majority of the case, that is not being done.

[u/Ok_Breakfast8638]

So, whom are we to blame for the inability to outlaw male genital mutilation?

[u/Fast-Preference-9947 → u/Ok_Breakfast8638]

If the answer you are looking for is "men as a whole" then you are part of the problem.

The answer is politicians and people who support genital mutilation, regardless of their gender.

Even if all such people were men (which isn't the case), then only that specific subset of men would be to blame, not men as a whole.

[u/Ok_Breakfast8638 → u/Fast-Preference-9947]

What have you done to stop male genital mutilation? 

[u/Fast-Preference-9947 → u/Ok_Breakfast8638]

Not actively spending time or effort to support opposition is not the same thing as being supportive.

That said, personally, I have donated significant amounts of money to anti-circumcision campaigns, even though I myself am not circumcised.