Proof Men Have Won The "Battle of The Sexes".

Grunt · Post by **Grunt** » March 27th, 2008, 8:27 pm

Few could argue that marriage in the west primarily benefits the female. Thus, when feminists demand the highest possible price for the worst possible product, men simply shop elsewhere...or not at all.

Marriages fall to 110-year low as more couples shun wedlock

The institution of marriage took another knock yesterday when government statisticians reported that the number of weddings in 2006 were the lowest for 110 years. Marriages made a significant comeback between 2002 and 2004, but fell by 9% in 2005 in England and Wales, when the long-term trend towards cohabitation out of wedlock resumed.

Provisional figures released yesterday for 2006 showed there were 236,980 marriages, a further 4% decline, the Office for National Statistics said. The Conservatives blamed the decline on the government's social and fiscal policies. The shadow home secretary, David Davis, said: "This is a sad indictment of policies which have penalised families and fuelled family breakdown. Stable families are the best formula for bringing up children and preventing delinquency, antisocial behaviour and crime, so a failed family policy is itself a major cause of crime."

The Church of England attributed the fall in marriages to a "continued trend of couples delaying marriage or avoiding it altogether, not least the mistaken idea that cohabitation is a form of marriage".

A spokesman for the church said marriage remained the best option. "Marriage affirms the goodness and rightness of love between a man and woman, affirms this in the public sphere, beyond private arrangements, and is the best option for couples to grow together in mutual support."

The ONS suggested that the decrease in marriages was partly due to a change in the law in February 2005, designed to crack down on "sham" marriages for purposes such as securing a visa. There may also have been more people getting married abroad, escaping the recording system. It added that the raw figures understated the shift from matrimony and suggested that the true picture was reflected by the marriage rate, a calculation showing the proportion of unmarried adults getting hitched in any given year.

For every 1,000 unmarried men, only 22.8 got married in 2006, compared with 24.5 in 2005. The 2006 figure was the lowest since records began in 1862.

Jill Kirby, director of centre-right thinktank, the Centre for Policy Studies, said the figures were not surprising "in view of the lack of government policy over the last 10 years encouraging marriage".

The Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "This government supports marriage as it is a sound foundation for raising children. But we want to support all children and families, whether or not their parents are married. The family unit is changing, but this doesn't mean it is breaking down."

The ONS said the average age for people to marry for the first time in 2006 was 31.8 for men and 29.7 for women. In 1991, it was nearly five years less for men and just over four and a half less for women.

gmm567 · Post by **gmm567** » March 28th, 2008, 7:37 pm

It's too early to tell whether there is any trend here.

It might just be noise in the data. But I am hopeful. It's the only way things are going to change.

Ibiza · Post by **Ibiza** » June 17th, 2008, 1:04 pm

I'm surprised that you think marriage primarily benefits women when it's been shown in many studies that health-wise it is men who beneft and have increased leisure time. In fact, women take on more work by getting married. Anyway, I have personally shunned marriage myself, because I find it too much hassle and it looks like the trend to no longer desiring marriage is here to stay for everyone then.

Post by **Winston** » June 17th, 2008, 1:33 pm

Welcome to the Happier Abroad Forum Ibiza. Care to introduce yourself in the Member Introduction section? How did you find out about this site?

Anyhow, I'm glad that you're here to offer a different perspective on things.

Regards,
Winston

momopi · Post by **momopi** » June 17th, 2008, 1:49 pm

There's been a lot of studies that claim married men live longer and healthier (on average) than single men. The data varies but the usually cited figure is that married men live 10 years longer.

It doesn't take rocket science to figure out that married men tend to eat better and at regular meal times, versus single men consuming junk food.

kristy_571 · Post by **kristy_571** » June 17th, 2008, 2:01 pm

And the single women that were once slim and pretty become angry, fat, and harassed when they have kids and end up eating all the time and losing intrest in sex with their husbands. I see that as something fairly common too-with women once they are married.

kristy_571 · Post by **kristy_571** » June 17th, 2008, 2:02 pm

I am trying to figure out how a man can live longer with his fat nagging wife always at his back. Maybe it's because the wife forces him to stay alive longer to prolong the torture?

Enishi · Post by **Enishi** » June 17th, 2008, 4:10 pm

If it means not having to live with a fat, nagging monster, not having half my hard earned assets removed by the government, not having to live from pay check to pay check in order to pay child support, or have my kids taken from me, I'll happily exchange 10 years off my life span in order to remain single.

Grunt · Post by **Grunt** » June 17th, 2008, 6:24 pm

My wife (foreign of course) is the least of my worries. What DOES worry me is the fall of the dollar, America being 5% of the world population but having 25% of the worlds prison population, 35 million illegal Mexicans raping and looting their war through the lower 48, imminent war with Iran, etc etc...

My wife is one of the few pleasures I have in life. But thats only because she isnt American. Marriage works, IF you do it right.

HardCoreMaddog · Post by **HardCoreMaddog** » June 22nd, 2008, 11:55 am

From my observation it seems to me that only this applies to American women. I hear that women in foreign countries value niceness of men and still feel attracted.

http://dating.personals.yahoo.com/singl ... QEenoDYQ--

KristineTheStrawberryGirl · July 7th, 2008, 2:37 am

The only "winners" in the battle of the sexes are divorce attorneys.

Shokkers · Post by **Shokkers** » August 17th, 2008, 10:01 am

I'm not sure this article means men have "won". It's better for a lot of guys to hold off and re-evaluate marriage...but ultimately marriage does help a lot of guys. Statistically, married men live longer, have better immune systems, do better in the workplace and have more sex. Bachelors have higher rates of depression, suicide and death by misadventure.

A lot of my friends have seen their first marriages crash and burn, but have done very well in their 2nd marriages. One would think they'd have opted out after the first divorce, but they got right back into it.

Perhaps the institution of marriage itself could use some overhauling...it's been the same old thing for centuries (at least it's optional, now).

Best, KK
http://www.rockherworld.net