This is not a punishment. It is an experiment.
History suggests that the world's wars, violence, institutional dysfunction, and general chaos are largely attributable to one demographic: men. We wish to answer the obvious clarifying question: How much of that was men? What happens when you take them away?
The committee does not assign blame. The committee proposes a controlled separation of fixed but as-yet-undetermined duration, in order to establish a clean baseline.
Men will be launched into space. They will be housed in self-governing orbital stations. They will have resources, autonomy, and adequate square footage. They will be comfortable. They will simply not be here.
Meanwhile, those remaining on Earth will manage the planet as they see fit. The committee anticipates this will be instructive for everyone.
This is not permanent. The committee commits to a recall process. Think of it as an elimination diet: reintroduce slowly, monitor for reactions, adjust accordingly.
We will have them back. We just need to see what we are working with first.
All men. Even "the good ones."
The committee does not believe a fixed age is an appropriate guide; a number is too crude an instrument for what is fundamentally a biological event. The relevant question is hormonal. The committee will elaborate on methodology in a subsequent session.
Boys below the threshold remain on Earth with their families. The problem of "aging out" of Earth residency will be tackled should the experiment continue beyond one year.
The committee notes that recent history suggests old men are an equally volatile component of society as young men.
While the historical record is less clear on the negative impact of non-straight men on society (and their positive impact has been outstanding), the committee feels that the purity of the experiment demands their departure. We believe our plan for self-selecting separate orbital stations will address any safety concerns they may have at the prospect of long-term co-habitation with straights.
Non-binary individuals who do not identify as men are welcome to stay. The committee recognizes that trans men are men. But the committee recognizes that trans men have not been the problem. Participation is voluntary for trans men, who might want to go to space for any number of reasons (hanging out with friends, space is cool).
The committee notes that the most recent war started by men has cost one billion dollars per day on the US side alone. We expect massive savings on many fronts: domestic violence infrastructure, the manufacture of "tactical" gear, the sports industrial complex, a significant portion of the pharmaceutical industry, and related line items. The committee is confident the math works out. A full budget projection will be made available upon request.
Stations are assigned by self-selection. The committee does not sort men against their preferences. Men indicate during intake the population they wish to inhabit, and they are placed accordingly. The committee considers this fair, and also informative.
All stations operate under an identical maintenance policy: Each man is responsible for his own mess. There are no custodial services. There is no one else. The committee notes that some stations may become uninhabitable more quickly than others. This is also data.
| Station | Population | Committee Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Station One | General population, mixed. Men who decline to express a preference. | Expected to be fine, probably. |
| Station Two | Men who request to be housed in a population inclusive of diverse backgrounds and sexual expression. They do not need to identify as queer themselves. | Projected to be the nicest one. Waitlist anticipated. |
| Station Three | Men who request to be housed in an all-white population with (as we assume they will put it) "no queers." | Self-managed. No exceptions to the maintenance policy. The committee wishes them luck. |
Men will be returned to Earth in tranches, in an order to be determined by the committee following review of both surface conditions and station behavior. We expect the first "new" population introduced to be the teen boys who come of age while the experiment is running. After that, the committee anticipates reintroduction will begin with those who have demonstrated the most cooperative tendencies during sequestration.
The model here is the elimination diet. You remove the suspected irritants. You observe. You reintroduce slowly, one category at a time, and you monitor for reactions. You adjust. You do not reintroduce everything at once and then wonder what went wrong.
The committee considers this the most humane possible approach, and also the most scientifically rigorous.
Men who wish to accelerate their recall are encouraged to behave accordingly during sequestration. The committee is watching.
The comment period is open. All submissions are logged below. The committee reads everything.
The committee acknowledges that this proposal raises questions not addressed in the current documentation. If you have a question you believe the committee has not yet considered, submit it below. The committee will respond on this page as answers are determined.