I moderated an all- #woman panel on #terrorism, drone strikes, & int'l #law at a large int'l conference

It was a feel good experience b/c the conversation was not riding on nurturing #ToxicMasculinity & fragile male egos. The conversation was engaging & the audience enjoyed it.

I remember this b/c, since #ISIS incursion, we've seen a sudden emergence of "experts" on terrorism, militias, etc w/ no real education or research to discuss such a topic. All they had were sources on the ground giving them tips. W/ growing followership, their egos inflated.

Over the yrs, I've watched them engage in most toxic arguments to impose their "authority"

This always had me thinking of how both militarism & obsession w/ analyzing it radicalize men. There's always this sense of masculinity associated w/ militarism that they want to defend

They claim to be experts & talk abt their "research" which is quite basic

A crucial component of research is the willingness to be wrong. Research begins w/ a Q & the possibility that one can be wrong. If all these men want to do is prove they're right, they've got it all wrong

But with women, we don't have any toxic masculinity to prove, so we don't forcefully impose our "authority" on the subject.

We're more likely to engage respectfully, even in disagreement.

We don't assume we know more simply b/c we're men.