>>40227089
..."In this book, [Frank] Herbert develops a new line of thought. One of the more important reforms the god Leto has made is to abolish male armies, replacing them with an army made up of only females. The concept is discussed in the following dialogue between two members of his court:


”Yes. He says that the all-male army was too dangerous to its civilian support base”

”That’s crazy! Without the army, there would’ve been no…”

”I know the argument. But he says that the male army was a survival of the screening function of delegated to the non-breeding males in the prehistoric pack. He says it was a curiously consistent fact that it was always the older males who sent the younger males into battle.”

”What does that mean, screening function?”

”The ones who were always out on the dangerous perimeter protecting the core of breeding males, females and the young. The ones who first encountered the predator.”

”How is that dangerous to the …civilians?”

Idaho took a bite of the melon, found it ripened perfectly.

”The Lord Leto says that when it was denied an external enemy, the all male army always turned against its own population. Always.”

”Contending for the females?”

”Perhaps. He obviously does not believe, however, that it was that simple.”

”I don’t find this a curious theory.”

”You have not heard all of it.”

”There’s more?”

”Oh, yes. He says that the all-male army has a strong tendency toward homosexual activities.”

Idaho glared across the table at Moneo. ”I never…”

”Of course not. He is speaking about sublimation, about deflected energies and all the rest of it.”

”The rest of what?” Idaho was prickly with anger at what he saw as an attack on his male self-image.

”Adolescent attitudes, just boys together, jokes designed purely to cause pain, loyalty only to your pack-mates… things of that nature.”