Cultures Monogamous and Polyamorous4

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(Free-Press-Release.com) October 4, 2010 -- Finally, he leaves open the possibility of "drawing to our side not only monogamous men but the fathers of good will in the culture of polyamory…"

In other words, Fagan's article does not seem to hold out the peace pipe which, however unlikely to be accepted by the supporters of the culture of polyamory, was offered in his Amsterdam speech. Indeed, the very idea of a voucher approach assumes a pluralism that would allow for widely differing lifestyles and ways of rearing children. This is what William Kristol once called using neo-libertarian means to achieve traditional ends.
While Fagan's Touchstone article is a stronger statement of his position, the language in his original Amsterdam speech should not be forgotten. Even as we regret the rise of the culture of polyamory, and doubt the good will or willingness of its proponents to make room for the supporters of monogamy, it is a uniquely American trait to hope for some kind of accommodation in or amelioration of the culture wars that divide our nation. Fagan was, is entirely correct to hold out that hope.

Fagan embraces a broad definition of polyamory, which a popular dictionary defines as the state or practice of having more than one open romantic relationship at a time. It is derived from the Greek, poly or many, and the Latin, amor or love. Clearly, Fagan's definition includes a whole range of liberated sexual practices such as homosexuality, although some gay advocates reject the association.
For John Winthrop his appointment in 1630 as governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony was a financial, social, and political boon. He was out of a job as an attorney at the Court of Wards and was accruing debts rapidly. His young second son, the aggressive Henry, had been unable to make a success of his venture in Barbados, and was now back in England looking to his family for help.

The image of the family led by the patriarch has been well managed by later descendants who sought, as Robert C. Winthrop did in the late 1800s, to paint the family with the lofty aim to inhabit the new land, living there with a profound ambition of self-rule. In fact, the family's purpose was initially and afterward strictly a matter of business, personal advancement, and the accrual of wealth and maintenance of status.