how are the MEN okay with any of this?

isn't that north korea though , not much tech, men in military

Some people would argue that this TV Series is primarily not entertainment but propaganda professionally wrapped up in an entertaining context. And (is it is often the case with left-wing ideologies) it's easy to make a statement or develop a theory but it's hard to back it up with the facts of everyday life or without ignoring certain crucial details.

Others would say that this show is actually deliberately done to scare the viewers. Such shows help to maintain status quo by telling the viewers in a non-verbal way: Look what could happen if you're not careful enough and go against the current state.

Anyways don't look for perfect logic in it )) If you're OK with enjoying the show - just let all the logical incoherences slide.

There are places like Jezebels where they do things for pleasure, but it's not out in the open. Most of Gilead in what used to be the plains is a wasteland, like what we see in the colonies. They are trying to dig away the toxic soil so people can grow there again. They look to their religion, which tells them their previous way of life is what caused all this destruction, and came to believe their survival depends on their faith. Take the men, put guns in their hands and call them guardians, they will believe what they do is critical to the survival of everyone. Take religion and make it law, and they now have justification that they are doing the right thing.

Well, we know everyone isn't all in on this idea, but enough of them in power are true believers to hold it together. And the ones who don't believe, they have different incentives to keep up appearances. Some might not want to give up their relatively comfortable lives. Some are afraid to collaborate and start a revolt because they have no idea how many out there would join, and anyone who overhears could turn them in.

Or others are in a situation like June- remember Lydia took her out and showed her the people hanging on the wall and told her those were the people who tried to help her escape. Then she said June would be executed like that after she has the baby, June is the one responsible, but Offred was not. Offred had a place in the world, without their blood on her hands. She makes the choice to be Offred as sort of a penance to herself for getting those people killed, but she is also grateful to be given the choice and keep her place in that world. Since then, she has sorta gone back to being June, but she's taking a slightly different approach by going directly to the people who have power over her and appealing to their humanity, and so far getting some mixed results.

Take a good hard look at the state of Muslim theocracies. Not so much different. The men there loathe their wives and treat them like garbage.

Handmaid's Tale is based on America's Puritan history and its present day influence. I think you're missing the point that there's a crisis going on in which couples cannot procreate. Under those extreme circumstances, people are going to find a way to have kids. Society has basically legitimized kidnapping and rape (the only way to still have kids) and cloaked it under the will of God through religion which is what Americans would use because of its Puritanical pass. Justification is needed in order to make something immoral tolerable or accepted. Americans tend to use religion for that purpose.

The rich are the one's with power. They are exploiting the rest of Americans by kidnapping their kids and rapping women. Hmm, rich and powerful exploiting the lower classes. That sounds like reality to me.