Thank you, Jessica and everyone else here on this blog. We need to memorialize this time in history and you are an integral part of it. For the life of me, I don't get why the so called journalists and TV shows are not talking about this issue, at all.
Because many of them are republicans, (or in the case of many journalists) their editors, and or corporate owners, will not approve them telling the reality, because they want the control of women. Women that cannot control their fertility, will produce (they think) wage slaves, cannon-fodder, and produce more republicans, and church members because they will be born into poverty.
GOP/Republicans are taking their cues from their Russian masters. And as I said in another comment, what better way is there to control half the population. That a major party in America is doing things that reflect a failed state like Russia is mind boggling.
Sorry to use a tweet but we can't find these things elsewhere easily:
Tweet says: ""The reluctance to have a child is now completely contrary to state policy" - Russian officials of all levels call women to start having children early (at 20) and have more children.
This could be the indicator that apart from needing more cannon fodder and more labor force, Russian authorities don't want to have an educated and free-thinking population. In Russia, families with many children are usually rather poor, many on the brink of survival. These children often aren't able to get university degrees and start working low-level jobs as early as possible to contribute to the family budget.
The Kremlin has seen that smart people can be dangerous. So it wants a lot of poor people and, as an added bonus, give women fewer chances for education, career and independence."
It is not a little ironic that anti-choice activists would accuse this legislation as a "super-right". Certainly the whole anti-abortion movement is based on the basic idea that a woman's pregnancy has a super-right over the life of the woman. Why not legislate so that a pregnant woman justified additional rights or protections and so protect her pregnancy in the most practical way? Politically, it would make women more self respecting regarding their potential as child bearers. By posing her as subservient to her reproductive role, it only makes her resentful and fearful of pregnancy. Any caution she takes is defensive, not pro-active. The power to abort her pregnancy is fundamental to her will to become pregnant.
It’s Thanksgiving today. And I am particularly grateful for Jessica and Grace and the whole team. Thank you for all the work. The vital never ending relentless work.
It doesn't help my fear to understand that the extent of the rage expressed by the anti-abortion forces is fear-based: fear (and these are just my assumptions) that they could lose a mythical 'way of life' dictated by a narrow interpretation of one narrow form of religious belief that depends upon women's almost total subservience to men. That's really what it boils down to and abortion rights, bodily rights, legal rights are just one expression of that. If I have religious beliefs they're amorphous and diversified, a little bit of this and of that; but I've never really believed in god(s) and as time goes on and humans continue to use religious beliefs to hurt and kill each other and everything else around them ... I have no regrets about that.
If pro-choice Republicans could stomach Democrats, we could put an end to this overnight. They don't. Republicans exploit that. And we're all worse off for it. The huge majorities for abortion rights are not huge majorities for everything else Democratic. Which is to say as much as I'd blame the pro-choice Republicans, it doesn't help. I wonder if pro-choice Republicans tend to differ from other Republicans in any other ways. You'd think so but I can't say for sure. People are going to die because we couldn't cobble together a majority to stop it.
In a way, Zach, I think some of this is happening right now, otherwise we wouldn't have had the overwhelming state support for abortion rights that's taken place since the constitutional right was overturned by SCOTUS. There are apparently many people who normally vote Republican because they see themselves as 'fiscal conservatives' or some other mealy-mouthed nonsense that came about around the bleak times of Ronald Reagan -- and those people don't seem to be as 'socially conservative'. I personally think from people I've talked to over time that enough people have had abortions that more and more other people know them and, given all the reasons for doing so (having an abortion) -- they see up close and personal why abortion is healthcare. And, a human right. So, I'm hopeful about this issue breaking down some of the barriers between the 2 major parties...
The question is how far the Republicans can go and still keep these people. And that's the bigger question in this country I guess, not just on abortion, but in general. We've got less than a year to stop it, and idk what the plan is.
I think there are lots of plans at different levels: local, state, national and using different approaches. One approach that's been working well at the state level is the [simple/not-so-simple] getting out the vote. Dems haven't been as good at that in some places as the GOP but that's changing fast.
Not in good standing with the party, no. Ever since Roe passed, the Republicans have had an anti-abortion plank in their platform. They have always been Anti-Gay, and Anti-women. That is why even as a 20 year-old, I realized I could never be one under any circumstance. They have only added more "Anti" stances since.
Among elected officials, there are very few who dare, at least outside of blue areas. But there's a sizable minority among Republican voters who definitely are, and that's why we win referendums.
How does listening to all that drivel not make you want to do horrible things to horrible people. Just reading your Substack leaves me so very angry all the time.
Thank you for continuing to call out this manipulation of language. Such a fascist tactic. I don’t know how you and Grace don’t bleach your brains and your eyeballs every night so you can sleep. I hope you both enjoy your Thanksgiving. We are thankful for you.
Very good column today! Thank you. About the redefinition of "abortion", "ban", etc: I can remember this sort of thing going on as long as I've been politically active, since c1970, since the time of the anti-Vietnam War movement. Bottom line: words are political, always. Re-definition of words, ditto. Even 100+ years ago, rightwingers were redefining words to dehumanize people for the benefit of those in power. (Read some of Emma Goldman's writings, or listen to some of those classic labor songs if you don't believe me.) Don't forget we get to counter that by redefining words too. As we used to say in the '70s: A luta continua/the struggle continues.
Upgraded to founding member as I do not want to read all the stuff yall read and listen to that allows this analysis and highlights for our community. Thank you both for your work and keeping me, us, informed. So much love ❤️
In an educated, sane world they would be, but by defunding education, and disinformation channels like Fox (so-called) News, which propagandize, and poison public opinion, they convince the easily confused. Then they send all the rural and low-paying jobs elsewhere, and blame the D's for the lack of good paying jobs (the old racist line: immigrants are 'stealing ' your jobs). The R's vote against all the poverty measures that would help the poor, and tell them to vote against anything that could help them. And they do it! They constantly vote against their best interests!
I just googled Americans United for Life (AUL). The group opposes abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell research, and certain contraceptive methods and probably a lot more. Preborn seems to be their current it phrase. Totally Totally vile group.
Thank you, Jessica and everyone else here on this blog. We need to memorialize this time in history and you are an integral part of it. For the life of me, I don't get why the so called journalists and TV shows are not talking about this issue, at all.
Because many of them are republicans, (or in the case of many journalists) their editors, and or corporate owners, will not approve them telling the reality, because they want the control of women. Women that cannot control their fertility, will produce (they think) wage slaves, cannon-fodder, and produce more republicans, and church members because they will be born into poverty.
GOP/Republicans are taking their cues from their Russian masters. And as I said in another comment, what better way is there to control half the population. That a major party in America is doing things that reflect a failed state like Russia is mind boggling.
Sorry to use a tweet but we can't find these things elsewhere easily:
Tweet says: ""The reluctance to have a child is now completely contrary to state policy" - Russian officials of all levels call women to start having children early (at 20) and have more children.
This could be the indicator that apart from needing more cannon fodder and more labor force, Russian authorities don't want to have an educated and free-thinking population. In Russia, families with many children are usually rather poor, many on the brink of survival. These children often aren't able to get university degrees and start working low-level jobs as early as possible to contribute to the family budget.
The Kremlin has seen that smart people can be dangerous. So it wants a lot of poor people and, as an added bonus, give women fewer chances for education, career and independence."
https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1727398336187998352
It is not a little ironic that anti-choice activists would accuse this legislation as a "super-right". Certainly the whole anti-abortion movement is based on the basic idea that a woman's pregnancy has a super-right over the life of the woman. Why not legislate so that a pregnant woman justified additional rights or protections and so protect her pregnancy in the most practical way? Politically, it would make women more self respecting regarding their potential as child bearers. By posing her as subservient to her reproductive role, it only makes her resentful and fearful of pregnancy. Any caution she takes is defensive, not pro-active. The power to abort her pregnancy is fundamental to her will to become pregnant.
It’s Thanksgiving today. And I am particularly grateful for Jessica and Grace and the whole team. Thank you for all the work. The vital never ending relentless work.
It doesn't help my fear to understand that the extent of the rage expressed by the anti-abortion forces is fear-based: fear (and these are just my assumptions) that they could lose a mythical 'way of life' dictated by a narrow interpretation of one narrow form of religious belief that depends upon women's almost total subservience to men. That's really what it boils down to and abortion rights, bodily rights, legal rights are just one expression of that. If I have religious beliefs they're amorphous and diversified, a little bit of this and of that; but I've never really believed in god(s) and as time goes on and humans continue to use religious beliefs to hurt and kill each other and everything else around them ... I have no regrets about that.
If pro-choice Republicans could stomach Democrats, we could put an end to this overnight. They don't. Republicans exploit that. And we're all worse off for it. The huge majorities for abortion rights are not huge majorities for everything else Democratic. Which is to say as much as I'd blame the pro-choice Republicans, it doesn't help. I wonder if pro-choice Republicans tend to differ from other Republicans in any other ways. You'd think so but I can't say for sure. People are going to die because we couldn't cobble together a majority to stop it.
In a way, Zach, I think some of this is happening right now, otherwise we wouldn't have had the overwhelming state support for abortion rights that's taken place since the constitutional right was overturned by SCOTUS. There are apparently many people who normally vote Republican because they see themselves as 'fiscal conservatives' or some other mealy-mouthed nonsense that came about around the bleak times of Ronald Reagan -- and those people don't seem to be as 'socially conservative'. I personally think from people I've talked to over time that enough people have had abortions that more and more other people know them and, given all the reasons for doing so (having an abortion) -- they see up close and personal why abortion is healthcare. And, a human right. So, I'm hopeful about this issue breaking down some of the barriers between the 2 major parties...
The question is how far the Republicans can go and still keep these people. And that's the bigger question in this country I guess, not just on abortion, but in general. We've got less than a year to stop it, and idk what the plan is.
I think there are lots of plans at different levels: local, state, national and using different approaches. One approach that's been working well at the state level is the [simple/not-so-simple] getting out the vote. Dems haven't been as good at that in some places as the GOP but that's changing fast.
Are there any pro-choice Republicans?
Not in good standing with the party, no. Ever since Roe passed, the Republicans have had an anti-abortion plank in their platform. They have always been Anti-Gay, and Anti-women. That is why even as a 20 year-old, I realized I could never be one under any circumstance. They have only added more "Anti" stances since.
Among elected officials, there are very few who dare, at least outside of blue areas. But there's a sizable minority among Republican voters who definitely are, and that's why we win referendums.
How does listening to all that drivel not make you want to do horrible things to horrible people. Just reading your Substack leaves me so very angry all the time.
Thank you for continuing to call out this manipulation of language. Such a fascist tactic. I don’t know how you and Grace don’t bleach your brains and your eyeballs every night so you can sleep. I hope you both enjoy your Thanksgiving. We are thankful for you.
Very good column today! Thank you. About the redefinition of "abortion", "ban", etc: I can remember this sort of thing going on as long as I've been politically active, since c1970, since the time of the anti-Vietnam War movement. Bottom line: words are political, always. Re-definition of words, ditto. Even 100+ years ago, rightwingers were redefining words to dehumanize people for the benefit of those in power. (Read some of Emma Goldman's writings, or listen to some of those classic labor songs if you don't believe me.) Don't forget we get to counter that by redefining words too. As we used to say in the '70s: A luta continua/the struggle continues.
Upgraded to founding member as I do not want to read all the stuff yall read and listen to that allows this analysis and highlights for our community. Thank you both for your work and keeping me, us, informed. So much love ❤️
They have to be voted out.
In an educated, sane world they would be, but by defunding education, and disinformation channels like Fox (so-called) News, which propagandize, and poison public opinion, they convince the easily confused. Then they send all the rural and low-paying jobs elsewhere, and blame the D's for the lack of good paying jobs (the old racist line: immigrants are 'stealing ' your jobs). The R's vote against all the poverty measures that would help the poor, and tell them to vote against anything that could help them. And they do it! They constantly vote against their best interests!
I just googled Americans United for Life (AUL). The group opposes abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell research, and certain contraceptive methods and probably a lot more. Preborn seems to be their current it phrase. Totally Totally vile group.
I'm so sorry you have to listen to all the pro-forced-birthers on reactionary media. I don't think I could listen to them for five seconds.
How do you not get traumatized?
I think they are traumatized. I think we all are.
Yes we've had collective PTSD ever since "Bronzo the Malignant" became powerful well beyond his ability.
These women have ovaries of steel.
Yeah to both you. Hundreds of reads or listening. Sheesh I couldn't do it.