I don't worry about "A Handmaiden's Tale" Scenario or other super dramatic

[cali]

fascist scenarios; what I worry about is subtler, more insidious.

And in many ways, I what I worry about has already happened- for one thing it's embedded in our government framework, particularly as its been restructured by the Supreme Court over the past several years.

We talk and have talked for years about fascism in the U.S. at DU- argued about it is more like it. I don't like using the word 'fascist', because I suspect it means widely different things to folks.

The Handmaiden's Story: How likely is that scenario to actually play out? Well, not unless there's an apocalyptic twist such as the one Atwood employs.

How likely is the crippling of women's reproductive rights?


THAT HAS ALREADY HAPPENED.

It didn't happen because of Personhood Amendment crap- all of those failed and if they didn't they wouldn't last 10 seconds in any court. I say that with confidence because of the recent record of federal courts over the past few years on abortion. What crippled abortion rights in this country was the TRAP strategy- Targeted Regulation of Abortion Providers. It was/is brilliantly effective. It was a national campaign with a shitload of foresight and smarts. I hate it but they weren't stupid. The National organizations of forced birthers have been saying for years "look at us, we're introducing personhood amendments": Meanwhile in state after state what they've actually been doing- and spending big bucks on- is getting state legislatures to regulate abortion clinics into closure.

Sure, the skeleton of reproductive rights still exists, but in many states, access to abortion is not an option , particularly for the young and poor, but also for many working women. Just it make impossible for docs to do abortions because of ridiculous laws that demand that docs have hospital privileges or laws about the physical plant of any facility that provides abortion services, thus forcing the expense of millions to comply with bullshit laws, and presto, abortion services disappear.

So that's one example of what's already happen that people seem strangely unwilling to believe. They're winning, but not through using the jesus stuff wielded like a club, but by talking hypocritically about how they're. protecting women. Fucking liars. That's code. That's a dog whistle as surely as talking about "thugs in hoodies".

At least under dramatic scenarios, people fight back. And sure, some people are fighting back now against the corruption and against such things as environmental degradation, but 9 times out of ten, corruption and corporate power wins the day. That's been going on for a while. Is that process slowed by having a democratic president? Probably, but it's sure as shit not reversed or held to a draw. Corporations have done very, very well under this administration- just as they did under the one prior to it. And the one prior to that.

Corporate influence has been morphing into corporate control and I believe we've passed the tipping point. I don't see any real way of effectively diminishing corporate power, influence and control. Citizen's United is a handy reference. Call it the final shovelful of dirt.

I suppose it's a good thing that there are those who see our current status in a rosier way, though I don't see how they do it but by avoiding facts.

[ProSense]

1. There are

"Corporate influence has been morphing into corporate control and I believe we've passed the tipping point. I don't see any real way of effectively diminishing corporate power, influence and control. Citizen's United is a handy reference. Call it the final shovelful of dirt.

I suppose it's a good thing that there are those who see our current status in a rosier way, though I don't see how they do it but by avoiding facts. "

...several groups and states pushing Congress to address Citizens United. I cherish people with optimism. I mean, the gloom and doomers seem to prefer that everyone else become equally dispondent to the point of completely giving up.

<...>

Sixteen states have formally petitioned Congress to enact a constitutional amendment to overturn the US Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling—which frees corporations to spend as much as they choose to influence elections, and which continued a process of striking down federal, state and local campaign-finance reforms. These states have formally recognized that votes should define the electoral process, not dollars. Groups such as Free Speech for People, Move to Amend, Public Citizen, Common Cause and People for the American Way have made tremendous progress at the local and state levels—working with limited resources and shamefully scant media coverage. They’ve won support from Democrats, Republicans and independents in state legislatures across the country, and they’ve organized and won statewide and local referendum votes. “In just three years since the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, we have come one third of the way to amending the US Constitution to reclaim our democracy and to ensure that people, not corporations, shall govern in America,” says John Bonifaz, co-founder and executive director of Free Speech For People.

But there is still much work to do. The real “critical mass” moment will not come until current numbers double and the movement is in range of the number of states that would be required to approve an amendment: thirty-eight. Roughly 100 House members have sponsored or cosponsored amendment proposals, as have key senators such as Vermont independent Bernie Sanders and Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown. Getting more states to formally demand action will cause more congressional buy-in for this necessary reform.

- more -
http://www.thenation.com/blog/177753/democratic-vistas-2014-five-reforms-make-our-politics-matter

From last October:

[cali]

3. I honestly wish you were able to respond with more than

parroting back what someone else wrote and posting links that more often than not, aren't really pertinent.

alas, I doubt that day will ever come.

[ProSense]

4. OK,

"I honestly wish you were able to respond with more than

parroting back what someone else wrote and posting links that more often than not, aren't really pertinent.

alas, I doubt that day will ever come."

...since you "honestly" believe your nastiness is effective, here (without the link) :

There are several groups and states pushing Congress to address Citizens United. I cherish people with optimism. I mean, the gloom and doomers seem to prefer that everyone else become equally dispondent to the point of completely giving up.

[Demit]

5. Don't forget the presumption of what your motives are.

Along with the constant aggressiveness and hostility.

[JNelson6563]

2. It's sad how we've just ignored state races.

Everyone so focused on national politics, we have seemingly just let the Rethugs take over so many states!

Julie

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Last week was the largest ever anti choice march in Washington DC. DU was silent about it.

Why was DU silent? Because Pope Francis was supporting that anti choice march. He's showing us the way, DU says!!!!!!

[cali]

7. oh baloney. that's just absurd. DU wasn't silent about it.

and it has nothing to do with the Pope.

I post more on reproductive rights in GD than practically anyone here and have done for years. And yeah, there are things this Pope is saying about economic justice that I like and that I'm glad are being broadcast by someone with a big megaphone. That cuts both ways, to be sure, but whatever the Pope thinks about abortion, it sure as shit hasn't altered my support by so much as an iota.

In any case, the op was about more than reproductive rights.

[ananda]

8. Well, women's reproductive are very endangered.

And not just by Reep leges and judges.

Many public hospitals are being taken over by the Catholic ones,
and the results for women are horrific. It's like another Ireland.