Should we let the Republicans make abortion illegal and then sit back and watch them deal with

[Tony_FLADEM]

the consequences?


They would have to figure out how to penalize women for having abortions. Also, there would be a greater need for welfare since more babies would be born to women who can't afford them.


Should we just sit back and let the Sharron Angles, and Rand Pauls in the Republican party figure this out?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

1. Sounds good on paper but it would be terrible for women. So no fucking way.

[Luminous Animal]

7. It would be terrible for dead women, yes. And terrible for some of those dead women's children.

[ClassWarrior]

2. They won't do it. It works too well as a carrot on a stick for the social con rubes.

They had six years under Bush** and did nothing. Why derail the gravy train?

NGU.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

16. Well, they DID get the so-called "Partial Birth Abortion" ban in place under Bush

I realize that these abortions only constitute a fraction of all abortions and are only ever recommended in serious instances (the idea that any of these would be "elective" blows my mind) but it still constitutes a significant victory for the right on this issue. That being said, I don't think that they would seriously take the risk of alienating so many people and depriving themselves of an issue to run on every election in perpetuity by seeking an outright ban on abortion, particularly when they've found so many different ways to essentially accomplish the same result (preventing women from getting abortions) without having to overturn Roe V. Wade. I am certain, however, that many of them are chomping at the bit to find some way to actually penalize women and/or the doctors and that they would seek to do so if able. :puke:

[Le Taz Hot]

22. +1

That's it exactly. It's what they hold up in front of the nutso fundies to get them to vote for them. Ironically, it's what the OP is trying to use on us. (Hint to the OP: We're smarter.)

[depakid]

3. They want birth control, "sodomy," sex toys, etc. to be dealt with state by state- and crimialized

They're not now- nor ever have been after Roe v. Wade (or Casey) -they're after Griswold v. Connecticut.

They want the whole ball of wax, and if I had to place odds, then I would say that there's about a 75% chance that they're going to get their wish.

[zbdent]

20. this is the case where the "hyperbole" argument holds true ...

once they get the religious reich's "inch" ... do you really think they'd stop in their joy of using the power they wield?

[depakid]

21. It's never been "hyperbole" for people who've understood the legal arguments

or had a bit more than half a sense of ethics.

[tomg]

4. The human cost on every

level would be too much and certainly not morally justifiable. Besides, this is the United States. The Republicans would simply create a disaster, blame it on the Democrats, block any attempts to change it, and then use the Democrats "inability" to change it as the reason to re-elect the Republicans.

[depakid]

5. That's exactly what they'll do

and some Democrats will go to their forums, enable, legitimize (and sometimes even adopt) their irrational perspectives and policies in vain attempts to appease and appear "bipartisan."

After that, you'll see their apologists on sites conjuring up every imaginable rationalization for why it was necessary or "wise."

[ClassWarrior]

6. I never fail to be amazed at how some can turn the RW into omnipotent, all-powerful superbeings...

...in their own minds.

:eyes:

NGU.

[tomg]

31. I don't think the RW are superbeings.

Far from it. When I said "create a disaster," I meant completely screw things up and create an innumerable array of problems for the rest of us.
Seriously, when you have many in the electorate with the memory of goldfish, a fair number of Democrats in government who are essentially moderate Republicans, the RW wing doesn't have to be "omnipotent, all-powerful superbeings." They just have to be relatively competent at spin (something the Republicans have been great at since Richard Viguerie got into the game with direct mailing) and very well funded. The interesting thing to me about the current bunch is that they could very well be pretty incompetent in the one area that they have been competent in (keeping party discipline).

I also don't think the RW is monolithic. I am hoping that in creating the Tea Party, Freedom Works and that part of the RW really overreached and splintered the RW.

[Luminous Animal]

8. While we are on that track, perhaps we should cede the country to the white

supremacists and separatists and sit back and let them deal with the consequences.

They would have to figure out how to rid the country of black and brown people. Also, there would be a greater need and a big giant budget for law enforcement to gather them up and more prisons to hold them while they execute a final solution.

Should we just let the racists and xenophobes figure this out?

[Chulanowa]

9. Think about what you're saying

'Cause, THIS is what you're saying;
"Let's completely fuck over women and set reproductive rights back a hundred years, so I can feel smug"

yeeeeah, no.

[HEyHEY]

10. No, it's too much fun pissing them off AND defending women's rights all at once.

Where else you get that kind of bang for your buck?

[Jamastiene]

11. You have miscalculated them.

They would not hesitate to penalize women for having abortions and they would be even more against the government providing any welfare for children in poverty. As a matter of fact, that would be their exact answer to the situation. They would cut welfare even more and keep those women and children down even more.

I live in rural NC. I know how they think. How I described it above is exactly how they would handle it. It would be horrible for women and children in poverty.

I do believe you have miscalculated just how hardhearted they really are.

[aquart]

12. I'm guessing: No ovaries?

The blistering, detached obliviousness to human suffering.

[Skittles]

13. they don't give a fuck about abortions

they just like it as red meat to throw to their supporters every election - isn't it something these idiot supporters never figure it out?

[WinkyDink]

14. They do NOT want to criminalize abortion. They want to CAMPAIGN on it for votes.

Has any Republican (national) ever proposed this law? Any Republican President ever spoken from the bully-pulpit about the abolition of abortion and how he was going to rally his Party behind the drive?

[mwb970]

15. The republicans say abortion is murder.

Let's say the fascists get their way and abortion is re-criminalized. Each illegal abortion after that will be, to them, a "murder". Further, since the woman and her doctor will have made an actual appointment to commit this "murder", it is first-degree (premeditated) murder. In many (most?) states, a conviction on first-degree murder carries the death penalty. Only two people are involved: the woman and her doctor.

The $64,000 question is: which would be executed for the murder? The woman? The doctor? Both? Or is this to be a crime without a punishment? I wish one of our few remaining journalists would put this simple question to the right-wingers: who will you execute?

Remember that video of roadside anti-abortion protesters who had no answer for this question? The reason they had no answer is that there is no answer; their position is contradictory and doesn't make sense (a defining characteristic of conservative policies and rhetoric).

[KharmaTrain]

17. Next They'll Decide Who Gets To Mate...

Ya think this is all they want? Try again. After they determine that "all life is sacred" (that is, until they're born, then they're on their own) then they'll decide who is "worthy" of having children or not. Not married, married to the wrong race or not able to "provide" then it will be illegal to have children. Those that break the law will be heavily prosecuted...especially those black and brown people. It's all about "purity"...

[PeaceNikki]

18. No.

Worst idea ever.

[d_r]

19. NO.

Absolutely not - sacrificing women for a learning opportunity for assholes?

[w8liftinglady]

23. they will find a private physician to do the abortion

that was the method before roe vs wade."excess uterine bleeding" If you could afford the OR costs,great.If you were a lower middle-class rape victim,then get the hanger out.

I won't bring a politician's daughter into the arguement,even if he was SO anti-abortion.

[TheKentuckian]

24. Fuck no. The human cost and the wide loss of privacy required to have their way

is beyond appalling.

I wish folks would cool it with the wild machinations and accept we will have to openly and forcibly deal with these cretins.

Victory will come from confrontation, I hope it is not violent but it may well come to that.

We won't be weaseling out of anything. Fight or give up but there is no victory through surrender nor do we sell each others rights and privacy for a fucking tactic.

Have some backbone and some integrity.

[lapislzi]

25. These are human beings you're talking about

People will die. Unwanted infants will be born into poverty, lead lives of misery. Many will be beaten to death by their own parents. Your reductio ad absurdum argument is cruel.

[Javaman]

26. No f'ing way!

you let these morons have this, then where do they stop?

They don't give a flying fuck about consequences. they will use "god will figure it out" or "it's part of god's plan" as their excuse to explain away all the horrible fall out.

They will purposely move on to the next crazy ass thing to be their new champion of stupidity.

If we let them get away with making abortions illegal, then what? they will push for religious instruction in public schools or some other crazy ass stupid shit.

[Erose999]

27. NO NO NO NO NO. Abortion should not be made illegal. Abortion will not go away. As long as there are

Unwanted pregnancies there will be abortions. Whether it happens in the safety of a clinic or whether it goes underground is up to us. We can't afford to leave any decision up to the Palins/Pauls/Angles of the world. We have to challenge them at every opportunity, especially if they succeed in taking over the government.

[pipi_k]

28. Regarding the point about a "greater need for welfare"...

Just because there would be a greater NEED for more welfare, that doesn't mean it would happen.

I can definitely imagine anti-welfare types coming up with more, and more restrictive, requirements for qualification.

And because of that, I can imagine more and more women and their children having to depend on relationships with worthless or abusive men in order to avoid homelessness and starvation.


scary scenario...

:scared:

[slackmaster]

29. No. That's a stupid idea.

:nuke:

[McCamy Taylor]

30. The money behind the right wing does not give a fuck about abortion.

It will never be outlawed, otherwise Right to Life would stop voting.