In an essay Are We Doomed? from The Atlantic in January of 2022, George Packer warned of the dangers to our democracy from Republican extremism, in particular with regards to elections. His prescription for stopping Republican extremism is that a coalition of Democrats, Independents, and moderate Republicans should overlook minor areas of disagreement. He says […]
abortion
A sensible compromise on abortion is within reach
According to the Guttmacher Institute, forty-four states prohibit abortion after some point in pregnancy. California, New York, and Washington prohibit abortion after fetal viability. Massachusetts prohibits abortion after twenty-four weeks. As the Guttmacher Institute says (ibid), “The current U.S. Supreme Court standard holds that states may prohibit abortion after fetal viability as long as there […]
A difficult discourse about Dems and abortion
This is a difficult and necessary discourse about abortion rights. It may piss some people off. Democrats have lost election after election and many other issues over the single wedge issue of abortion. And now the Supreme Court has a solid conservative majority, so Roe vs. Wade is likely to be overturned. I completely agree […]
How Repubs and evangelicals are smarter than Dems and progressives
Progressives and Democrats like to look down on conservatives, including evangelicals. But the facts suggest that it’s the progressives and Democrats who aren’t so smart. Trump campaigned strenuously in the swing states, unlike Hillary, who apparently thought she had a strong enough lead that she needn’t bother. But Hillary raised far more money than Trump […]
I’m pro-life: in favor of Medicare for all, a healthy environment, and gun control
I’m pro-life for adults and for later-term fetuses, but I’m pro-choice for early-term fetuses. However, it seems that many conservative Americans are pro-life only for fetuses but not so much for children and adults. Real pro-life includes everyone, not just fetuses. So, I’m in favor of government-guaranteed medical care for everyone. And I’m in favor […]
How to Use the Bible against Abortion Protestors
It’s time to confront conception obsessed Bible-believers on their own terms, with language they understand. Imagine if we turned the Bible and Christianity’s highest values back on the Religious Right. This Saturday, February 11, the most conception-obsessed members of the Religious Right will be gathering at Evangelical and Catholic churches, loading teenagers into busses and […]
Dems should support a grand compromise involving reasonable restrictions on late-term abortions
Alternative titles for this essay: “The natural attitude: pro-choice at conception, pro-life at term.” “Late-term abortions are rare and morally suspect. Compromise!” “I’m pro-choice, but not for late-term fetuses.” “A commonsense compromise on late-term abortions” (if I want to pick a fight): “How Pro-Choice Extremists Sabotaged the Democratic Party.” Are you okay with on-demand abortions […]
Peeling Back the Polished Pro-Woman Surface of Prolife™ Rhetoric
by Valerie Tarico Prolife leaders trying to convince the world that they are actually pro-woman have failed to convince even their own followers. For years now, the professional class of abortion foes has been working to polish the Prolife brand, claiming that they are not mere fetal fetishists but actually protectors of women, who are […]
Republican Talking Heads Claim Talk has no Power to Influence Beliefs and Behavior
Who incited Christian terrorism? Not me. Couldn’t be. In what could be the greatest hypocrisy in a season of head-spinners, Christianist Republicans—from presidential candidates to congressmen to Fox News bimbos to sleazy video-splicers and wild-eyed sidewalk ranters-with-rosaries—are scrambling to deny that what they say actually matters. Specifically they claim that they had nothing to do with a […]