Originally published at: Unable to win elections with "Pro-Life," Republicans seek a new catchphrase for stripping women of rights | Boing Boing
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“Pro-baby” would imply support for universal neonatal care and infant nutrition and childcare and preschool and all kinds of things they clearly don’t want the government getting involved with.
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They don’t give two shits about babies, because if they did, they would expand the social safety net, support free breakfasts and lunches in all schools, make sure that all public schools are well-funded and serve every segment of society, etc, etc… as you note, @jlw this is all about finding a way to exert control over women without using that language.
It strikes me that they know that their base will just accept whatever they say, take it at face value, or at least, pretend to do so… that’s certainly one way to go, if you have no interest in shaping your policies based on your constituency, but instead wish to rule rather than be a representative… But as their policies get ever more out of whack with the majority of Americans, they need to double down on authoritarian policies to stay in power…
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Please.
Concern troIlling at its finest. These asshats have been demonstrating for decades their disinterest in infants as anything other than political footballs.
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“People will eat the shit sandwich if we put enough mayo on it.”
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Have they considered “forced birth”?
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Yeah, it’s not that people hate the position, it’s the marketing that’s the problem.
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“Pro-babies”? How about “Anti-women”?
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Pro babies have come up through the minor leagues. A lot of it’s luck, but it feeds into the meritocracy myth.
(It’s not funny. It’s dangerous and disheartening. But the term is ridiculous)
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How about “pro-helotry”?
They can bank on many people not really knowing what it means, which means they have the opportunity to supply a bogus definition, and its actual meaning exactly captures the true spirit of “pro-life.”
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We really need to make it clear that these people are “pro-baby” in roughly the same way that pedophiles are - i.e. not at all, but they have a similar interest in exerting power over the bodies of others in the most abusive ways possible (when they’re not also actual pedophiles, and there is more-than-usual overlap).
Yeah, on a daily basis now it strike me how the Republican political strategy is to obfuscate what their actual policies are, because increasingly none of them are popular, even among “conservatives.” (If you look at recent surveys, things like abortion and gay marriage, which used to be real bugbears that would motivate right-wing voters, now have majority support even among Republicans.) For quite a long time, most Republicans have been against the party’s actual economic policies, when they’re explained. The disparity between what candidates need to do to appeal to the tiny number of key primary voters, and what they need to do to appeal to everyone else is huge and growing…
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Have they tried “Fetus worshipers” or “slavers” yet?
They seem far more honest in describing the anti-abortion platform.
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This isn’t going to work for them, since they have spent the last few decades demonstrating that they give zero shits about children after they are born.
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These ass-talkers are “pro-baby” in the exact same way they are “pro-woman.” They don’t think of them as human, but can be useful for certain things, as long as they don’t get ideas in their heads. Actually, in exactly the same way Southern plantation owners in the early 1800’s were “pro-Black.”
THEY WANT TO OWN, TO RULE AND TO SUBJUGATE.
Nothing more, and certainly nothing less. Keep this in mind when arguing/“discussing” with them.
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Pro-Baby is exactly right.
Baby is referring to 45.
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Bingo.
That’s the term I often use for conservatives/Republicans.
And I wish Dem pols would use it too. I think “forced birthers” perfectly labels the horror of their policies and beliefs about women’s reproductive rights (or in their minds, the supposed lack thereof).
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On “concern trollling”, I think The Lincoln Project’s Trust beats out “Pro-baby”… and with wonderfully twisted panache.
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Pro-baby is just another form of the “natalist” political theme associated with authoritarian, patriarchal parties for many decades.
The key idea is to get women back in the kitchen, barefoot and pregnant, which is a difficult sell to a lot of modern people.
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Imagine how fast abortion would be back on the table if taxpayers were required to support all indigent mothers, orphans, homeless & unwanted children from conception through high school.
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