Monthly Archives: Oct 2024

A Spectre to be Exorcised (Communal Violence)- A Repeated from 2022

Posted on by
9

Uncle Sam

I Am Looking To You To Do Your Patriotic Duty

Precursor: I originally wrote this post on the 8th May 2022. It featured in another blog of mine where I deal with grim subjects – The World As It Is. Not As It Should Be. Now it seems that WP’s response to my posting a recent link to this post has result in WP saying it cannot find it….. Ah well, let us not get diverted in the various whimsies that are WP’s speciality.

Thus here is a Copy & Paste of that post is here for your consideration. It may be too late to do anything about what might happen in the USA on and after the 5th of November 2024, and the subsequent ramifications across the world- for you are one of three largest and most globally influential nation states. Instead think of this as either a warning to keep to the legal and civil side of resistance against the tide of Ignorance, Hate and Falsehoods, or worst case a preparation for Discord.

Foreword

This post has to be long. Histories have to be considered. Social tides and trends examined. That most troublesome of all factors Human Nature faced. It is hoped you find this grim reading, but not sensationalist. This is a precursor for you to discuss in your homes, your blogs, your meeting places. These words are based on histories of communal violence throughout the world. Including the USA. I have tried to be apolitical, most of the time. It is not always possible. Blame has to be laid in places.

Introduction

The present view that so politically polarised the USA has become, a civil war could take place has moved from blog site discussion onto the mainstream where more sober assessments are. For example:

Brookings in the following assessment of September 2021 concluded there was a sizeable proportion of the USA population who were of this mindset:

Is the US headed for another Civil War? (brookings.edu)

In January of 2022 an article in the UK Guardian raised this possibility along the lines of the UK’s own experience in Ulster

Is the US really heading for a second civil war? | US politics | The Guardian

Overview

It should be borne in mind that Racism, Intolerance, Profiling and Subjugation  are regrettably part of the Human Construct. No race, people, community, grouping, belief system have been free of it. So it is within the USA.

Although legislation and more constructive outlooks made moves to minimise the effects of these corrosions it requires a mammoth task of social engineering to purge them. Something which would challenge even the most efficient and established of authoritarian states.

Thus not the passing phase of the 1960s counter-culture whose short tenure could reduce it to arguably a fashion. Instead it was in the deep-rooted places of a Human Insecurity in sections of The White Community fed by the fear of loss of position in society where the nascent rebellions would grow.

The US involvement in Vietnam with a cost of wasted blood and treasure, left on one side a sense of worthless loss, on the other an anger at some sort of betrayal at home; possibly the first cultural fracture line in The White Community; the dominant group within the USA. These would be played out in the Culture Wars. Not enough attention being given to the mindset which gave rise to the Oklahoma City Bombing of 19th April 1995; this was the warning.

Then in the opening years of the 21st Century came two tipping points:

9/11 and the election of an African American into the Whitehouse, twice with majorities. The former had shaken America and set loose more of those toxic fantasies Conspiracy Theories, for the long term trust in government of the USA as dangerous as any handgun. In the case of the latter, the fact he was a Democrat made the backlash easier for one element of the White Community. Had Colin Powell or Condoleezza Rice accepted a Eisenhower type draft and won, the Republican Party and Fundamentalist Right would have suffered a truly existential crisis. But they had a black democrat. This made everything much easier.

Civil Discord (The Path to Communal Violence)

It is now necessary to move from the historical to consider the dynamics of civil discord  which lead to a break down in the common currency of discourse, bargaining, and the tacit, sometimes humorous acceptance of tribal lines.

Firstly the notion that ‘There is no Democracy’ has to be put aside, for people are able within the USA take to  the streets, the airwaves, the internet to give voice to their feelings. Thus there is freedom of speech and action, however in an atmosphere of heightened feeling this freedom comes with  tensions and reactions. The first tension arises when people feel their views are not being listened to, or being stifled. The second tension arises when those frustrations are inflamed by the feeling ‘The Other Side’ are not just ignoring, but are seen to be imposing. At this point there occurs a fault line when a shared perception results in ‘The Other Side’ being seen as a threat and there can be no discourse, the only facet shared by both sides being this mindset. At this stage both sides will feel the need to demonstrate, one will feel it is defending, the other will perceive this as aggression, engendered through the fault line affect. Initially it will be seen one side is more aggressive and assertive thus encourage within them a certain sense of triumphalism. This adds to the danger as in playing to its own support it fails to take into account that the very forces which placed it in this position will also work within the opposition. There is made a fundamental error that the triumphant side  can use Democracy and the Other Side will adhere to that rule. In addition some of its more strident supporters will feel the leaders are not strong enough and perceive the need to be ready to defend or if necessary attack with unconstitutional force. The stance sets within The Other Side the feeling they had better prepare. You need only scroll the internet to see that the ridiculously named ‘Snowflakes’ have been starting to own guns.

2016 to Today

To support my views in the previous section it is necessary to consider the last two presidential elections. In 2016 the victory went not to the candidate with the most votes but the electoral college votes. Thus from Day One the losing side felt robbed. A more astute winner in 2016 would have sensed the issue and navigated. By 2016 this was not wanted by the winning side and the other side were willing to take up the fight. By 2020 the lack of discourse had reached such a pitch that the losers of that election believed they had the right to seize back power because of a fraudulent election. This theme continues even now as a backdrop in the 2024 election.

The Republican Reaction as seen from The Other Side

Although cast out of the Whitehouse and seeming to fail in the courts of law, aside from the Supreme Court, the political machines now holding control of the Republican Party have been working at a pace to unravel the social, legal and communal trends of the past 50 years as they seek to defend their own ground. Instead of the usual slow, methodical  approach in this heightened tension they have sought to dismantle the processes of The History of Race Relations, Sexual Orientation and Abortion with no effort in trying to convince the opposition of their causes, they pass a simple edict. As they see it, this was done to them, it is now time to undo it. This is against the wishes of the Executive branch, the Whitehouse. Another layer of  confrontation therefore plays into the dynamic of continuing Civil Discord. In both cases ‘The Other Side’ are a threat.

Update: As it will have been noted in the schools, against the Abortion Clinics, the LGBT+ community and the refugees, the Right has seen fit not to use the politics of reasoned argument but of extreme language. Which is turn has resulted in similar response. Thus rather than try to calm down the situation, the temperature has increased so by this year 2024 the polarisation is wider.

The Acceleration of Civil Discord

In this frenetic atmosphere attention must be given to the structure of the USA at federal level. In use of the three office system: Executive (The Whitehouse). The Legislature (Congress/Senate) and Judiciary (Supreme Court) mirrored at State Level it was believed enough checks and balances had been built in. However with Conspiracy as deadly to the body politic as Covid to the population; dismay raised to horror by one group or another at the result of the last four presidential elections, the legislature abrogating its traditional and beneficial wheeler-dealing to consensus and the Supreme Court no longer perceived as a body above The Common Brawl another layer of toxicity has arisen. Belief that the system is no longer working. Either dread for the future, anger at The Other Side,  grim preparation to defend the home becomes a norm, or violent intention to impose The Will of Our Side(s).

The Tipping Point into Communal Violence

One action leading to a sudden call to or inexorable slide to fully conventionally armed groups is not how this will start. In a nation nearly inured to gun crime you might even miss the start; another shooting, unless of course it is between two groups. The next tranche of violent confrontations, would be by the bombs,  IEDs, the murder of prominent activists or journalists, politicians and any combination. These will be the signals the Tipping Point has been reached. This will lead to the ‘No Go Areas’, the latter being underscored by some very unwise incursion by one group into another and the subsequent ambush. It would appear police are already experiencing these; the next step in this will be the targeting of individual officers. From here will come the targeting of official buildings of government, of one party or another, and then for some twisted thought process a hospital, parents might well start to keep children away from school, seeing the history of school killings this would hardly be surprising.

In this atmosphere although groups will be surveyed, there will be the under the radar individuals for each person has their own tipping point. In recent years I have read the remarks of avid anti-war believers and pro-gun control supporters intimating or outright suggest a violent response is a feasible solution. You will never know when the normally placid person will take a gun with the specific purpose of solving a problem, or the group who decided to investigate how to make bombs, because they’ve been pushed too far. Of course each of these actions will bring the reaction.

The Institutionalisation of Violence

One fatalistic view is, considering the level of gun crime, this state is already in place. However the level can become more intense, once armed groups with names and agenda become seen by one community or another as legitimate alternative police or local guard. There is another level though, this being when the group imposes upon the community a code of behaviour and underground tax to support them, the tax does not have a right of appeal either. With this comes disputes within the group and rivalries with other groups. Hardened now by violence and fuelled by suspicion the violent solution is seen as the norm. And of course wherever there is chaos and violence goes crime, gangs would quite naturally seek to impose their own will either to take over a group or keep a group out of their activities. Those who felt it was only necessary to parade in paramilitary style in a threatening way will find themselves quite out of their depths as a fearful natural selection takes place.

The Official Response.

This is where matters are not so predictable. The National Guard would of course be called in to areas where the police are losing control. Being in a local part-time force with local affiliation it has to be assumed that members or groups within the guard will have sympathies, or feel a certain intimidation. Direct and open large scale mutinies would be very unlikely but expecting all The Guard to be a faceless, emotionless unified body acting only for the defence of Stability and safety of all is naïve, there will be fractures.

The Security Services be they Police, FBI, NSA etc would face the same pressures from within. Also they being closer to the body politic and the civil viewpoint would be in the position of doing deals or reaching accords with whichever group or groups they feel they can work with. In all civil discord this is an ugly fact. Whether in a federal system such as the USA this would be a uniform approach is again highly unlikely.

Whether or not the Armed Forces become involved would depend on whether the nation is still governable as a working state comparable with the pre-violent situation:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”  Is open to interpretations, if some decide ‘The President’ is not legally ‘The President’. One thing would be certain, the element of internal security and supervision of members of the armed forces would be increased. Forget Conspiracies. Think of Factionalism.

The Resulting Political Overview

In this area prediction is near impossible, as a great deal would depend on the strength of character of individuals around which groups marshal. There are many possibilities. One of the least worst outcomes would be the fragmentation of the current USA into states which have autonomy. Washington, The Whitehouse and Capitol Hill being reduced to places of symbolism and the possible headquarters of Americanised versions of The EU and NATO, in an attempt to shore up America from outside influences while making workable the large armed forces and corporation based trading systems onto the world stage. How workable this would be is beyond the scope of this post.

Conclusion

Whereas The Ulster Conflict was conducted under a higher level of government the situation in the USA has the potential to reach up to the highest levels as already demonstrated and this is a most distressing situation. Thus what can a US citizen fearful for this scenario do? My suggestion is to voice your concerns, not in a partisan way from your own standpoint but as an appeal to stop this slide. Raise this spectre which everyday seems to draw an inch nearer. Demand of your representatives a return to consensus. Warn them, that they in the final analysis in any failure to bring discourse and consensus to the issues; that they in pandering to, or failing to confront the extremist levels will be complicit in the deaths of their fellow citizens. Raise this in conversation. Not as a warning to prepare, but as a concern as to what might come. The concern must become a talking point in the run up to the next elections. The violent minorities must be marginalised and the conspiracies put back in the toy box.

An Update in Late October 2024

A Formulaic View of The Acceleration of Civic Discord

Regrettably what passes as rhetoric by the republican candidate and his running mate suggests that neither have much concern about what effect they are having on any opposition, in that they are playing only to their own and on the fears of the undecided. They are therefore playing with matches in a forest in a high summer’s drought. And the groups feeling the subject of hate and discrimination I will repeat this formulae for you based on a possibility of the result of the presidential election, itself based on current polls:

160 million votes cast
Trump wins by 82 millions to 78 million. That’s 78,000,000 folk upset about the result.
10% are very, very angry . That’s 7,800,000 angry folk.
10% of that 7,800,000 are so angry they feel their way of Life and Democracy is seriously threatened, the feeling parallel to if the nation was invaded. That’s 780,000.
1% of the 780,000 feel the new administration and its supporters in the states are now viable targets. That’s 7,800. A very small number, but how many of the others tucked away the previous number have a sympathy that ‘does not yet speak it’s name,’ .
The 7,800 start to go public and as stated above with it make those inflammatory statements and acts. A similar reaction arises within the ranks of the supporters of Trump.

And so it begins. Not ranks as in the Civil War, but the covert groups as we in the UK saw in Northern Ireland, no central control, agendas within agendas and legal access to so many guns.

Violence be it is war or communal discord contains its own grim logic and thus inevitability.

Take heed. But look not to the gun. Look to Democracy while it still gasps for breath. Look to the Law. Look to the Passive Civil Disobedience. Cling to and nurture Hope. Never give up. Support the Persecuted. Speak with those who are only broadly conservative. Defy The Hate-Mongers. Convince or Warn the Uncertain. Keep on.

Prove my unhappy words to be just written out of Fear and not out of Histories.

USA. Your Time is Running Out.

Posted on by
22

ITALY-FRANCE-WEATHER-FEATURE

Yes USA. You as many a nation before you are being called to account. You stand at a crossroads. You may have been told this is all about Liberty. You will have been warned that there is a risk Democracy could be taken away from you. You will have been told that Intolerance and Bigotry will be rife.

Indeed, all possibilities, and then things could get worse. Much worse. Worse than you may have imagined. Or maybe dreaded.

Exaggeration you say?

OK. Look at it this way. This winter, there will be weather warnings about heavy snowfalls. I take it you will take precautions to try to minimise the effect. I expect you will not ignore them, unless you are suffering from conspiracitis. (A terminal disease). You will pay attention.
So why do you not pay attention to the warning of what can happen if the Right once more win this presidential election? Or if they lose have another spoiled brat tantrum?

Think you worst possibility, then think worse again.

Ah dear reader I am done writing mild(ish) balanced posts. This is an updated version of another post, from another blog

https://politicsandhistory359465094.wordpress.com/2022/05/08/a-spectre-to-be-exorcised-communal-violence/↗

I very much doubt if this will be read by the numbers of folk my words are intended for, it is probably too late and I have written this theme over and over again down the past few years.

So why bother?

It’s not about my nation, the UK. It appears to be a self-inflicted folly by a portion of a nation who gave up thinking of Implications and Consequences and either switched off or dreamed out the jagged cutting parts of the ideas fed them.

Why bother?

Because it is my duty to bother. Because in this world of instance communication, complex interlockings and interactions, where after two Global Wars and a series large enough conflicts with attendant social eruptions, whatever happens ‘There’ will be implications ‘Here’. Because if I claim to embrace a set of values which generally aims for Compassion, Tolerance and Respect, it is not acceptable to sit back,  shrug and do something pleasantly diverting.
Because the forces which are set out in the Broadness of History constantly roiling are at a stage at which they threaten to erupt. History you say, is always written by the victor…..Nonsense. History has a long, long reach and victors of one time do not stay thus.

It can be argued that no two nations histories go along the same lines. However there are tides and there are commonalities, particularly in the areas of discord. If one grouping feels another grouping is imposing upon it, in a heavy and unjust way, then there will be a reaction. The group of course doing the imposition will feel that it is justified to do so. Lines will be drawn, discourse will be closed down, each will turn unto themselves. And when the side imposing the will does not have the unconditional support  of all the security or defence forces personnel having made personal attacks upon them, it is then that unpleasant and unthinkable possibilities arise.
And in the USA this is being drawn in a very ever thickening line. For neither side has the will or ability to reach over to the other; despite the efforts of some very brave folk, there is no general consensus for this polarisation to stop. Thus from here the chances of physical conflict are raised upwards, to volatile states as one ‘But they can’t / wouldn’t do that’ gets swept away by the next newsfeed.

Some foolish folk will welcome it, thinking of a replay of the Civil War, or some sort of boardgame set up (yes they are out there, rather naïve ideas of the opposing forces) and there’s a very, very politically unsatisfactory unrealistic film going the rounds too.
It would not be like that. Look not to Syria of the past decade as an example, turn instead to Northern Ireland of the late 20th century, and maybe with an edge of mutiny within some of those charged with order.

Writing this it is difficult not to have the ageless Dylan song ‘Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ in my head. Listen to its lyrics and fit them into this time and place in the USA.

One final thought. Of course, there will be other nations seeking to take advantage of this. The motives are inscribed in the International Relations playbooks. If I was living in and devoted to that nation and fearful of the USA I would be expecting my government to do something to benefit ‘our nation’

A handful days of deciding and one day of voting to go. I personally only have Hope left in my resources. Hope for my friends in the USA, Hope for the folk of Ukraine, Hope for Hope’s sake.

Hope that the 6th of November will be decked in an allegorical sunrise.

And Hope that over the course of the next year, this post will be made to look ridiculously overblown and alarmist. A small price to pay.

So? (Good People Doing Good Things? – with apologies to Jill of ‘Filosofa’s Word’)

Posted on by
14

Puzzled

Such a fuss by a convicted felon with possible financial links to a ‘foreign power’

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1jrld1kjp3t

He should realise folk should always have a pass time to take their minds off of troubles at home. ( He ‘plays’ golf doesn’t he?)

Another In My Series of Mature In-depth Responses

Posted on by
19

Victorian writer

USA- Candidate Trump and his flock of devotees howling outrage at over stretched FEMA while folk in Florida suffer another hurricane.

UK– A government, rapidly and actually excessively proving my personal dictum ‘In Democracy prepared to be disappointed by your choice,’. With a Conservative Opposition Party in a hurry to vote as their leader either one person who adheres to the Foot in Mouth approach and another who insults the record of armed forces personnel (Familiar  to readers in the USA?)

France – A Nation which manages to be simultaneously Far Left and Far Right and determined not to have a workable government.

Europe– A place in which many have collectively forgotten the lessons of 1940-1945 and think ‘Let’s Give It One More Try’

Putin– A fellow popular with:
Russians: Because they have no choice.
Swathes of Central Africa: Because they never had a Russian empire over there – yet.
European Left: Because he is not American.
American Right: Because he isn’t liked by the Democrats.

Where Are or were: Mass protests movements over the horrors of Sudan; genocide of the Rohingya; Cultural Genocide of the Uyghur and other Turkic groups in China; In Iran the brutal sometimes fatal suppression of Women’s protests.

Conspiracy Theories: Adherence to a system where the simple explanation of error, human folly or events outside human control are replaced by complex, unlikely, impractical plans conducted by impossibly effective agencies. This has done more to the undermining of belief in government than any revolutionary organisation could dream of.

Well, that’s just a few – And it’s time again to modify Thomas Paine’ ageless statement ‘These Are Times Which Test Folks’ Souls’

Encountering all those above and also weary after a very busy few days, which involved telling woefully ill-formed folk why they should get the (redacted) of ‘this’ charity page and take their spiteful prejudiced remarks and…. (redacted) – well that was the basic sub-text.  I can only sum up my feelings on all of the above and their unconditional followers succinctly as:

Big Raspberry

Sometimes…it just gets you like that. Doesn’t it???

Pro-Life. Let’s Think That Through. Shall We?… Part II. The Case Against USA Legislation. A Walk Down Harsh Reality Lane

Posted on by
6

Dream Scape (2)

Forewarning: Since we will dealing with topics which are linked directly to sexual activity there will naturally be comments with adult themes, do not think any of them were made humorously. I am serious here. Additionally this post is directed in the main to the current situation in the USA. Because of the potential complexities and dangers inheritant in the subject this will be a long post, maybe 2,000+ words.

Introduction
Part I’s narrative arguably didn’t run in a truly linear fashion, it had to cover linked issues and might have seem to some a bit jagged.
Pro-Life. Let’s Think That Through. Shall We?… Part I- The Happy Bunny World of A Pro-Life Solution and a Handful of Hypocrisies Along The Way.
The intention of this post is to challenge the attempt to legislate Abortion out of The USA and the ramifications of such a policy. I will endeavour to minimise the emotional aspects of the issue while taking a three-themed approach. These will be from an administrative perspective, the perspective of moral consistency and finally the question of hypocrisy.

Overview
Once more let us be adult about this fact. Down our history a great deal human endeavour has been directed to the subject of Sexual Activity, and whereas this in itself has shown to be a topic with many variations, the one act which can lead to Conception seems to have the majority. Therefore allied to the fact that despite wars, plagues and the prices of living on a dynamic planet the population has grown and grown we must therefore consider Conception and the path to birth, or the avoidance of both as very major issues. And like many other Human practical issues such as War, Poverty, Co-Operation, Economics, Environmental Responsibility, Human Rights, Famine and Intolerance -to name but a few of the major ones, can not be one which can be addressed by a simple legalistic snap of the fingers. For the very simple reason which has frustrated, even foiled law-makers down the ages; the variable intransigences of Human Nature. To paraphrase Lincoln ‘You can’t control all of the people, all of the time,’. On that basis, legislation which does not have the common ethical consent of the far greater percentage of the population will not only fail in its intentions but will have adverse reactions leading to other societal problems.

Legislation and Implications

Theory
Whereas it can be argued that the US constitution does not guarantee a woman’s right to an abortion neither does it expressly forbid abortion. Since the Supreme Court overturning of the Roe vs Wade decision, this has been left to the various states to form their own legislative policies.
Legislation: One definition –A law or set of laws suggested by a government and made official.
All laws have elements of acceptance and support living side by side with controversy and unpopularity. In the case of the latter, the degrees of which vary between ‘tutting’ about them to outright opposition either of a political, social or criminal response. Humanity does not fall into complete step just because one person or group says so; in Kim Jung Un’s extremely autocratic North Korea there are dark corners of crime, and elsewhere very quiet opposition. Ninety Eighty Four is a fiction, no matter how hard O’Brien and The Thought Police try.

Legislation and The USA
From the very conception (deliberate irony) of the nation. The USA, a term adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in the Declaration of Independence as the first official document to use the title, has not been a truly united all in one step nation. This is not unique, but the populations of the USA down the few brief centuries of its life have shown a tendency to question, if not downright defy central authority; from Senate and Congress down to a few folk on a street in a small town. No president can ever claim to have the same, albeit transitory authority, as say a British Prime Minister. A president’s tenure on the internal stage is at best one of constant negotiation with a layer of infuriation at stubborn movements who will cite parts of the constitution or take to arm-twisting representatives on Capitol Hill, and of course the various layers of courts through states upwards. Also it has to be said, from an outsider’s perspective, in some last resort cases the matters are still settled through the use of firearms; a facet which it could be said with some weight of evidence being the USA’s common religion- bear that in mind for latter.

It follows therefore that in a federation of states with folk who see independence as a natural right, when a piece of legislation is based only on the efforts of one motivated group and contains an elements of imposition of the will of the State upon the whole population, there will not be a wholly passive response. There will be agitation, hostility and resistance; in various forms.

Resistance and Circumventions
The first one which springs to mind in this instance is The Criminal, for it is another fact of Humanity, if an authority bans or proscribes something then you can be be certain that somewhere along the way those of a Criminal Mind will seek to make coin out of it. Need you have to been reminded on the era of Prohibition, the rise of Organised Crime, the institutionalised breaking of law because suddenly a majority of folk became law-breakers? Crime is a very inventive and restless entity always looking for new opportunities, particularly in the supplying of ‘services’ to ‘the consumer’ restricted by the State. In this case the Desperation of an individual or a couple makes ‘the consumer’ a very easy ‘mark’. The unregulated services supplied would be very variable in quality. In such a situation the very illegality of Abortion leaves those who use the Criminal Network no recourse to litigation if anything goes wrong, nor even a willingness to seek hospital care. As a conclusion to this, the larger cartels ever ready to branch out would seek those with experience, irrespective of their true capabilities and the possibility of ‘underground clinics’ with the veneer of care could be arranged for a ‘small’ initial investment. The final word, is that once Crime has its hooks into someone it can be difficult to walk away. Extortion, blackmail, even ‘recruitment’ into their networks become dangers for those who use their services. And as is often the case violence between suppliers is very likely, unhappy the user caught up in that side.

Running parallel with criminal enterprises would of course be those motivated by political and allied beliefs. Aside from the underlying profit and exploitative motives the ‘underground’ aspect would be similar, as to the variability of services. Since the motivation here be argued as ethical there may be some level of aftercare and concern for the woman; however without the safety of legality for both provider and user they both tread on difficult ground. Not only do they run the risk of discovery by the State, but also by aggressive pro-life groups and criminal organisations who do not care for ‘do-gooders’ stepping on their turf. A dangerous business for all, for unlike the Criminal side they cannot resort to violence or corruption to ease the process along.

As another aspect to the ‘underground’ would be the revival of the ‘underground railroad’ of the Slavery Era  in this case with sundered networks engaged in aiding women to travel to locations where abortion is still legal. A great deal of subterfuge would be required and most likely be available only to women in the earliest stages of pregnancy when physical evidence is not there. Nonetheless the fear of suspicion, discovery and unfounded accusations would permeate society and inject another layer of unease in an already polarised society.

Amongst these would also run the market for various morning-after concoctions, ranging from smuggling in drugs from areas where their use is legal to those manufactured without regulation. Again without the projection of legality the user is very much at risk. You need only scroll through the internet for tragedies resulting from the use of  slimming drugs purchased on line to see where the danger could arise.

Finally this would be another burden to the already greatly pressured law enforcement agencies, distracting their efforts from drug and human trafficking, and the myriad of other unarguably vile crimes being enacted. Overall then the lessons of Prohibition have been forgotten.

The Question of Moral Consistency

The most glaring inconsistency would be the current controlling faction of the Republican Party’s twin stances on Gun Control and Abortion; an aspect which has been commented many times but bears repeating. If they are so concerned about The Child, then why do they allow easy access to devices which kill? The idea that abortion is murder is somewhat devalued by their allowing mechanical devices of murder to proliferate. One standard response to mass killings is ‘Now Is Not The Time To Have This Debate’, presumably this means everyone is too emotional to be objective. And yet Abortion which is a very emotional issue does not have this ‘treatment’. They can play the numbers game by citing abortions were running at between 800,000 to 900,000 per year, as opposed to homicide deaths of only 20,000+ a year. This however falls down at the ethical level when suggesting that 20,000 involuntary killings by firearms is an acceptable figure for their ‘freedom’.  
Dwelling on that topic of 800,000 to 900,000. Forgive me for sounding chillingly bureaucratic on this matter, but do the Pro-Life organisations have plans to ensure that this extra number of children will be born into a society which provides sufficient health care, housing and educational needs? It is no use them saying this is up to the parents when they limit a couples choice on the subject of the birth of children.
And there is the matter of a  grouping which goes on at great length about a person’s choice being limited by government while being willing to install very strict laws on a person’s choice whether to continue with a pregnancy. 

Let the record show, by the way I am personally unhappy that there have had to have been 800,000 to 900,000 abortions per year in the USA, a matter I covered in the previous post.

Hypocrisy and Agendas
I have in some measure dwelt on the question of Hypocrisy through the Gun Control Debate, thus there is no need to repeat the point. Therefore for brevity’s sake I will turn to agendas.

The perceived driving force of the current dominating grouping with The Republican Party and its allied associations is essentially revisionist.  The current picture it presents to the public is one of unconditional rolling back of all changes made in social development without any room for debate on the challenges. In this it targets the liberals or as it inaccurately refers to as Socialists (the ignorance of socialism on the American Right might be laughable in other eras). Aside from minorities, another group it aims to put in ‘its place’ are Women. It is a complex approach, because there are many women in its ranks, but basically Women can be Women as much as they like but on Male and Fundamentalist terms. Hence those women who are pro-choice are to be vilified and essentially caged. Whereas those who are Pro-Life can indulge in the most ludicrous Conspiracy Junk, carry around firearms and dismantle the social support systems built by previous governments to their hearts’ content.

Pro-Life therefore is merely one part of a drive to seek out some Past which has never been. Where everyone will be apparently wholesome, heterosexual, go to church and contribute unequivocally to the community, in which everyone of all races will know their place. The idea being very much like those cosy TV shows of the 1950s and early 1960s. To achieve this there would limiting choice, imposition of a surveillance state with powers of censorship and travel control aided by a wide spread of new laws stating what was now illegal. In short ‘Liberty’ for one group and not all of society. As we can see with the legislation passed in some states on Abortion, pressure on the education system, societal pressure on families outside of the norm, questionable changes in the voting boundaries and arrangements this is already in place. All under the guise of protecting the ‘liberties’ , but only of certain groups.

Call it an attempted soft coup if you like.

Amongst all of this drive to limitation you can depend on one factor of Human Weakness. No doubt there are Pro-Life campaigners who have had some degree of experience of Abortion and have had a change of heart, nothing new there, just so long as they are open about it. However there will be the other side, those who are Pro-Life, but at some stage will decide in their particular case, involvement with Abortion was necessary, but not to be made public and they will continue as publicly Pro-Life. ‘In our case there are particular circumstances’ a common recourse down the ages on many subjects. And predictable.

Conclusion

Whereas this drive to the making of Abortion illegal across a nation is possible, of course possible given the way voting patterns go. Whether this law would be wholesomely workable and lead to a better and enriched society is very doubtful. To be very generous in my conclusion I will fall back on the old adage:

The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions