The couple of fringe elements
A few years back, Katha Pollitt writing for The Nation — confronted with this and that state restriction — posited the question of “where would we be without Roe v Wade?”, and came to the answer ” right where we are”. It is an intellectual argument against Roe, likely shared with more gusto by George Will, and probably abandoned in full by Pollitt in the next paragraph or article. Still, having been made, it does land on some nuances for a bottom line point:
Oughts nostalgia act Pink has stated that she does not want her to listen to her music anymore. It does occur to me that the technology is probably such that a “denial of service” can pop up for someone downloading Pink songs if the computer has links to antiabortion links and materials in the cache — if that is what she or her corporate contracts want.
We all know how this is going to end. There will be a movie with a pro-choice message, perhaps animated. It will do relatively lackluster business. So there will come a few editorials and a bunch of tweets angry at Misogynistic America’s unwillingness to support women’s narratives. A tragedy, this.
And skipping into the Oregonian / Oregonlive photo collection –– a few Damned Commies.
On the other hand, at least they aren’t the “black blocks”– ” antifa” –the rioters, smashing things up for the cause. You look about, and find them in there. These three make their point — what it is — within the broader group — advertising that they themselves are not the voting pool from which the Democratic Party would chase, even as they are surrounded by them.
Note: Stalin implemented a ban. But I guess these are Trotskyites? Not that I don’t suspect there is no difference (to use a triple negative) — as events warrant, a Premier Trotsky would adjust policy lines for the needs of the ongoing revolution.
I note they fit a definition of “moderate” — the radicals, as I define it here, are the ones breaking windows, or just as much — and there things blur into one incoherent mess over scattered points in time — a Starbucks here, a DNC headquarters there, a “Crisis Pregnancy Center” then. Mostly whatever is in the way at the end of a winding path. I have no idea on if I were to venture through into downtown Portland if my favorite graffiti slogan — the one that showed up after the big outburst post – Floyd — that “Riots are my Gender” — is back. Mingled as we are with “pride month”, I guess that would make more sense now than it did then.
That “Chris pregnancy center” smashing is interesting — demonized here and there but where I just land on the simple problem — manning (womaning?) these things a productive use of their time in providing that “acting on their ideals” line (on the lecture on what “pro-life” ought mean). Shutter them down and their only option then available is to stand in front of a Planned Parenthood or abortion clinic and yell, which strikes me as a less productive and more antagonizing use of their time.
… Or, there lay another defining for “moderate” and “radical” based not one whit on political and policy platform.