Obama lifts ban on abortion funding

[tarrant]

It seems this is one of the see-saw policies that bounces around.

In itself it's porbably not particularly significant. But it is making a statement to the US religious right wingers who have dominated so much of Bush's tenure with such disasterous results.

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news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7847651.stm

President Barack Obama is set to lift a ban on US funding for groups that provide abortion services abroad, officials say.

The move would reverse a policy of his predecessor, George W Bush.

The policy, also known as the "global gag rule", has stopped US government money going to groups that perform or provide information about abortion.

[newyorker]

Typical liberals, executing psycho murderers is bad, but executing babies is okay.

[jimboky]

To bad his mother didn't have that choice

[fastkat]

It's about time that ban was lifted. Another good decision by Obama!

[Amazed]

Whew! Finally a man you can trust in the White House! He does what he promised!

[voice]

Reason returns to the US gov, all that anti-science crap will be soon a thing of bad dreams

[grizzley]

It is so nice to see intelligence and reason returning to the Whitehouse after such a long long long absence. Quality, not quantity. Things are looking up.

[newyorker]

Why are you guys for killing babies? That's f*cked up.

[voice]

Yeah a few days can change a whole lot, a return to basic rights and thr rule of law an end to torture and the resteration of science and reasonable thinking, he's certainly off to a good start, bet the neandathiols who want Palin and her ilk to run things state side will be spitting nails

[Marshall]

Whether or not you agree with abortion, the law says it's legal in the US, so I'm not sure how Reagan and Bush were able to do this in the first place.

[Charles Martel]

Jan 23, 2009 22:52:46 GMT Marshall said:

Whether or not you agree with abortion, the law says it's legal in the US, so I'm not sure how Reagan and Bush were able to do this in the first place.

If you read the fine print (which kneejerkers like Tarrant, Grizzley and Voice never do), you find this is about US funding for abortion services overseas. It also includes US funding for family planning programs that include advocating abortion.

For the record, I am completely on the pro-choice side. However if a large enough section of society believes abortion is immoral, and do not wish federal tax money to be spent funding it, then they do have a valid case. But still, I do not agree that they should get their way. There are people across the political spectrum who conscientiously object to other government spending programs - e.g. pacifists (i.e. traitors) may be opposed to funding defense - and they should certainly not hold the rest of the country to ransom. So abortion will continue to be the perennial political football until either the pro-choice or pro-life camp have established an unchallengeable majority such that the issue need not be revisited again.

[Brittles]

Howz it gaun PK ?

[Marshall]

For overseas abortions yes, but it also affected programs that were given money from non-government sources in the US.

[Libby]

Am i missing the point somewhere, i read the article and understood it to mean that President Obama's aim is to reduce the amount of abortions and believes by channelling money into the abortion industry this will not happen. See quote from article below. I don't think that's such a bad thing. He seems to be sticking to his guns so far.

Quote ~ "However, you cannot reduce abortions by channelling more money to the abortion industry."

[Marshall]

Libby, that quote is from a group that opposes the move. They are referring to a comment Obama made saying he thinks the number of abortions should be decreased.

[voice]

I did read the fine print, one the scandles of the Bush era was of all the cash he pledged to fighting AIDS in Africa a large prtion was never spent as strings were attached where as no fun ding could go to an family planning organisation that either gave out condoms or performed abortion, effectivley he would only give the cash to programs run by fundi christians who promoted abstinence as the way to fight AIDS, its why so much of the cash never actually got spent. Chrisitan fundies will always chose death over sex, unles its a bundle of cells in a womb for some strange reason, but then they have long sought to have power over women and their reproduction.

[Scooby Do]

I'm with you on this Libby.


"The policy known as the "global gag rule" had stopped US government money going to groups which perform or provide information about abortion."

That sounds anti abortion, Obama has reversed it which sounds he is pro abortion

[Brittles]

Label me whatever you like but as a parent who has lost 2 babies to still birth I place a high value on the live birth of children and except in extreme circumstances I am totally against abortion.
I am no christian fundamentalist just someone who values human life as a result of painful personal experience.

[voice]

he's effectivly cut the strings that stopped money going to AIDS treatment programs throughout Africa and beyhond, its a very proilfe thing he did, you cant argue its not a good thing for millions who were not able to get trwatment unless some fundi chritian sect was in their area peddling the no-sex approach to stopping AIDS

[voice]

Oh and personally I'd never want my wife to have an abortion, but I dont then feel the need to tell every other woman on the planet what they can and cant do with their own bodies