Thread: FDA approved embryonic stem cell trials

I don't want to get embroiled in a political thread, but I'll set the facts straight. Obama did not OK US funding of abortions. The ban, which was removed, was on providing ANY funding for any international organization that provided abortions. Let's say, for example, that there was an organization in Thailand, or some such, dedicated to the rescue of women involved in the sex industry involuntarily (we could probably all agree that this is a good thing). A noble endeavor, but if the organization should choose to provide abortions, even under accounting practices that clearly demonstrate that none of the funding for abortions came from the US government, that organization would still be ineligible for US funds during the ban. It was, is, and shall remain illegal (I think since 1973 (***update, actually 1961)) for international organizations to provide abortions using US government funds.

Originally Posted by ScottS

I don't want to get embroiled in a political thread, but I'll set the facts straight. Obama did not OK US funding of abortions. The ban, which was removed, was on providing ANY funding for any international organization that provided abortions. Let's say, for example, that there was an organization in Thailand, or some such, dedicated to the rescue of women involved in the sex industry involuntarily (we could probably all agree that this is a good thing). A noble endeavor, but if the organization should choose to provide abortions, even under accounting practices that clearly demonstrate that none of the funding for abortions came from the US government, that organization would still be ineligible for US funds during the ban. It was, is, and shall remain illegal (I think since 1973 (***update, actually 1961)) for international organizations to provide abortions using US government funds.

The real kicker to this one is that the Bush position -- of de-funding organizations that offered abortion services in addition to family planning services -- actually resulted in increases in the number of abortions in some of the countries affected -- in some cases large increases. It seems that when you deny women access to family planning services, they tend to get preggers.

This, of course, has bolstered the notion that the Bush position on abortion was about ideology, not about reducing the number of abortions.

j

Originally Posted by Nord Jim

The real kicker to this one is that the Bush position -- of de-funding organizations that offered abortion services in addition to family planning services -- actually resulted in increases in the number of abortions in some of the countries affected -- in some cases large increases. It seems that when you deny women access to family planning services, they tend to get preggers.

This, of course, has bolstered the notion that the Bush position on abortion was about ideology, not about reducing the number of abortions.

j

So, how about just providing support for contraceptice services alone then?

Not funding for abortion as a means of contraception using my tax money.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

So, how about just providing support for contraceptice services alone then?

Not funding for abortion as a means of contraception using my tax money.

The agencies offered that as a solution -- funding for family planning services only, with transparent bookkeeping to keep things on the up-and-up. The ideologues in the Bush administration said no.

j

Originally Posted by Nord Jim

The agencies offered that as a solution -- funding for family planning services only, with transparent bookkeeping to keep things on the up-and-up. The ideologues in the Bush administration said no.

j

And now we have the idealogues of the Obama administration saying "no" to providing it without also funding abortion.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

And now we have the idealogues of the Obama administration saying "no" to providing it without also funding abortion.

Nope, sorry. Not the same thing at all.

Obama supports reproductive freedom; Bush opposed it. Therefore, Obama supports funding of abortion, which Bush opposed. Fair enough.

But Bush also de-funded any organization that had anything to do with abortion, even though he wasn't being asked to support the abortions themselves. He did this as a sop to one of his constituencies, even though it was manifestly not in the national interest, and had the effect of increasing the number of abortions anyway. With the third world population explosion as it is, this was not only stupid, it was bad for the nation and the world community.

That's the difference.

j

I hope that soon we'll all be able to go to the phrarmacy and purchase pre-packaged stem cell injections over the counter. That way if a person is injured, they can just inject themselves and have the recuperative powers of Wolverine.