The Pro-Lie Movement Targets Hillary

One woman is a victim of daily defamation from the right: Susan B. Anthony. The name and image of the iconic suffragist have been used to promote the anti-woman, anti-choice campaigns of a group that calls itself the "Susan B. Anthony List." Clearly, they hope that co-opting the name of the famous woman's rights leader will camouflage their anti-woman agenda. It should then come as no surprise that the same group is now maligning and defaming (though not yet co-opting) the name of another woman's rights leader, Hillary Clinton.

The "Susan B. Anthony List" claims Clinton, as Obama's Secretary of State, will "promote abortion" around the world. According to their November 30 press release, "Clinton will join Obama in promoting taxpayer funding of international abortions through a revocation of the Mexico City Policy and restoring funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The UNFPA has been implicated in supporting China's coercive one-child family planning policy that involves forced abortions and sterilizations."

Defamation is a tool of the anti-choice establishment. Its campaign against UNFPA was one of its most sinister. It was, in effect, a campaign against the most desperate women, babies and families of the world. Anti-contraception groups, like the "Susan B. Anthony List," with the help of the all-too-willing President Bush managed to freeze $161 million of U.S. funds to UNFPA. This "pro-life" victory resulted in millions of infant deaths, over a hundred thousand mothers dying during childbirth, as well as millions more unintended pregnancies and abortions worldwide. With an Obama presidency, sadly for "pro-life" groups, this trend will end. But the pro-lie movement against UNFPA will continue.

Hillary has been a big supporter of UNFPA, and for good reason. The UN is, despite press reports to the contrary, primarily a relief agency. It provides assistance to those living in the most dangerous and unstable places on earth. The role of UNFPA, one of its agencies, is to provide lifesaving interventions in the reproductive field: delivering babies, creating healthy births, ensuring that women are well enough to become mothers again, and giving families the methods to space children. (These, by the way, are goals that Susan B. Anthony certainly would have endorsed.)

UNFPA does not provide abortion. In fact, the organization states explicitly, "UNFPA...does not provide support for abortion services." Instead, UNFPA is the supplier of 41 percent of the world's total needed contraceptive (or prevention) services. It does this all on a meager budget, $500 million, provided by nations that believe in its mission. UNFPA is by many standards a model of what the UN does well. It has a tremendous impact on the people in greatest need, and it does so on a shoestring. As economist Jeffrey Sachs, author of The End of Poverty and, according to Time magazine, one of the world's one hundred most influential people, explained, "UNFPA's work is absolutely vital."

Sadly, the organization's good work providing people in poor countries the ability to plan a pregnancy put it on a collision course with the U.S. anti-family planning movement. While domestically, our anti-sex fundamentalists tend to act covertly to roll back access to birth control, they act brazenly abroad. In Kosovo they characterized UNFPA's efforts to provide emergency contraception to female refugees who had been raped and wanted to prevent pregnancy as "ethnic cleansing " and "genocide." They followed UNFPA workers into Iraq to suggest the emergency obstetric care clinics it was constructing and staffing was instead the headquarters for an "abortion jihad."

This heckling of humanitarian relief efforts is coordinated by a group based in Front Royal, Virginia, the Population Research Institute (PRI). When Bush took office, PRI saw its opportunity. The staff of six was imaginative. In 2002, they amplified their slander campaign against UNFPA claiming it was working with the Chinese government to enforce its coercive one-child policy.

The truth was the very opposite. UNFPA was working with the Chinese government to prove that voluntary family planning would lead to better outcomes for Chinese citizens as well as the Chinese government. In fact, UNFPA was having lots of success persuading the Chinese to relax their coercive and brutal one-child policy, the goal of their work there. It had even documented a dramatic decline in abortion rates in the Chinese counties it focused, from 24 percent to 10 percent. (To put this in context, the current abortion rate in the U.S. is 21 percent.) Just when UNFPA was succeeding in proving to the Chinese the one-child policy was not only inhumane but also ineffective, PRI swooped in with its claims of complicity. Bush, eager to lock lips with his fanatical base, ignored the advice of his own state department, as well as many allied nations, and opted to go with the swirly eyed lunacy of the six staffers of PRI. At their request, Bush quickly froze all U.S. funds to UNFPA, which represented 12 percent of its budget.

Since the accusations were made, over 145 diplomats have looked into the spurious claims made by PRI. Not one investigator has been able to validate PRI's accusations against UNFPA.

Nonetheless, UNFPA has not received U.S. funding since 2002, amounting to a loss of $161 million dollars. Many countries have appealed to the U.S. to restore funding to UNFPA, including UN ambassadors from more than 50 countries who explained that "The least developed countries, 34 of which are in Africa, receive the bulk of UNFPA funding and will be most affected." Thanks to our "pro-life" movement, the US holds the ignoble distinction of being the only country to ever withhold funds to UNFPA for political reasons.

The effects of U.S. policy are tangible. Johns Hopkins researchers have estimated the magnitude. According to the researchers, the loss of funding to UNFPA has resulted in 1.9 million infant deaths, 135,000 maternal deaths, 60 million unintended pregnancies, 25 million abortions.

Anita Rahman, president of Americans for UNFPA, an organization formed to educate the American public about the impact this U.S. religious fundamentalist plot has had on women, babies and families worldwide, once said, "We dream of the day when the United States government will once again contribute financially to UNFPA and be part of the international community's work to promote the health and dignity of women everywhere." With Obama and Clinton guiding foreign policy, that dream will come true. Meanwhile, the "pro-life" movement plots another nightmare.

To learn more about of current anti-contraception activities visit www.birthcontrolwatch.org

Follow Cristina Page on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cristinapage

Comments

[camper65]

I have been, and will remain, a firm believer that abortion is a completely PRIVATE matter between the woman, the father, the doctor, and their God (and the parents of underage children). Government has NO PLACE in that equation! If you believe that killing infants born alive after an attempted abortion is the right thing to do, DO IT. But please, please accept the consequences in silence. It is sad to see the public squabbling over this issue. Until someone can PROVE - not think, not believe, not feel, not suspect, not hope, not trust........ - but PROVE that life either DOES or DOES NOT begin at conception, then PLEASE SHUT-UP!! Sometimes I think that the right to terminate the life of a child should be extended to the age of 12. Sometimes I think even 18. But those are just momentary thoughts. Let us not forget that expanded abortion availability was created to control the "inferior races" by that adored Progressive Margaret Sanger, a rabid racist! Progressives also brought us forced sterilization. Not a particularly noble progressive history. Let's just silence the screaming!

[ExpositOne]

Why are you surprised? Hilary is a politician, one day she stands on stage with the Rev. Billy Graham . . . the next day she is leading a gay pride march. Integrity and politics do not mix. Sad. Very very sad.

[mmerose]

"Layers of speculation" is a major rhetorical trick of the right. It's really stunning listening to Limbaugh, stating things that will happen based on his own assumptions about what will happen, and when that happens, then on to the "inevitable" next conclusion, based on nothing but a general characterization of the subject, based on - nothing.

So in that alternate reality, Hillary will "promote abortion" because "everybody knows" she's an abortion-lover. The UN will promote abortion because it's the UN. Reality doesn't enter into the discussion, and it is utterly futile to attempt to introduce facts to the mind of someone indoctrinated in that culture.

It doesn't entirely work one way. I still think Hillary is a disaster because of what actually did happen with her, particularly over the Iraq War vote. Just as Karl Rove is absurd for saying, gee, if we'd only known, because the evidence was available, so too Hillary. Perhaps worse is her total life immersion in corporatism. If you want to define the opposite of "community organizer", here's the resume of the lady in the pantsuit....

[CalliDem]

still think Hillary is a disaster because of what actually did happen with her, particularly over the Iraq War vote.

How about Biden?

[eshalom]

When are the Obama flock's Hillary haters going to grow up and realize their guy, Barack, was just politicking when he and his campaign trashed her during the primary? He has since excused their hate-mongering sexist attacks as "overheated campaign rhetoric" and acknowledged her superior experience, judgment, and wisdom by naming her as secretary of state in his administration.

Every time you attack Clinton now, you are saying the One lacks the judgment to be president.

[Isis N]

This is really disturbing to me. I just finished a Model United Nations class at my school, and through that, I participated in a Model UN conference. I was on a committee that deals with reproductive health in areas of crises, and that's a big part of the UNFPA. In that committee, the entire group came up with some expensive solutions, and the United States member, a girl from a different school, offered more money from the US.

How horrible it is to have even more information now that says that we could have been helping other areas of the world out, but instead, once again more lies took away from the good that could have happened. Why is America so "superior" that they can't help areas that need more access to contraceptives to help prevent children being born from rape and other nasty situations?

[camper65]

I have this suspicion that your Model United Nations was far more capable than the real thing. The U.N. has become nothing more than an employment agency for the corrupt relatives of corrupt governments who have learned how to steal money from the blind idealists in the U.S. P.T. Barnum was right!

[Isis N]

I feel the same way. I had to do A LOT of research, and that was the best we could do as students. However, in the real UN, there are committees that never can reach agreements, and instead at the end of each meeting agree to meet again later to continue to discuss their issues. Nothing gets done!

[SonofLiberty1]

As an adult, an Uncle but not a parent, I can say this to you..

All you can do is to provide a loving home for your children, a mother and a father who show their love. Raise your children to respect everyone; raise your son's to respect themselves and women and raise your daughters to respect themselves and the men they will meet, realizing of course that they are kind but understand how to say "NO".

Teach you children about sex, that it is a beautiful part of God's creation and why it needs to be saved for marriage and what can happen if they go to far. Show them the images that help them to understand that at conception there is another life not just a ball of cells.

For the most part, kids will understand. But there will always be those sadly who carry it to far and pay the price for their hormones.

[claudia2455]

Agreed that Susan B. Anthony's name is being maligned and that HRC is being attacked for spurious reasons. Jimmy Cliff sang the best criticism of the wrongly-called PRO-lifers: "between the day you're born and the day you die, there's no one to hear even your cry."

[SonofLiberty1]

What? You aren't making a whole lot of sense here.

[lovingpolitics]

No intelligent woman truly condones abortion!!! However it is the law of the land that all women have the right to make that personal decision for themselves!!! Hillary like millions of women will promote ways in which women don't have to resort to abortion as their only answer. Abortion should never be used as birth control and intelligent women know that.

[SonofLiberty1]

But sadly it is used as a means of contraception.

[kimleehan]

I hear a lot of women say "I had a abortion and it was the worse thing I ever did" and than I tell them no it was the worse decision you ever had to make, but you made it."Take my word for it theres a lot of pro-life women out there when given the choice choose abortion, but than tell you theirs was a special case ,and this is true every case is differe'nt, so don't judge, less they be judged.I think thats how the saying goes.

[jrcjr]

"a lot"? Really? like how many?

[kimleehan]

Well hon let me put it this way, the only person that can call themselfs true pro-lifers are the ones that had to make the choice and choose life. Walk a mile in my shoes before you judge me.

[kimleehan]

In one of my earlier blog. 90% to 93%. of all babies diegnosed with downs syndrom in the womb are aborted, So you do the math, or are you going to tell me all those mothers were pro-choice?

[ExpositOne]

As I have read the comments and lived a little, the issue of life is only weakened in the realm of politics. In the realm of all the personal stories and difficult questions, the biological fact is that life begins at conception. Abortion, for whatever reasons, is the killing of life. The murder of a human being.

With that stated, I am personally pro choice. The ability to make an informed choice is crucial to this issue. I hope we can keep the topic of abortion out of the political realm (there is no hope there) and make sure that all potential mothers (and fathers!) have the ability to make their own choice . . . based on facts.

Don’t agree? Witness the birth of a baby side by side with that of an abortion. You will choose life.

[InternationalObserver]

In theory we would all choose life over abortion. We would all choose, in theory, to have the child and adopt it out rather than abortion. But sadly, life isn't that simple, and there are many circumstances when the decision to abort the fetus is made. Which is why we abort fetuses and not babies. I thought !'d mention that, if only to seperate the mental image you just made of a baby being born and that of an abortion. Contrary to the mistruths some would like to spread ... we do not abort babies.

(and that's a collective 'we', meaning society - I am not an abortionist)

[SonofLiberty1]

Life is a heck of a lot simpler than you think...

It's called realizing what you are doing when you have sex and you aren't married or you are a teenager or young adult.

Sadly, there is not a heck of a lot of help out there after this situation occurs.

[Dupree]

I am hardly a fan of Hillary Clinton and sometimes find her to be most irritating when she seems to put her gigantic ego in first place speed. However, to say that she is going to promote abortion is ludicrous. She may intellectually communicate that woman should have rights and recognize their equality and status of life as equals to men. This is a profound truth that needs to be shared with our third world sisters around the planet. We are different YET EQUAL. A good and solid truth that need not be denied or obscured through any insecure male obsession with superiority attempt to persuade otherwise. I find it ironic how many of the pro-life movement has much love for the developing human being within the womb of its mother and upon being fully developed and making that transaction from the womb...all of a sudden...the love begins to diminish with time. The same people who applaud pro-life usually are pro-war as well. These same people who "love life within the womb," despise poor people and look upon them as a stain on humanity. The hypocrisy of their desire to control life within the womb and deny benefits to those same babies born outside of the womb is staggering.

[CalliDem]

Hill has been a punching bag for these right wing extremist for over 20 years. Too bad she is fulfilling the same role for the "progressives" that bought the l.i.e.s

[Katalin]

Hillary won't promote abortion, but she will educate women about birth control in the third world, which will teach them for personal responsibility, hence it will help them to get out poverty.

[Isis N]

Exactly. I think that Hilary will help the UNFPA with it's goals, which is VERY important and shouldn't be downplayed.

[noseysniper]

They named it after Susan because Susan B Anthony was pro life.

[fulanita]

During her time this was a taboo subject and unthinkable to bring such a topic up. I think this article rightly adjusts for time inflation.

[baseballmom]

In Susan B. Anthony's day, abortions were extremely dangerous for women. I believe that this is why she opposed them.

Read Cider House Rules sometime. It depicts what life was like for poor desperate women in the days before birth control and safe legal abortions.

[Isis N]

FYI: ALMOST everyone IS Pro-Life, but there are more people out there who take it further and believe that women should have the right to choose what goes on with or in their bodies, i.e. Pro-Choice.

The idea that you are either pro-choice or pro-life is a fallacy.

[CalliDem]

Yes ... the United States Government does not belong inside our womb. There. I said it.

[Marco]

So following that logic, should we create a "George Washington List" for folks that want to bring back slavery?

"Pro-life" is such a stupid, stupid word - especially when it's used as a weapon by many people who support the death penalty or support bombing other countries.

I am pro-choice, but I am also pro-life. I think the only people who wouldn't identify as pro-life are serial killers or gangsters.

[ceti]

I'd like to ask these pro-lifers whether they actually care about children after they are born. In fact there would be more to criticize about Hillary if they took of their blinders -- the fact that she favors an aggressive foreign policy, and was First Lady when hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children died during the sanction regime and supported the Iraq war that led to even more death, destruction, and deprivation for both Iraqi women and children (her "it takes a village" motto morphed into "we need to destroy a village to save it"). Her bellicosity towards Iran is of far more concern for the children of this world.

[benalbanach]

Pro lifers are pro lifers until their teen-age daughter gets pregnant.

[ExpositOne]

My teenage daughter just delieved our first grandchild a week from last Monday. Now more than ever we are a pro life family!

The impact "Cali's" birth had in the teenage community has done more for the prolife cause than you can imagine. In fact, many of her friends who have chosen to end the life of their babies now regret in unison of their decisions.

You my friend could not be further from the truth.

[whit4brains]

I had no idea the anti-abortion movement made such an impact worldwide. How can they feel good about what they do when they see the statistics of all those infant, maternal d.eaths and a.bortions? I just don't understand why they care so much more about the zygotes and not the children and women who are born and walking this planet. It's heartbreaking seeing the Hopkins study stats. Hopefully Obama and Clinton will take care of this quickly and start giving support back to the UNFPA where it is so needed.

Thanks Christina for the informative article.

[hipocampelofantocame]

whit4brains: Hey! Some one finally got it. I was in pediatrics (0 to 18 years) for 29
years and general practice (including army overseas duty) some years before
that. With no notes, I can stand up and give you a two hour lecture on pro-pregnancy
termination that will make your hair stand on end. People who are against the
termination of unwanted or undesirable pregnancies are either ignorant, radically
religious, stupid, uninformed, or all four. I was born in Virginia, went to U.Va., and
graduated in the top third of my class at that medical school. The pro-lifers are
people (generally religious), who are giving emotional opinions on a rather complicated subject about which they actually know nothing. You should have
walked in my shoes for thirty years, and your understanding would be the opposite.

[zanzig]

Does no pro-lifer see the connection between overpopulation and food shortages in Africa and Asia? I think we NEED to promote abortions as much as we damn well can, before we eat ourselves out of all food sourcesd.

[SonofLiberty1]

What overpopulation?

Kindly go to the United Nations website and look at the figures for The Replacement Birth Rate, which is 2.1. You will see that most countries now have a figure BELOW this rate!

European nations are getting really scared because not enough babies are being born. Retirees are living longer and of course, everyone eventually dies and there is just not enough people to do the work. And many of these nations are not multi ethnic, in other words..they are dieing.

We here, in the United States, have a growth in population that is directly related to IMMIGRATION.
By 2050, it will catch up with us and the population will start to decrease just as it is now in Europe.

[SharlyFarley]

Funny thing, "Boston Legal" had a show on just this issue. Alan Shore won the case on the grounds that the US has the right to attach strings to the aid it dispenses, even though he strongly disagreed with this particular string. It was the only time I've been unconvinced by one of his closing arguments. This string is murderous - and hypocritical. The hypocrisy is noted by everyone: the US permits abortion for its own people but denies it for everyone else. Denial of family planning services is not only cruel, it's stupid.

"Overpopulation" is a relative term - how does the number of people relate to the amount of resources? Look a little closer. SoL is right about the aging of both American and European populations, but this is a smaller problem to deal with: our seniors are stronger and working longer than in developing countries. Which would you rather deal with - too few babies, or a generation of angry young men who may be 50% of the population with no possibility of employment? It's also true that American population growth has been mostly due to immigration, both legal and illegal - and our population is a good deal larger than we thought. What does that do to our projections of water use, for instance? The fanatical gag rule that has denied not just abortion but medical care for millions of women throughout the world is one of the WORST policies we've ever implemented. We can't scrap

[Rockerbabe]

Really! Is that why we have 6 billion + people on this planet and the worldwide population is expected to be 10 million by 2015! Because the birth/death ratio is falling? Oh my, we have never had 6 billion, let alone 10 billion people on this planet before - who knows what will happen. Over 10 million adult and children die of preventable disease and malnutrition every year. I don't think we have anything to be proud of; a lot of worry is ahead for all of us.