Often, the worst fuckery occurs where you're not even sure the type of fuckery that's happening. So it is with a statement today from the Department of State (motto: "One world under Exxon") announcing a massive expansion of the Reagan-era "Mexico City Policy" in language that seems to hide its true intent. The bullshit "policy" already "blocks international family planning assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development to any groups or programs that provide or even mention abortions to women, or speak out about abortion laws in their own countries."
But that wasn't fucked up enough for the ferocious fetus fellaters of the right, who are drooling in anticipation of stacking up the corpses of women like firewood. So now we're getting the "Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance" plan. And if you thought the U.S. government preventing any mention of abortion in $600 million worth of programs, wait'll you see how much damage can be done with $8.8 billion in support for foreign non-governmental organizations.
In the press release, the State Department defines "global health assistance" as "funding for international health programs, such as those for HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, malaria, global health security, and family planning and reproductive health." You got that? It means that if a pregnant woman in Angola with Zika is told by the nurse at an NGO that her fetus has been impacted by the disease and the NGO receives funds from USAID, that nurse can't even wink and say, "How about a schmabortion?"
Is that juvenile and kind of dumb? Well, so's the fuckin' policy. And so's the press release because you know what word is not in the whole document announcing a savagely backwards policy on abortion as medical necessity? Abortion. It doesn't fucking mention "abortion" once, so it sounds like a bland revision when it's actually a kick in the teeth to women in countries where NGO provide the only health care available. It hides the awful fuckery.
Instead, it says, "All foreign NGOs will have the opportunity to receive global health assistance awards if they indicate their agreement to abide by the terms of Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance by accepting the provisions in their award." Yep, spreading freedom, one threat at a time. But at least the nutzoid fundamentalist Christians are happy and can continue with the worship of their golden calf named Trump.
By the way, you know what the doubly-pathetic part of this assertion of patriarchal power over women's bodies is? It doesn't work. In fact, the abortion rate went up in a bunch of countries during the W. Bush administration, when the gag rule was in place. Amazing, right? That preventing women from having access to contraception and pregnancy care might end up with more abortions occurring? It's almost as if facts don't matter.
Oh, right.
