Why Pro-Lifers Are Communists
By: Alexa Brachvogel
Tags: Reproductive Rights, Politics, Communism, Abortion, Reproductive Health

Is your stereotypical “red” aunt a god-fearing conservative with a staunch and unpersuadable opinion on abortion? Is your local Karen posting pro-life propaganda on Facebook?

I hate to break it to pro-lifers, but they’re proud, closeted communists.

Communism is defined by the government controlling the means of production. When a government entity regulates and restricts access to any type of reproductive care, they are controlling women’s bodies — and effectively — their lives. The pro-life stance argues for government control over abortion access, which translates to controlling the means of production of life itself.

Gloria Steinem, in her interview with Sophia Bush on the Work in Progress podcast, says, “We have a monopoly on wombs.” If government regulation makes it so that women can’t control their own bodies, what happens next? We can’t control our lives or our worlds. But patriarchy is a topic for another time.

The facts about abortion

Here’s what we know about abortions:

Abortions are safe. Less than 1 percent of abortions done in the first trimester lead to complications. (Source: PubMed) From 2009 to 2018, the number, rate, and ratio of reported abortions decreased 22%. (Source: CDC) Banning abortions does not stop abortions. It endangers women’s health. The Guttmacher Institute reports that in countries that restrict abortion, the percentage of unintended pregnancies ending in abortion has increased during the past 30 years, from 36% in 1990–1994 to 50% in 2015–2019. (Source: Guttmacher Institute & The Lancet Global Health)

If you’re against abortion, don’t get one. As always, Friends sums up this point well.

Who benefits?

What’s the opposite of government-controlled means of production? A free market, commonly associated with capitalism. Aka a modified version of our current economic structure in the United States.

In capitalism, there’s always a person or institution who benefits off of the labor of the working class. Some would label it “trickle-down economics” and and others call it exploitation. So when it comes to literal labor and child-bearing, who’s making money?

Enter, the average cost to have a baby in the United States

Business Insider reported that the average cost for labor and delivery in the United States ranged from $10,000 to $30,000 in 2018. Costs can increase significantly based on insurance, state, and any medical complications. NerdWallet’s breakdown of financial expectations during pregnancy is another helpful resource for additional prenatal healthcare costs.

Why is this important?

Production fuels the system.

How does the government benefit from controlled production?

On a macroeconomic level, declining birth rates and increased life expectancies are leading to lower replacement rates in the United States — a metric that measures population growth or decline. When population growth declines steadily over time, so does national output. Or in economic terms, gross domestic product (GDP). The decision to control women’s bodies is based on material gain and making money off of the future labor force.

Pro-life versus pro-birth

No article on abortion would be complete without a brief clarification on pro-life versus pro-birth. Most eloquently differentiated by Sister Joan Chittister in a 2004 interview with Bill Moyers, she states,

I do not believe that just because you are opposed to abortion, that that makes you pro-life. In fact, I think in many cases, your morality is deeply lacking if all you want is a child born but not a child fed, a child educated, a child housed. And why would I think that you don’t? Because you don’t want any tax money to go there. That’s not pro-life. That’s pro-birth. We need a much broader conversation on what the morality of pro-life is.

Pro-birth versus pro-life is an important distinction when discussing abortion and reproductive care policy.

In conclusion

The pro-life stance is a communist stance based on government control of women’s bodies. That the pro-life movement in recent years has been associated with the conservative agenda is mind-boggling.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with working together towards a common goal and paying workers fairly. Nor is there anything wrong with a woman choosing a different option than abortion. Women should be free to choose whatever type of reproductive care works best for them at that moment, as well as to make a different decision in the future. And, to be clear, the freedom to choose necessarily includes abortion.

But if Karen wants to push her pro-life agenda, she needs to concede that she believes in communism instead of towing the conservative party line in denial.

So if we can’t agree on politics, what can we agree on?

Support women. Support mothers. Support each other. The holidays are a season for celebrating and a light at the end of the tunnel after a particularly dark year. Whether your pro-life family members acknowledge their intimate connection to communism or not, you can bond over your shared love and appreciation for a break from work, coffee, or the end of 2020. And if you have the means, donate to organizations that support women and mothers around the world.

Proceeds generated through the distribution of this article will be donated to the ACLU and Circle of Health International. Circle of Health International (COHI) works with women and their communities in times of crisis and disaster to ensure access to quality reproductive, maternal and newborn care.