The Death of Shulamith Firestone and the Inevitability of Machine-Based Human Reproduction

[jordan179]

Shulamith Firestone (1945-2012) was found dead on the 28th, an event of which I first learned from reading Nicola Griffiths' blog entry "RIP Shulamith Firestone."  Griffiths' entry is something of a commemoration:  my own opinion of Firestone and her effect on society is a lot lower.

Firestone was one of the founders of "radical feminism," a

Comments

[headnoises]

I'm afraid that artificial wombs will end the abortion debate, because it's not so much the pregnancy that is unwanted-- it's the child. (Want evidence? Famously, Obama opposed a law requiring children accidentally born alive during abortions be treated as any other birthed child. For that matter, the existence of late term abortion, rather than induce-and-adopt-out.)

Would it work for the cases that are often used to justify abortion? Yes, in theory, as well as being a great life saver when the mother needs treatment or other dangerous situations.

Assuming we can figure out how to do it without hurting the kids. IVF kids have a higher risk of issues later on, and it's thought that it may be due to their conception and extremely early development being outside of the woman's body.

[marycatelli]

How true. However, given that society can manage just fine with men being told that since they had sexual intercourse, they are on the hook, I dare say it can manage with women being told the same thing.

[headnoises]

Much agreed.

But I've thought that since I first found out that some insane folks actually induce miscarriages-- I knew about them from being around cattle, and considered them one of the saddest things possible. (Know how cute calves are? Now imagine one that can fit in a pickle jar, and other than not having hair-- is perfectly formed. That's early second trimester pine needle abortion. Means the mother was starving, ate pine needles, and lost the calf.)

[marycatelli]

Yup. Most of the "coat hanger" abortions of the illegal days were that sort of insanity, and they were not stopped by legalization. There was a woman who died of trying to induce a miscarriage the day before she had an appointment for an abortion.

[headnoises]

You probably already know about this lady, but Real Choice blog collects the deaths by done-by-medical-folks abortions, both legal and illegal.