I think I just realised what this means as a victory for pro-life people in America and across the world.

Effectively, because the insurance subsidies are for low income earners (because the bill gives the lowest earners tax credits to pay for public insurance), they are required to buy additional medical insurance for abortion. However, they are the ones who can least afford abortion because they are the lowest income earners. In that case because they cannot afford to pay for it, and because it is not part of their private insurance plan, they will be unable to procure an abortion. That leaves Planned Parenthood with the option to provide free abortions, which if they do, will stuff up their own financial position at a time when their own business of murder is declining in parts of America due to the recession.

While America remains with abortion on demand as a millstone around its neck, effectively women who are on low incomes cannot afford to pay for abortions. Effectively that is a ban on abortions for them.

Gee, if only there were other ways to avoid pregnancy in the first place...

ZenTiger, naturally I agree with you, I hoped it would go without saying.

Yes, I thought so - I was really just voicing the sentiment I felt reading the post and your comment.

At some point, people have to take responsibility for their actions. Currently, we don't allow infanticide, so the action step happens during pregnancy.

If that option were far more difficult to exercise, then I would hope that there would eventually be a mind shift in this area.

Well, this curious US commentator, who appears to write for aquite a popular website, has cited my recent piece about the Pope and Marx - without apparently reading the text - as he tries to present the US Catholic church's support for public healthcare as part of Ratzinger's plan for global socialism:
http://www.aim.org/aim-column/vatican-engineered-victory-for-pelosicare/

As the Franklin E local has already shown, the internet really is not improving standards of intellectual discourse.

It's splendid, though, that the Catholic church apparently sees healthcare as a universal right, and is prepared to support Obama's modest plan.

"support Obama's modest plan.'
US$1.2 trillion is modest??

Modest in the extent to which it nationalises healthcare. It's very small beans compared to the NHS or the system in every other Western nation.

Here's the statement by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops which has apparently got the American right jumping up and down and denouncing them as commies:

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1109/Bishops_endorse_the_bill.html

Quotes:

'The Catholic Bishops of the United States have supported adequate and affordable health care for decades...

For the Catholic Church, health care is a basic human right...

We strongly support provisions in the legislation that will make health care more affordable for low-income people and the uninsured. We remain deeply concerned that immigrants be treated fairly and not lose the health care coverage that have now...'

Good stuff. My comradely congratulations to the Catholic church on its stance!

Maps, I think you need to take a serious look at some of the 1200 pages of the bill that Dems admit they hadn't read before voting.
And are you comfortable with the fact that Medicare (which provides coverage for seniors) would be gutted to help fund it? And that illegal immigrants would benefit and the monstrosity would leave a massive debt for future generations to struggle with?
Not to mention the fact that the Dems intend to fund this partly through inflation, destroying the savings of millions of hardworking Americans..
You don't have a bloody clue.

And no, I'm not interested in getting into a debate with you over this until you go do some homework, comrade.

Illegal immigrants would benefit from health care if they broke a leg or got cancer! My golly gosh that's awful!

I'm not very keen on these immigrant jokers because, unlike the rest of the human race, which descends from some valley in Ethiopia, I trace my ancestry back to pre-human hominids who lived in the North Island of New Zealand. We've always been here, see. No need for journeys in waka or sailing ships or aircraft. There'll be proof for all this in the next issue of Franklin E local.

Seriously, old boy, you're wasting your time on a powerless Cro-Magnon Kiwi like me. I'm not the one who swung the vote. You'd best be directing your energies towards those lefty Catholic bishops!

Maps
Of course the Church believes that everyone should have access to healthcare; that's not just a socialist idea now.

But remember, the USCCB did not support this bill until the abortion bit was taken out. Priorities first. And it is that fact that has the socialists in America really annoyed now.

It's quite sad really, the Catholic Bishops supporting universal health care when in the past Catholics provided healthcare to those who could not afford it. Now it's supposed to be the Government.

I agree Lucia, but given that a number of dioceses in the USA are now struggling with sex scandal payouts, the USCCB has more than likely decided that they can't afford it anymore.

And they can also prevent the state from making them do abortions in the Catholic hospitals, for which they can set the insurance fees.