DeepSummary
The episode explores the perverse reality of conservative policies that harm children, despite their claims of upholding family values and protecting children from abuse. It delves into issues like child labor, child brides, forced births, corporal punishment in schools, and sentencing children to life in prison, which disproportionately occur in conservative states.
Various speakers highlight how poverty is a significant contributing factor to child abuse and neglect, and how policies like the expanded child tax credit helped reduce child poverty, only for it to be allowed to expire by Republicans and Joe Manchin. The episode argues that the rhetoric of 'parents' rights' is often a guise for control over children, treating them as property rather than individuals.
The episode features quotes and examples that illustrate how conservative rhetoric and policies prioritize control and indoctrination over empowering children, with advocates openly defending practices like child marriage and hitting children under the guise of 'training' and 'obedience'.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Conservative policies disproportionately harm children through enabling child labor, child marriage, poverty, corporal punishment, and denying children's autonomy.
- The rhetoric of 'parents' rights' is often a guise for asserting control over children as property rather than empowering them.
- Poverty is a major contributing factor to child abuse and neglect, yet policies like the expanded child tax credit that reduced child poverty were allowed to expire.
- Some conservatives openly advocate for indoctrinating and hitting children under the guise of 'training' and 'obedience'.
- Claims of 'protecting children' by conservatives contradict their policies that endanger children through labor exploitation, forced births, violence, and excessive punishments.
- Economic hardship and lack of social safety nets exacerbate risks to children's wellbeing and development.
- There is a disparity between liberal and conservative states in prioritizing children's rights and welfare.
- Corporate profits are often prioritized over protecting children from exploitation and harm.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Parents rights, according to moms for Liberty, isnt about transparency or wanting to be heard, its about control. Parents rights means the right to have full, uninhibited control over children.“ by Speaker A
- “Protect the children is a rallying cry in right wing circles at the moment, implying all sorts of boogeymen liberal educators books featuring gay penguins, drag queens in libraries, child sex traffickers using wayfair armoires and pizza restaurant basements. In reality, it's adults and disproportionately conservative adults who are making life much more perilous for children by failing to protect them from guns, from violence at home and in schools, from early marriage, from early enforced motherhood, from backbreaking labor, and from life behind bars.“ by From quoted article
- “Corporations are bringing back child labor in America, and some Republicans want to make it easier for them to get away with it.“ by Speaker B
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Episode Information
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
BestOfTheLeft.com
10/7/23
Air Date 10/7/2023
Spanning the gamut of terrible policy choices and their impacts on children, we look today at the perverse reality at odds with conservatives' claim to be standing up for "family values" and saving children from the abuse of Democrats.
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Related Episodes:
#1479 Torturing Children and Families in the Name of Protecting Them (Trans Rights)
#1563 Putting Our Kids to Work for Corporate Profits
SHOW NOTES
Ch. 1: What "Parents' Rights" REALLY Means - Zoe Bee - Air Date 9-26-23
"Parents' Rights" has been a rallying cry for several political and social groups in the past few years. But what does it really mean? Let's find out.
In 2021, as the economy reeled from the pandemic, a one-year expansion of the child tax credit led to a historic 46 percent decline in the child poverty rate. But new census data shows a dramatic reversal with the rate of children in poverty skyrocketing
Ch. 3: Why Child Labor in America is Skyrocketing - Robert Reich - Air Date 5-16-23
Corporations are now using the “labor shortage” as an excuse to bring back child labor. It’s part of a horrifying trend: Since 2015, child labor violations have risen nearly 300%.
Ch. 4: America First 2.0 & A Defense of Child Marriage - Head in the Office - Air Date 4-19-23
The boys highlight a slurry of bad news coming from states like Florida and Ohio, the Missouri GOP defends child marriage, a GOP presidential contender drops a 25 point plan for America First 2.0, many people might lose Medicaid
Ch. 5: Having A Baby In America – SOME MORE NEWS - Air Date 9-27-23
Conservatives sure want Americans to have more children, but they don't seem to like children at all or want to support them in society! In today's episode, we look at the many challenges Americans face if they want to become parents
Ch. 6: How Inequality Fuels Child Abuse - One in Ten - Air Date 9-5-23
How do we come alongside and stand with families in poverty who are struggling with child abuse and neglect? How do we examine our own policies and procedures to ensure that we’re being genuinely helpful and not just adding to families’ burdens?
Sen. Cory Booker on the child poverty rate doubling after Republicans let the expanded child tax credit expire: “We have now proved something pretty phenomenal and at the same time, pretty obscene.
MEMBERS-ONLY BONUS CLIP(S)
Ch. 8: Why It Sucks To Be Young - Andrewism - Air Date 2-3-21
We don't talk enough about how our society treats young people and children. Let's change that.
Leaked videos and recordings uncovered by investigative watchdog Documented expose the Alliance Defending Freedom’s plot to wipe out public schools in America.
Their goal is to take down the entire system of education
FINAL COMMENTS
Ch. 12: Final comments on the article that inspired today's episode and more examples of abusing children through policy New
MUSIC (Blue Dot Sessions)
Produced by Jay! Tomlinson
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