I've heard it said that whenever you find yourself asking "why are they doing that?" the answer is always money. So why are the Republicans working so hard and spending so much money to kill labor unions, worker rights, abortion, birth control access and even child labor laws? Money. Why now especially, money again.
The U. S. is on the cusp of a huge labor shortage. The baby boomers, of whom I'm one, are about to start retiring, becoming incapable of working or just plain dying in large numbers. Those of us born in 1945 are turning 67. Those born in 1950 (there were a lot of us, me included) are turning 62. The recession delayed it a little while, but it is inevitable. We thought we were going be forever young, but it's not working out that way.
In the 60s, the Pill, became cheap and easily available just as we boomers were coming of age. We had drugs, sex and rock and roll, well some of us did, but what we didn't have many of were babies. We mostly put off having babies and when we did we had few of them. Our children have had small families too, that's what happens when you educate women and give them birth control. They generally go for quality over quantity when it comes to children. They have the amount of children they can afford to educate well. Not many.
That's why we are just about to have a really big labor shortage. You know what happens when there is a shortage of something, the price goes up. Workers are about to command much higher wages and better benefits. Corporations know this. That is why the corporate puppet Congress is fighting one last all-out battle against unions and other worker benefits. Whatever they can kill now is less they have to pay later.
Why the war on women's reproduction? They want you barefoot and pregnant honey, producing little consumers and future workers. Remember, empowered women have small families. Women without rights have few options. They like to tell us the reason is religion, which is true. They worship money.
Now whenever you find yourself shaking your head over the latest outrageous statement from the corporate conservatives, wondering what could they possibly be thinking? You know the answer.