# House Republicans redefining "rape." **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 29, 2011, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439 "2011-01-29T19:06:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/101 "2011-01-30T21:04:01Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > No, it has to be done at the federal level or it won’t get done. States can’t be trusted. I like this. State governments are chosen by the people and can’t be trusted. Articles are created by a few individuals and can be trusted. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/102 "2011-01-30T21:24:46Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > But more broadly, I think aid for the poor should be run at the state level, and that includes aid in the form of health care. The problem with that John is that it turns each separate state into a self-insurance pool. The whole idea behind insurance is to spread risk over the largest possible group. Your idea would break the country up into enclaves with vastly different qualities of life very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/103 "2011-01-30T22:07:26Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > The problem with that John is that it turns each separate state into a self-insurance pool. The whole idea behind insurance is to spread risk over the largest possible group. Your idea would break the country up into enclaves with vastly different qualities of life very quickly. Easily overcome by smaller states pooling resources if they felt it was in their interest to do so. Besides, that’s the way it is now for almost everyone. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/104 "2011-01-30T22:09:19Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Easily overcome by smaller states pooling resources if they felt it was in their interest to do so. True, and larger states (like California, New York, or Texas) have more than enough inhabitants to form a viable pool on their own. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/105 "2011-01-30T22:11:19Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Easily overcome by smaller states pooling resources if they felt it was in their interest to do so. Besides, that’s the way it is now for almost everyone. There’s a word for that. It’s called federalism. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/106 "2011-01-30T22:40:27Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Easily overcome by smaller states pooling resources if they felt it was in their interest to do so. Besides, that’s the way it is now for almost everyone. Even more easily dealt with by racing to the bottom… ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/107 "2011-01-30T22:52:51Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Easily overcome by smaller states pooling resources if they felt it was in their interest to do so. Besides, that’s the way it is now for almost everyone. Well the states did exactly that. In 1787… ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/108 "2011-01-30T22:57:23Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > The problem with that John is that it turns each separate state into a self-insurance pool. The whole idea behind insurance is to spread risk over the largest possible group. Your idea would break the country up into enclaves with vastly different qualities of life very quickly. You don’t need the largest possible pool. You just need a reasonably large pool. I suspect a pool of a couple million people is perfectly sufficient to bring the cost of abortion care down to about as low as it can realistically get. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/109 "2011-01-30T23:10:57Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > No, I’m taking the article’s word for it. We have no reason to dstrust the article. Okay, what reason do we have to trust the article? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/110 "2011-01-30T23:12:46Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > You don’t need the largest possible pool. > > You just need a reasonably large pool. I suspect a pool of a couple million people is perfectly sufficient to bring the cost of abortion care down to about as low as it can realistically get. Oh sure. I’m talking about health care/social welfare programs in general. How does Michigan handle unemployment? And who’d want to partner with them? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/111 "2011-01-30T23:15:20Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Well the states did exactly that. In 1787… Not for the purpose of providing abortion funding. Unless you don’t think the power of the federal government has expanded just a teensie bit since that date. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/112 "2011-01-30T23:34:07Z")
> [@Stratocaster](#): > > Okay, what reason do we have to trust the article? It’s a reutable magazine. ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/113 "2011-01-30T23:34:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Not for the purpose of providing abortion funding. Unless you don’t think the power of the federal government has expanded just a teensie bit since that date. Assuming you accept that abortions are a medical procedure and assuming that the states have banded together to pool risk for providing health care then, yeah, they did. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/114 "2011-01-30T23:36:12Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Not for the purpose of providing abortion funding. Unless you don’t think the power of the federal government has expanded just a teensie bit since that date. I don’t see your point here. Now you’re saying that states should NOT pool resources (i.e. federalize) for abortion funding? Make up your mind. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/115 "2011-01-30T23:54:22Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I don’t see your point here. Now you’re saying that states should NOT pool resources (i.e. federalize) for abortion funding? Make up your mind. I’m saying they shouldn’t be forced to do so, as they are now. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/116 "2011-01-30T23:55:42Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Assuming you accept that abortions are a medical procedure and assuming that the states have banded together to pool risk for providing health care then, yeah, they did. No, they did not band together in 1787 in order to pool resources for providing health care. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/117 "2011-01-30T23:57:29Z")
Why shouldn’t they? Especially since some won’t do it otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/118 "2011-01-31T00:01:24Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Why shouldn’t they? Especially since some won’t do it otherwise. Well, for one, I don’t care if they all do it or not. I’m pro-choice about more than just abortion. Secondly, for the same reason they aren’t forced to pool resources to provide education, police forces, fire departments, and other public utilities. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/119 "2011-01-31T00:17:19Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > It’s a reutable magazine. That’s a logical fallacy. Even if they weren’t a reputable magazine, the assertions they make are supported or they aren’t. I’m quite certain you wouldn’t accept an unsupported assertion from the National Review. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439/120 "2011-01-31T00:22:54Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Well, for one, I don’t care if they all do it or not. I’m pro-choice about more than just abortion. I can’t force you to care, but “I don’t care” is not actually an argument against anything. Just for the record. > [@](#): > > Secondly, for the same reason they aren’t forced to pool resources to provide education, police forces, fire departments, and other public utilities. I don’t think the comparsion is sound, but, in point of fact, they do get federal subsidies for some of those things, and they are already getting it for health care. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-republicans-redefining-rape/569439.md?page=7)