#1819 Coerced Sterilization, Abortion Bans, and the New Pronatalism: Who Controls American Reproduction (Transcript)

Air Date: 8/29/2026 Today we examine what happens when the state wants to decide whether a person reproduces. A century ago, American courts sanctioned the forced sterilization of women deemed unfit to reproduce. 60 years ago, a communist dictator ran a pronatalist experiment with disastrous results. Now, abortion access is collapsing and a new pronatalist movement is rising to wreak havoc. Full Show Notes Transcript Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!) Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience! Join our Discord community! TOP TAKES KP 1: Buck V. Bell Part 1 - 5-4 - Air Date 5-26-20 KP 2: Fannie Lou Hamer - Who Did What Now - Air Date 3-5-26 KP 3: Erika Cohn - Belly of the Beast Part 1 - Bitch Talk Podcast - Air Date 1-27-21 KP 4: Explaining This Moment of Pronatalism Part 1 - rePROS Fight Back - Air Date 6-16-26 KP 5: If Roe Was Never Enough, Why Was It Everything (And a Word to My Boom! Lawyered Fam) Part 1 - Boom! Lawyered - Air Date 6-11-26 KP 6: Explaining This Moment of Pronatalism Part 2 - rePROS Fight Back - Air Date 6-16-26 (00:50:53) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Update on Recovery From Work Burnout My commentaries on YouTube - Share them! DEEPER DIVES (00:55:30) SECTION A: EUGENIC LEGAL FOUNDATION A1: Buck V. Bell Part 1 - Stuff You Missed in History Class - Air Date 8-20-25 A2: Buck V. Bell Part 2 - 5-4 - Air Date 5-26-20 A3: Buck V. Bell Part 2 - Stuff You Missed in History Class - Air Date 8-20-25 (01:19:19) SECTION B: COERCED STERILIZATION TODAY B1: The Dark History of Forced Sterilization - Breakthrough News - Air Date 10-21-20 B2: We're Still Here with Simon and Julie - The John Fugelsang Podcast - Air Date 6-21-25 B3: Erika Cohn - Belly of the Beast Part 2 - Bitch Talk Podcast - Air Date 1-27-21 (01:40:32) SECTION C: POST-DOBBS LEGAL BATTLEFIELD C1: The Voters Have Spoken Protecting Reproductive Freedom Through Ballot Initiatives Part 1 - rePROs Fight Back - Air Date 3-31-26 C2: Return of the Abortion Pill Wars - Amicus With Dahlia Lithwick - Air Date 5-16-26 C3: Uncertainty Is a Given Litigation Post-Roe Part 1 - rePROs Fight Back - Air Date 7-28-26 C4: The Voters Have Spoken Protecting Reproductive Freedom Through Ballot Initiatives Part 2 - rePROs Fight Back - Air Date 3-31-26 C5: If