In the U.S., the working class has faced a cheaper, meaner pronatalism: reproductive coercion

The U.S. birth rate is now at a record low of 1.64 children per woman, considerably below replacement.

The working class has little political representation, so the costs of bearing and rearing children are largely borne by families.

Paul Heideman argues that the corporate class is unconcerned about the birth rate, but capitalists have a long-term class interest in an increasing US population.

Elizabeth Heideman : Corporate Democrats and many Republicans have settled on immigration as the primary solution to declining birth rates because it’s cheap — they don’t have to contribute money toward raising these workers.

Still, immigrant workers have been powerful constituencies pushing pro-labor victories, she says.

She says contraception, which prevents many more births than abortion, is wildly popular.

The Dobbs decision undermined Supreme Court rulings that forced states to permit contraceptive use among the married and unmarried.

Heideman argues that our corporate overlords are neutral on abortion or may even favor abortion rights.

But this only confirms that capitalists want their own workers to be unencumbered by childbearing, the better to get work out of them.