The Advertising Campaign That Sold Abortion to America: Behind the Media Blitz
The abortion debate has long held a powerful influence over U.S. politics. But one question remains largely unasked: How did abortion become mainstream in the U.S.? Who orchestrated this powerful campaign, convincing the public, policymakers, and influential feminists? And what tactics transformed abortion from a taboo subject into a “right” embraced by millions?
Let’s start with a curious letter Albert Einstein once wrote to Sigmund Freud, questioning if there was a way to eliminate the “menace of war.” Freud offered no answer, but after two devastating World Wars, American entrepreneur Hugh Moore (inventor of the disposable Dixie Cup) believed he had it: control the population.
Moore’s Population-Control Theory: War Prevention Through Birth Control
The mid-20th century was a time of uncertainty and fear. Moore worried that uncontrolled population growth, especially among the poor, would ultimately lead to another global war. So, in 1954, he published The Population Bomb, a booklet full of ominous statistics and warnings about population growth. His message? Reduce birth rates, or prepare for disaster.
Key Points of Moore’s Population Theory:
- Population Bomb: Moore claimed overpopulation would cause famine, taxes, and wars, threatening global stability.
- Influential Audience: He mailed this pamphlet to 1,500 influential figures across media, government, and academia.
- Strategic Partnerships: Moore found allies, including wealthy figures like John D. Rockefeller III, to amplify his message.
Building Momentum: The Rise of the Population-Control Movement
With support from leaders like Rockefeller, Moore’s campaign gained steam. By 1961, The World Population Emergency Campaign was established, with significant funds to back an extensive advertising effort. Moore’s campaign was an impressive public relations triumph, putting population control in the headlines across America.
Strategic Headlines that Caught America’s Attention
- “The Population Bomb Threatens the Peace of the World”
- “Dear President Nixon: We can’t tackle the environment problem without addressing this little fellow” (with an image of a grinning baby)
- “Whatever Your Cause, It’s a Lost Cause Unless We Control Population”
Taking Over Media: Paving the Way for Abortion Advocacy
Moore’s campaign wasn’t just about birth control. He saw abortion as essential to achieving lower birth rates. But to make abortion mainstream, he needed to influence the media—and the feminist movement. Moore’s ally, Lawrence Lader, co-founder of NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League), joined the push.
Recruiting the Feminists: A Turning Point for the Abortion Movement
Lader recognised that abortion’s legalization needed feminist support. He turned to feminist leader Betty Friedan, author of The Feminine Mystique, and encouraged her to support abortion rights as part of the feminist platform. Although reluctant, Friedan eventually accepted and added abortion as a “right” for women at the National Organization for Women’s (NOW) second annual conference.
Friedan’s support changed everything. Once abortion entered the feminist agenda, it gained momentum. Lader’s strategy was working, and the narrative shifted to “liberate” women through reproductive rights.
The Shift in Narrative
The media’s role became essential in spreading this message:
- Media Headlines and editorials now featured “women’s rights” narratives focusing on abortion as essential to freedom.
- Newspapers and Magazines portrayed abortion as a social need, making it part of the broader conversation on personal choice and women’s empowerment.
The Rockefeller Report: Government Endorsement of Abortion and Population Control
In 1972, the Rockefeller Commission Report on Population Growth and the American Future urged the government to liberalize abortion laws, claiming population control was essential to societal stability. But Graciela Olivarez, a leading feminist and dissenter in the report, pointed out an uncomfortable truth: abortion mainly benefited men and powerful elites who wished to control populations.
Olivarez argued that abortion rights didn’t liberate women; instead, they allowed men to escape responsibility for unintended pregnancies. But her views went largely unreported, and within a year, the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision enshrined abortion rights in the U.S.
Following the Money: Abortion as a Cost-Saving Measure
After Roe v. Wade, the abortion industry quickly recognized the financial benefits of the decision. Welfare administrators saw the “right to abortion” as an opportunity to save on welfare costs by offering abortions to impoverished women on government aid.
Financial Calculations and Cost Savings:
- HEW Report (1973): Claimed $2,700 in savings for each birth avoided among Medicaid recipients.
- Economic Impact: By funding abortions, policymakers could reduce welfare costs by hundreds of millions of dollars in the early 1970s.
Fast-forward to today, and the abortion industry has only grown. Politicians still advocate for abortion under the guise of “women’s rights,” ignoring deeper ethical and societal implications. Many Americans, influenced by fear-based messaging and powerful social campaigns, support abortion without questioning how it became entrenched in U.S. policy in the first place.
The Legacy of Fear: Abortion as a “Solution” to Social Issues
Moore, Lader, and their allies framed abortion as essential to America’s future. Through powerful media influence and strategic partnerships, they sold abortion to America, turning it into a political right. Today, abortion remains a politically charged issue, with many still seeing it as a necessary choice.
The abortion narrative didn’t emerge from a grassroots movement but was crafted by men with fears of overpopulation and political motives. It is a reminder of how influence, media, and financial interests can reshape public policy and moral beliefs.
