[alexamenos]

The point mavdog is trying to make (not very convincingly, IMO) is that Sanger used the eugenics movement to further her cause. That is, she wasn't so much interested in eugenics as she was interested in using the eugenicists' movement. (and to keep things in context, eugenicism was a widely accepted thing among progressives and leftwingers back in the day).

I think this interpretation of her life is a bit on the revisionist side of things -- kind of a transparent effort to deny by ommission the collectivist and malthusian aspects of her outlook in order emphasize those parts her work which are more palatable to 21st century Liberal notions.

....kind of like with Lincoln -- we remember today part "a" of his plans - free the slaves!! That much is cool. Yeah Lincoln! Part 'b', where he wanted to ship all of the darkies back to africa, is commonly (and conveniently) forgotten.

but I digress....

My larger point, regardless of whether Sanger was a eugenicist deep down in her soul or someone using eugenicists, is the ease with which birth control (then), retroactive birth control (now), and eugenicism can be melded together. It's a very steep and very slippery slope.