In her novel "The Handmaid's Tale", author Margaret Atwood describes a totalitarian America that subjugates women as involuntary weaning machines. The horror vision became the award-winning TV series in 2017, with the third season running in the US in June.

Meanwhile, the reality of fiction is approaching.

The state of Alabama in the southern United States issued this week the most draconian prohibition of abortion in America. The bill, signed by Republican Governor Kay Ivey on Wednesday night, penalizes abortion in almost all cases, even in rape or incest. The women themselves remain impunity, but the doctors risk up to 99 years in prison. Ten years are foreseen alone for attempting an abortion.

ALABAMA GOVERNOR OFFICE HANDOUT / EPA-EFE / REX

Governor Kay Ivey while signing the bill

Thousands of people have been protesting in front of Parliament in Alabama's capital, Montgomery, in the past few days, when the US civil rights movement began. "Hands off my uterus", was on some posters. Many demonstrators were dressed as "handmaids" from the series, in red cowls, with white stiff hoods.

The State Senate nevertheless waved the controversial bill, which usually hits both poor and black women, thanks to a Republican majority of 25 white men. It is the most dramatic regression in an escalating cultural war under US President Donald Trump.

Hoping for the Supreme Court

Although the new law should be immediately blocked by lawsuits. But that's exactly what the abortionists are aiming for, not just in Alabama: they want to push the irritant issue through the instances, all the way up to the Supreme Court, in the hope that its new, conservative majority will have the nationwide constitutional right to abortion, the US since 1973 anchored, completely tips.

The parliamentary debate in Alabama was brutal and sometimes vociferous, the result foreseeable. Of the 35 senate seats, 27 (77 percent) are Republicans, all men. The Democrats make only eight senators, four women and four men.

Until recently, they tried to protect at least victims of violence. For example, women who become pregnant during a rape. They also wanted to improve Alabama's poor health care to cushion the impact of the law. It is not without reason that they fear that it will drive illegally abusive women, where such procedures carry greater risks - or force them to flee to other states, which many can not afford.

Mickey Welsh / The Montgomery Advertiser / AP

"Abortion is a human right": demonstrators including "Handmaid's" clothing in Alabama

Alabama, one of the poorest US states, is already suffering from high rates of infant mortality and cervical cancer. The most vulnerable, according to a study by Human Rights Watch, are African-American women. The reasons: lack of doctors, insufficient health insurance, poverty and "structural racism", which cuts them off from help. This could get worse.

Not only in Alabama. "This is an attack on women's rights," tweeted Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic spokeswoman for the US House of Representatives. Presidential Democrats of the Democrats announced that the right to abortion would become the central election issue in 2020.

These Democrats want to know

Michael Bennet, born 1964

  • Who he is: The son of a diplomat was born in India when his father worked at the US embassy there, his mother comes from a Jewish family that survived the Warsaw ghetto. Bennet is a lawyer and graduate of the elite Yale University. In Colorado, he served in various capacities, including as chief of staff of the then mayor of Denver, John Hickenlooper, who also applies for the presidency.
  • What sets him apart: Since 2009, Bennet has served as one of the two Senators for his home state of Colorado in the US Congress. Within the Democratic Party he is considered moderate. In April, he underwent a cancer surgery, after which he announced his candidacy.
  • What he wants: At his announcement Bennet spoke about the lack of economic advancement opportunities of many Americans. The second focus for him is the restoration of the credibility of the US government.

Joe Biden, born in 1942

  • Who he is: As former Vice President under Barack Obama (2009 to 2017), Joe Biden undoubtedly enjoys the highest profile of all candidates. Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and was a member of Congress for the small state of Delaware Senator from 1973 to 2009. During this time he chaired, among others, the important Foreign Affairs Committee and the Judiciary Committee.
  • What distinguishes him is that he is considered a moderate democrat, who, because of his background from the working class, scores above all in this electoral group. Because of his friendship and political closeness to Obama, he also enjoys high approval ratings among African Americans.
  • What he wants: Biden's campaign is aimed, among other things, at workers and students. Demands such as free college, tax reform for the middle class, and structural inequality between town and country are included.

Cory Booker, born in 1969

  • Who he is: Booke is ex-mayor of Newark and the first US black senator in New Jersey history.
  • What distinguishes him: He has long been considered the spiritual successor of Obama, also thanks to his talent. Nevertheless, in the loud candidate field of the democrats he went down often.
  • What he wants: Booker appeals to the unity of the US under Trump politically divided and the "common sense of purpose". Top topics are the civil rights and a reform of the unfair US justice system, which he pursues also in the senate. On the other hand, Booker is criticized for his previous financial contacts with major banks and the pharmaceutical industry.

Pete Buttigieg, born in 1982

  • Who he is: As mayor of the 100,000-inhabitant city of South Bend in Indiana, Buttigieg was previously unknown to most Americans. But through TV appearances and a cover story in the magazine "Time", he is now on everyone's lips.
  • What sets him apart: Buttigieg studied history, politics and philosophy at Harvard and Oxford, worked for the McKinsey consultancy and participated in the Afghanistan war as a naval intelligence officer.
  • What he wants: Buttigieg makes himself strong among others for gay rights. Since 2016 he is married to Chasten Buttigieg, a high school teacher. In a victory, the Buttigiegs would be the first homosexual couple in the White House.

Julián Castro, born 1974

  • Who he is: Castro and his twin brother, Congressman Joaquin Castro, are grandchildren of Mexican immigrants. They come from the Republican stronghold Texas, where they were considered early as democratic young stars.
  • What sets him apart: Julián Castro became Mayor of San Antonio at the age of 34 and then Minister of Construction under Barack Obama, the youngest member of the Cabinet. In 2016, he refrained from competing against Republican Senator Ted Cruz and decided to run for president.
  • What he wants: One of his main topics is the establishment of a state health insurance, and Castro is also fighting for the naturalization of illegal immigrants.

John Delaney, born 1963

  • Who he is: The politician from Maryland is considered moderate. Delaney began working in the private sector before being elected to the US House of Representatives in 2012. With a fortune of about $ 232 million, he was one of the richest MPs.
  • What distinguishes him: He announced his presidential candidacy in July 2017, because not enough voters "know who I am". To change that, he has extensively traveled among other things the first preselection states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
  • What he wants: Delaney fights for a renewal of the ailing US infrastructure and criticizes Trump as a splitter, presents himself at the same time as a nonpartisan "problem solver".

Tulsi Gabbard, born 1981

  • Who she is: She's the first Hindu in the US Congress. At the same time, the congressman from Hawaii is arguably the most controversial Democrat.
  • What sets them apart: She received criticism above all because she has in the past advocated anti-gay policies and rejected same-sex marriage. However, she has now renounced these positions. She also met with Syria's ruler Bashar al-Assad in 2017 and then said Assad was "not an enemy of the US."
  • What she wants: As a US National Guard, she served in Iraq and Kuwait between 2004 and 2009; Today, she speaks out against military intervention.

Kirsten Gillibrand, born 1966

  • Who she is: The New Yorker followed in Hillary Clinton's footsteps ten years ago: when Clinton, then a senator, was appointed Secretary of State, Gillibrand moved from the House of Representatives to the Senate as her successor.
  • What distinguishes her: Formerly a conservative "Blue Dog Democrat", the lawyer is today considered one of the most progressive voices in the Senate.
  • What she wants: The mother of two is committed to the rights of women, children and victims of sexual offenses. In this role she has also criticized party friends who have been accused of sexual assault. In addition, she wants to abolish the infamous immigration police ICE.

Kamala Harris, born 1964

  • Who she is: The black senator from California is a daughter of immigrants, her mother is from India, her father from Jamaica.
  • What sets her apart: She began her career as a district attorney for San Francisco. In 2010 she was elected Minister of Justice of California, in 2016 she moved to the Senate. There, Harris has distinguished himself with telegenic appearances, such as at the hearing of Supreme Court candidate Brett Kavanaugh.
  • What she wants: Harris, who among other things fights for more civil rights, is supported by many celebrities, including Hollywood stars like director JJ Abrams. However, her harsh Law and Order line in San Francisco has also brought her criticism.

John Hickenlooper, born 1952

  • Who he is: Although he was governor of Colorado and mayor of Denver, Hickenlooper remains unknown to many Americans beyond the Rocky Mountains.
  • What sets him apart: The brewery millionaire is a moderator who also deals with Republicans. Nevertheless, he wants to create "progressive change", such as a state health insurance, arms control and LGBT rights.
  • What he wants: Hickenlooper is committed against the death penalty - which continues to apply in Colorado - and was one of the first advocates of the legalization of cannabis. At the same time he criticizes the "Green New Deal", the climate program of the left, as "unattainable".

Jay Inslee, born 1951

  • Who he is: The governor of Washington State rose as a member of parliament in 1988, in 1992 he joined the US House of Representatives, but was voted out two years later.
  • What distinguishes him: In 1998 he managed to return to Congress, where he made a name for himself until 2012 as a tech expert and conservationist. In 2013, Inslee became governor of his home state.
  • What he wants: Inslee is above all known for its environmental policy. He has declared the climate fight to be "Priority No. 1" and is promoting a national program for eco-jobs. In addition, he was one of the governors who successfully sued in 2017 against Trump's entry ban for Muslim states.

Amy Klobuchar, born in 1960

  • Who she is: The lawyer and Senator from Minnesota also became known to many during the hearing of Supreme Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
  • What distinguishes her: As a moderate representative of a "Swing States", she is regarded as a harbinger of hope in the Midwest. Klobuchar, whose grandparents came from present-day Slovenia, began as a district attorney and made it into the Senate in 2006 as the first Minnesota woman.
  • What she wants: One of her top themes is the fight against the opioid crisis. Recently, reports of their rude treatment of employees caused a stir.
Editor's note: In an earlier version of the text, it was said in the "Swing State" Minnesota in 2016 Donald Trump won the election. That is not correct: Trump's rival briefly won.

Wayne Messam, born 1974

  • Who He Is: Messam, son of immigrants from Jamaica, was elected in 2015 as the first black mayor of Miramar, a suburb of Miami. He is the most unknown, inexperienced and most hopeless of all Democrat candidates. The ex-football player owns a construction company, which did not save him in 2009 from the impending foreclosure sale of his own house.
  • What distinguishes him: He has now cited these financial problems as proof that he has experienced the concerns of many voters in his own body.
  • What he wants: Messam usually represents progressive concerns such as climate protection, stricter weapons control, help for immigrants and the eradication of student debts.

Seth Moulton, born in 1978

  • Who he is: For several years now, he has been considered one of the quieter hopefuls of his party: Moulton, from the state of Massachusetts, is a graduate of the elite Harvard University and served as a US Marine. His unit was one of the first in the Iraq war to reach the capital Baghdad and was involved in numerous battles of the war.
  • What distinguishes him: For his services Moulton received high medals, which he kept secret. Only a reporter made his awards public. In 2014, Moulton was elected a member of the US House of Representatives, in the 2016 election, he was able to defend his seat.
  • What he wants: Moulton puts the focus on national security and defense. He claims to inspire especially young people and veterans for himself.

Beto O'Rourke, born 1972

  • Who he is: Actually his name is Robert Francis O'Rourke and he comes from an Irish-American family. From 2013 to January 2019 O'Rourke sat as a backbencher in the US House of Representatives. He lives in El Paso on the border with Mexico, where he led a small Internet company for some years before his political career and published a magazine.
  • What sets him apart: since the Midterm elections in 2018, his name has become known to many Americans. With a passionate election campaign, the Democrat in conservative Texas almost defeated Republican senator Ted Cruz. Many followers wanted O'Rourke to run for the presidency as well.
  • What he wants: In the past, the Texan has spoken out for the "Green New Deal" and the legalization of marijuana. Also, for softer immigration and liberal electoral laws. However, critics accuse him of being without a clear program during the election campaign.

Tim Ryan, born in 1973

  • Who he is: The Democrat comes from the state of Ohio in the industrial "rust belt" of the United States and sits since 2002 in the US House of Representatives. Ryan is considered a conservative traditional Democrat, who is particularly committed to the interests of the working class.
  • What distinguishes him: Overall, he has been re-elected five times, he always had results over 60 percent. Despite the popularity of his constituency, Ryan is still relatively unknown on the national stage. Only in 2016 he caused quite a stir when he challenged Nancy Pelosi in the fight for the parliamentary group leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives - and defeated. Also in this election campaign, he counts so far rather to the group of "No Names".
  • What he wants: With more left-liberal slogans he turns to the base, but also to the working people in the Midwest. Again and again he speaks of new jobs and the "dignity of work".

Bernie Sanders, born 1941

  • Who he is: "Feel the Bern" was the slogan of Sanders' supporters in the 2016 election campaign. At that time, the old-lipped Senator from Vermont lost to his rival Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary polls. Now he wants to know it again, the last election campaign helps him.
  • What sets him apart: Sanders is not only more well-known and better-profile than many competitors, but he also has a large and loyal fan base, which again supports him with small donations.
  • What he wants: In terms of content, Sanders has barely changed: he again advocates a massive expansion of the underdeveloped American social welfare system and wants to tax rich people more for it. Like Trump, Sanders also advocates a protectionist trade policy. In the last election campaign, Sanders had problems addressing voters beyond his faithful leftist followers.

Eric Swalwell, born in 1980

  • Who he is: Such a candidate would probably be called a classic professional politician in Germany. Since studying law in the state of Maryland, Eric Swalwell has worked almost exclusively in politics, working for a House representative and serving in several local politics roles. Swalwell was born in California and was elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in 2012.
  • What distinguishes him: The MP is known to a wider audience because he regularly criticizes the policies of Trump in national channels such as CNN. In particular, in connection with the Russian affair he has repeatedly tried to profile himself by attacking the president.
  • What he wants: gun control and the fight against the massive debt of young people because of the high university costs will be important pillars of his agenda.

Elizabeth Warren, born 1949

  • Who she is: The Massachusetts state senator competed relatively early in the large field of candidates. Warren has been known for left-wing positions for many years. Prior to her Senate career, she made a name for herself as a high school teacher and consumer rights campaigner.
  • What sets them apart: Under Obama, she stepped in after the financial crisis of 08/09 mainly for a stronger regulation of the banks, but met with republicans such as Democrats resistance. She keeps clashing with US President Trump. Trump calls her "Pocahontas". He points out that Warren himself has repeatedly stated that they descended from the Native Americans. She was one of the first Democrats to call Trump's impeachment trial.
  • What she wants: Warren wants to stand up for the middle class. It places particular focus on the housing market, the power of the pharmaceutical industry, the crackdown on monopolies and the strengthening of workers' rights.

Marianne Williamson, born 1952

  • Who she is: The bestselling author, whose self-help leaflets have millions of fans, has been a political activist for many years.
  • What sets them apart : with her theatrical and loving theories, Williamson has been a frequent guest on Oprah Winfrey's talk show, with a total of 13 books to her name, four of which ranked number one in the "New York Times" attendance list. In 2014, she applied in California as an independent candidate for a seat in the US House of Representatives, but was unsuccessful.
  • What she wants: She is committed to climate protection, to the fight against the immunodeficiency syndrome AIDS and to international understanding.

Andrew Yang, born 1975

  • Who he is: The lawyer, founder and entrepreneur is certainly one of the outsiders in the field of candidates. Yang is virtually unknown to a wider audience in the US, and he has never won a political mandate.
  • What distinguishes him: For this he has been involved for years in the education sector and in the US-American start-up scene. He is one of the initiators of the scholarship program "Venture for America", which helps young entrepreneurs to set up start-ups. For this he was honored in 2012 by the then US President Obama with the title "Champion of Change".
  • What he wants: Yang's core political demands include an unconditional basic income. He receives support for his candidacy, especially from numerous small donors.

What Trump and the Republicans but only nice. They are banking on a legal dispute to mobilize their conservative base. The law in Alabama also serves this purpose: The lower levels are now forced to block the law because it is so broad that it violates current constitutional law.

The civil rights organization ACLU, the clinic association Planned Parenthood and other groups have already announced complaints. "This law will not come into force in the foreseeable future," the ACLU reassured its clients. "Abortion will remain a safe and legal procedure in Alabama."

Not only Alabama opposes abortions

How long, however, that's suddenly in question, since Trump has shifted the balance of the highest US court by naming two new judges - Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh - to the right. Especially as it is also seething in other conservative US regions. In a total of 41 states, Republicans this year have further limited the right to abortion, preferably through laws that cut funding. As a result, every third American woman now lives in a district where there is no physician to perform abortions.

Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Ohio have issued abortion bans, which apply as soon as the fetus has a palpable heartbeat - often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. A good half-dozen other states are considering similar measures. Texas wants a complete ban like Alabama.

Trump thrills all this with relish. He lies and claims that the Democrats are for abortions in the last trimester and legalized "child murder". In his election appearances he likes to portray scary - and fictitious - scenes in which babies were "executed" even after birth with the blessing of democratic politicians.

In the series "The Handmaid's Tale" the women revolt. How the conflict ends in real life is still open.