Interesting - is there a progressive argument against polygamy?

[cprise]

50. There are several good progressive arguments against it:

The first one that comes to mind is that society has to choose between conservative and libertarian versions of polygamy. With the former only one person in a grouping is allowed to marry multiple times at once, so it involves stripping certain people of rights that their spouse continues to have and so there is no equality as someone will be the focal point and 'doer' or 'owner' of the group. The latter libertarian version allows any consenting adult to marry X number of other adults, creating the conditions for truly bizarre multiply-reinforced 2nd- and even 1st-order relationships encompassing whole communities; exclusivity becomes essentially meaningless for this version of marriage.

Neither one of these offers a vision of "progress".

Another reason is that polygamists can already get married and enjoy the benefits of marriage with someone they love--in pairs. They want more of what they already have, and want to drastically change the exclusivity of the institution of marriage to get it. This is why naysayers comparing gay marriage to polygamy are wrong, because would-be polygamists aren't being denied participation to the institution (nor does gay marriage create social pressure to treat spouses unequally or as property-- see below).

Yet another reason is that the threat of separation, divorce or other upheaval between two people in a polygamous group may be too much to bear in a liberal society that protects individual rights. Upsetting the peace, stability and fortunes of the rest of the group could result in a cascade or mutiny effect that shatters the group identity and economic status.

There is also the problem of how patriarchal polygamists divide their time and resources for each other and for parenting... And the question of what to do with so many 'surplus' adult males.

It probably goes without saying the added complexities hinted at above could also tie the court system in knots.

The way out of those resulting legal snafus is, of course, to strip spouses of their human rights so they can't get divorced or have to endure draconian conditions in the process. But you have to find some way to classify who will remain entitled and who will be disenfranchised. In most cases that has been determined by sex, but I can see it being determined by wealth and social status.

Ah yes... Wealth. I wouldn't be surprised if the USA flirts with true, legally sanctioned polygamy if the corporate class seize upon it as a way to further reinforce their fortunes and control over society.