'Carbon taxes are all pain with no gain'

'Opposing carbon taxation in all its forms is a political winner'

Andrew Follett at National Review

U.S. policymakers are desperate to impose "some form of carbon taxation," says Andrew Follett at National Review. The latest of these "terrible" proposals is a carbon tax on imports. This sounds like a "left-wing goal," but there are Republican senators pushing this bill. Carbon taxes "devastate the economy, disproportionately harm the poor, and do nothing to reduce temperatures." Republicans should be calling attention to the folly of these taxes, not trying to sell them.  

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'Trump is telegraphing his plans to govern as a dictator'

Matt Ford in The New Republic

Donald Trump "all but promises authoritarian rule," says Matt Ford in The New Republic. He threatens to "root out" opponents on the left, calling them "vermin." If he unseats President Joe Biden, all signs suggest he will eliminate democratic checks on his power, screening appointees for "MAGA loyalty." He has shown he'll stoop to "political violence to maintain his grip on power." If a presidential candidate says "he wants to end the republic, believe him."

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'War with China isn't inevitable. But we can't rely on an economic deus ex machina to prevent a conflict'

Michael Gallagher in The Wall Street Journal

Don't count on China's "economic woes" to keep its government in check, says Michael Gallagher in The Wall Street Journal. "Building a first-class military and reclaiming Taiwan are among President Xi Jinping's priorities." Beijing will cut back elsewhere, but "the military will get the funds it needs" no matter how badly "the economy sags." Xi might even see "economic pain" as his secret weapon, betting that his country can withstand it and "Western societies would buckle first."

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'Grade grubbing rather than actually achieving'

Jessica Grose in The New York Times

Online gradebooks can be helpful, but they backfire when "snowplow parents" check them compulsively, says Jessica Grose in The New York Times. “Hovering" moms and dads often berate their kids and question teachers about every disappointing grade. This leaves teachers "harried," and makes anxious kids "hyper-focused on their grades to the detriment of developing their minds." If parents ease up, they can reduce their teenagers' stress and help them "develop the agency needed to succeed as adults."

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