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Tim Carney makes the case that too many “Progressives” have a knee-jerk infatuation with government power [2].  (Doubters of this proposition might reflect, for clarification, on the large numbers of “Progressives” who openly support cronyist institutions, such as the U.S. Export-Import Bank, or refuse to speak out against such government monstrosities.)

Writing in today’s Washington Post, Cathy Young explains that mindless cultural leftism – manifested today in concerns over “cultural appropriation” – comes awfully close to mindless right-wing tribalism [3].  A slice:

In some social-justice quarters, the demonization of “appropriative” interests converges with ultra-reactionary ideas about racial and cultural purity. I once read an anguished blog post by a well-meaning young woman racked with doubt about her plans to pursue a graduate degree in Chinese studies; after attending a talk on cultural appropriation, she was unsure that it was morally permissible for a white person to study the field.

Mark Perry points to further signs that minimum-wage hikes harm the workers that such hikes are ostensibly meant to help [4].

Speaking of the minimum wage, Art Carden warns denizens of Birmingham, AL, what to expect from that city’s recently raised minimum wage [5].  A slice:

Finally, a 2013 study by the economist Aspen Gorry in the European Economic Review suggests that minimum wage increases will disproportionately affect the young. By being shut out of the labor market, they will have fewer opportunities to gain skills that translate into higher earnings down the road.

So what can we do about it? We should start by recognizing that low-wage workers don’t earn low wages because employers are greedy and mean. Low-wage workers earn low wages because they don’t have a lot of valuable skills.

David Boaz asks a rhetorical question [6].

Sarah Skwire offers a warming perspective [7].

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