Politics and other nightmares

The juxtaposition of the day comes from James Taranto's Best of the Web blog at The Wall Street Journal, under the heading "Two papers in one!"

Earlyin this story, we learn that economists are confounded by a growing phenomenon:

Most everyone agrees that the graying of America's baby boom generation has exacerbated the problem as larger numbers of boomers near age 65 and opt to retire early. But the erosion of the workforce participation rate since the recession ended in 2009 has exceeded most estimates that took into account the aging boomers.

On the group's fifth anniversary, let's listen to Jedediah Bila on why Rand Paul is right on how to expand the Tea Party:

We're through the looking glass now, aren't we, Alice?

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Officials at a Northern California high school acted appropriately when they ordered students wearing American flag T-shirts to turn the garments inside out during the Mexican heritage celebration Cinco de Mayo, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

I hate to agree with CNN, but, yeah, this is pretty much true:

Republicans, who have spent years clamoring for tax reform, were much less enthusiastic Wednesday when faced with a sweeping tax overhaul plan in an election year, reticent to discuss whether the proposal from House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp, R-Michigan, should even get a vote.

The myth: If more people carry guns, the country will become a much more dangerous place. The reality: Could it be that concealed carry has actually made the country safer?

Of course if they're going to keep pouring trillions down the social-programs rathole, they have to get the money from somewhere. I mean, they can't just print and borrow all of it. So why not gut the nasty old military, starting with a plan to shrink the Army to pre-World II levels. Even some officials are worried about the implications, though:

If you thought Wendy Davis, who seems to advocate abortion on demand pretty much all the way up to the actual birth, represented the pro-choice side at its most extreme, guess again:

Awww. How am I going to get through the day without a condescending British twit to lecture me on the evils of guns?