China’s economy is in trouble, rein in lawless protesters and other commentary

China, led by President Xi Jinping, may be entering a period of “stagnation” in it’s economy, writes The New York Times’ Paul Krugman. AFP via Getty Images

From the left: China’s Economy Is in Trouble

“China has underperformed by just about every economic indicator other than [its] official G.D.P.” of 5.2%, and there’s “widespread skepticism” about that, observes The New York Times’ Paul Krugman. “It’s not a full-blown crisis” yet, “but there’s reason to believe that China is entering an era of stagnation.” Notably, productivity seems to be flagging, and investment accounts for 40% of GDP while consumer spending remains low, which is unsustainable. “In some ways, China’s current economy is reminiscent of Japan after its bubble of the 1980s burst.” And though Japan handled it well, China might not. “Scariest of all,” it might “try to distract from domestic difficulties by engaging in military adventurism.” Don’t “gloat”: China’s “economic stumble” might become “everyone’s problem.”

From the right: Rein in Lawless Protesters

“Here, in hip New York, an unending series of escalating demonstrations hamper the city’s functioning and citizens’ general sense of trust and stability,” fumes Hannah E. Meyers at City Journal: “New Yorkers need to stop tolerating those who think the fun of disrupting the system is more important than everyone else’s daily lives.” “Multiple overlapping policy and political shifts” have “enabled New York City’s masked, belligerent, solipsistic demonstrators to get away with mayhem.” But “we can’t convince these jerks that they enjoy an awesome yet fragile freedom — that of peaceful, lawful protest — if we don’t also enforce the boundaries of what constitutes peaceful and lawful. It’s past time that we started doing so.”

Liberal: Biden’s Immigration Problem

Even if President Biden can get traction on the economy, “lurking in the weeds is voters’ second most important issue: immigration and the border,” and “Biden’s approval rating” there is just 18%, marvels The Liberal Patriot’s Ruy Teixeira — the lowest “on the issue ABC News has measured since 2004.” “Trump is preferred over Biden” on immigration and the border “by 30 points, his greatest lead on any issue.” Data show 61% of voters want to up border enforcement and toughen asylum policy. Overall, voters “are far more likely to say rules on refugee and asylum status should be made stricter (53 percent) rather than looser (14 percent).” Democrats, “rather than being dismissive of concerns about illegal immigration,” should’ve “taken them more seriously from the very beginning.” Could this hand Donald Trump victory? “It is my sad duty to inform you that yes, this is quite possible.”

Conservative: Stop Disenfranchising RFK Voters

“We have been told incessantly for years and decades that ‘every voter should be heard,’ ” notes Douglas MacKinnon at The Hill, but that doesn’t seem to hold “when those votes may benefit a populist independent candidate, who, counterintuitively, is gaining in popularity while being ignored or smeared by much of the mainstream media, as well as the two major political parties.” Without question, “millions of Americans now support” Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; do they “have the right to be heard?” They’re “being disenfranchised by a system rigged in favor of the two main political parties. And yet there is next to no political, media or public outcry against this injustice.” His “campaign should still not have to waste precious time and resources fighting partisan provisions enacted to deny American citizens the right to vote for the candidate of their choice. “

Libertarian: Chronic Absenteeism a Lockdown Legacy

“Ever since schools were shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic, chronic absenteeism among American schoolchildren has skyrocketed,” groans Reason’s Emma Camp. Chronically absent kids “end up with serious academic gaps” and “tend not to catch up after missing valuable instructional time, especially in early grades.” “While absenteeism peaked during COVID-19 school closures, more students are still missing school than they were before the pandemic.” “High-poverty districts had a whopping 36 percent absenteeism rate in 2022,” but even low-poverty ones hit 21%: It’s “a nearly universal problem in American public schools.” The shutdowns “likely permanently increased absenteeism among an entire cohort of students.”

— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board