Monday, July 19, 2010

Monday evening roundup and response to comment

Egyptian police brutality. caught on video.

Rampant tax evasion fuels income inequality in Pakistan.

What one man learned as a Cuban political prisoner.

States are taking steps to fight human trafficking.

First lesson of being a good guest: don't stick your hosts with an exorbitant utility bill.

Metro seat hogs get coverage in the Post.

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I admit my evidence is anecdotal, and I concede the article's main point: I wouldn't have been hearing said anecdotal evidence a generation ago, because I wasn't talking to teachers, employers, etc. Parents--at least those of social status--probably were calling employers (see "Mad Men"). Other observations, such as the decline in critical thinking, may well be a function of changing educational standards rather than helicopter parenting. And parents have been loath to discipline their small children for a while, but I've observed both. For every kid that's allowed to wreak havoc on a plane or in a cafe, others are reined in by their parents. So it's hard to say whether the technological developments that have enabled helicopter parenting haven't been counterbalanced by other factors. What do you think?

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