It's a bad idea to pay women to stay home

Also: How to spot a sexist leftist.

The United States should pay parents to stay home with their children, argues Matt Bruenig in this weekend’s New York Times. He uses the weasel language of “parents” on purpose, and the article is illustrated with a photo of a man’s arms holding a baby, all of which gives the impression that we’re talking about parents generally. But we aren’t. Overwhelmingly, we’re talking about mothers. And under the cover of leftist social policy, what Bruenig is really advocating for is pushing women out of the labor force, which leaves women financially vulnerable and much more likely to wind up impoverished in the long run; incentivizing more women to opt into the most isolating version of parenthood, which is tied to serious mental health consequences; and doubling down on the gender-divided earner/carer model that has left so many women miserable and accorded men unearned benefits, status, and resources.

You don’t have to be a conservative to be pretty sexist.