Read excerpts from FP Comment columns from July and August. Third instalment in a series

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• Boycotting the United States may be emotionally satisfying, but “elbows up” will not have a major impact on the U.S. economy and therefore will not dissuade Trump from pursuing policies we resent. Trade is not important enough to the U.S. economy, we aren’t important enough to U.S. trade and Trump is indifferent to pain inflicted on sectors or regions he may dislike anyway … — Philip Cross, July 9

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• The parallel movement of labour productivity and real incomes over long periods belies claims that workers have not shared in the benefits of growth and invalidates arguments that more income redistribution is the only way to boost worker incomes. — Philip Cross, July 11

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• The public purpose for which Canada Post was set up was to deliver mail. If people no longer send mail, delivering it ceases to be required… Creative destruction obviously isn’t fun for people whose current jobs get destroyed. But there’s no future in delivering mail that’s not being sent. — William Watson, July 15

• Whether the federal government will finally get serious about spending and finances remains to be seen. But if it really wants to cut spending, there is no shortage of places to find savings. — Matthew Lau, July 16

• As governments have grown over the years, productivity has fallen. That’s not just a correlation. High tax rates on work, investment and saving harm the economy as governments pick taxpayers’ pockets to produce public “services” many taxpayers don’t want. — Jack Mintz, July 18

• Toronto City Hall fails to provide services both in the summer when it is too hot and in the winter when there is too much snow. Under what weather conditions the City might properly deliver services to residents, nobody knows. — Matthew Lau, July 23

• Let me get this straight. The U.S. president says he wants to annex Canada, though graciously restricts himself to economic, not military........

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