Kevin D. Williamson, for the National Review, offers a vicious takedown of America’s economically-depressed, bygone towns:

The truth about these dysfunctional, downscale communities is that they deserve to die. Economically, they are negative assets. Morally, they are indefensible.

(Editor’s note: The Bureau is a politics-free space. In keeping with our mission of sharing thoughtful ideas from around the web, we link to this provocative article that touches on economics, libertarianism, and other subjects of interest to our readers.)