Alright, so it's not actually a trend, but I thought these two examples--one from Quebec, the other from Sweden--are proof that our world and its governments continue to defy reductio ad absurdum criticism.
1) A school in Sweden is being taken to court because it confiscated a boy's invitations to his birthday party. He violated a school policy that children who pass out invitations in school must invite all of their classmates to a party, or they may not invite anyone at all. (Unfortunately, this policy is common in the United States, as well.) The boy's father complained to the local Parliamentary Ombudsman. The BBC reports:
The boy's school says he has violated the children's rights and has complained to the Swedish Parliament.Is it our right to be invited to our classmates' birthday parties if they hand out invitations at school? Is this really the ground on which egalitarians want to fight their battles?
The school, in Lund, southern Sweden, argues that if invitations are handed out on school premises then it must ensure there is no discrimination.
2) A judge in Quebec "quashed" a father's decision to ground his 12 year-old daughter from a school trip, arguing that the girl had "already been sufficiently disciplined" through prior punishments, such as denying her internet access after she posted pictures on a dating website.
It seems that the reason courts have jurisdiction is because the parents--who are seperated--disagree about a proper punishment. I am...speechless.
