The Patriot Post® · Friday Short Cuts

Insight: “In general, the art of government consists in taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other.” —Voltaire (1694-1778)

Upright: “[T]here is still startlingly broad opposition to capitalism, and I can’t help but wonder if part of it springs from the same well-spring of risk aversion that gives us safe spaces, micro-aggressions, and trigger-warnings. Actual free markets are risky. Companies can fail. Entire industries can vanish. Entrepreneurial dreams are crushed every single day. Free markets don’t care for your feelings, your ethnicity, or your gender identity. Is it any surprise that when millions of people demonstrate an extraordinarily low tolerance for emotional risk that they’d be hostile to an economic system that can so callously disregard their wants and needs?” —David French

The BIG lie: “The president has spent years making the case to Republicans in Congress that there is more that could be done that would strengthen our economy, expand economic opportunity for the middle class and lay a foundation for our nation’s long-term strength for the decades ahead. And that includes investment in infrastructure. … [I]t’s unfortunate that years have gone by where that opportunity has been missed.” —Josh Earnest absolving Obama of any fault for our measly economic growth (GDP in first quarter of 2016 came in at just 0.5%)

Belly laugh of the week: “Sometimes both Josh [Earnest] and I probably have our disagreements with the press corps and feel picked on and misunderstood.” —Barack Obama

When you can’t legislate it, sue: “Another piece of our agenda was to promote marriage equality in our country. Legislatively, we couldn’t really succeed, but from the courts and the rest, and public opinion, of course, in the actual courts and in the court of public opinion, that victory has been won.” —Nancy Pelosi

Late-night humor: “Now that the election is narrowing to a two-person race, Donald Trump said he will have to get used to Hillary Clinton’s shouting. After hearing this, Bill Clinton said, ‘You never really get used to it.’” –Conan O'Brien