The Patriot Post® · Tuesday Short Cuts

Insight: “Is there a greater tragedy imaginable than that, in our endeavor consciously to shape our future in accordance with high ideals, we should in fact unwittingly produce the very opposite of what we have been striving for?” —Friedrich August von Hayek (1899-1992)

Braying Jackass: “We know that a lot of the rhetoric we’ve heard from Donald Trump has been seized on by terrorists, in particular ISIS. … We know that Donald Trump’s comments have been used online for recruitment of terrorists. … We also know from the former head of our counter-terrorism center, Matt Olsen, that the kinds of rhetoric and language that Mr. Trump has used is giving aid and comfort to our adversaries.” —Hillary Clinton

Upright: “[T]he only thing that gives comfort to our adversaries is weakness. The only thing that will alarm or put fear in the hearts of our adversaries is the absolute assurance that we will have an American president who will rebuild our military, marshal our resources, rebuild our alliances, and confront and hunt down and destroy those who would bring violence to our citizens or inspire violence here at home. … [W]e’re at war with the ISIS caliphate that sprang up because Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama precipitously withdrew all American forces from Iraq and created a vacuum of power. … ISIS was able to overrun vast territories that our soldiers had won in Operation Iraqi Freedom.” —Mike Pence

The BIG lie: “We can argue from now on about whether this [gun control] bill would have prevented this weekend’s attacks. But one thing is for sure: It would prevent the next attack. … It’s hard to believe in America today an FBI terror suspect not allowed to fly on an airplane can walk into a gun story in Las Vegas, New York City, anyplace, and legally purchase explosives and assault weapons. But it’s true because Republicans refuse to close the terror gap loophole.” —Harry Reid

Non Compos Mentis: “We’re … very lucky that the attackers tried to use explosives rather than guns.” —MSNBC’s Chris Hayes

And last… “Trump spent half a decade trolling the media with birther baloney, only to implicate Mrs. Clinton in the end. Whether that was his strategy from the start or a recent tactical adaptation, it’s dazzling gamesmanship on his part. The question is whether the media’s open hostility will hurt Trump and help Mrs. Clinton. It may have the opposite effect.” —James Taranto