Tuesday Short Cuts
Insight: “As the circle of knowledge expands, so does the Sphere of darkness that encompasses it.” —Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
Upright: “Over the long sweep of history, what matters more? Donald Trump’s immigration policy or the fate of the family? Paul Ryan’s entitlement reforms or the faith of a nation? The fate of the family and the faith of the nation narrow and constrain our politics, limiting our choices to those options that are palatable to an increasingly dependent people. Hollywood is helping redefine our nation’s character. And if the Left keeps winning our culture, the GOP can keep winning our politics and the nation will still lose.” —David French
Dezinformatsiya: “Climate change, disproportionately caused by carbon emissions from America, seems to be behind a severe drought that has led crops to wilt across seven countries in southern Africa. The result is acute malnutrition for 1.3 million children in the region, the United Nations says.” —New York Times’ Nicholas Kristof in a piece titled, “As Donald Trump Denies Climate Change, These Kids Die of It”
Non Compos Mentis: “We don’t deserve this planet. There are (many) days when I think it would be better off without us. … How am I supposed to do my job — literally to chronicle planetary suicide — w/o experiencing deep existential despair myself? Impossible. … I don’t have an answer for where to go from here. That’s why I’m in counseling. But part of the answer is: don’t be afraid to talk.” —meteorologist and climate alarmist Eric Holthaus
Refusing to follow Bush’s footsteps: “If [Trump] deports thousands of kids, I don’t know that I can sit on the sidelines.” —Barack Obama, who just can’t stay out of the spotlight
Legacy: “Obama’s tenure as a whole had shortcomings due to some notable missed opportunities and outright failures, such as the economic development of urban centers, gun violence and the foreclosure rate and bank closure rate in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods. On these and other issues, we rated the Obama administration ‘Fair’ or ‘Poor.’” —Urban League President Marc H. Morial
And last… “Most gun owners support higher penalties for a gun being used in a crime, which is pretty much the only effective gun control legislation.” —Frank Fleming