The Patriot Post® · Tuesday Short Cuts

Insight: “So long as [men] hold the tribal notion that the individual is sacrificial fodder for the collective, that some men have the right to rule others by force, and that some (any) alleged ‘good’ can justify it — there can be no peace within a nation and no peace among nations.” —Ayn Rand (1905-1982)

Upright: “It has become fashionable in conservative circles to cheer every apparently right-leaning gadfly. But ‘trolling’ is not conservatism, and there is no virtue merely in upsetting campus Democrats. There are many conservatives who do regular battle with left-wing agitators — but who also are of high character, and advance conservative arguments and defend conservative principles with poise, wit, and good cheer.” —National Review

For the record: “Most professors objecting to being recorded know on some level that they are persuasive only when their audience is composed largely of very young people just out of high school. They know that if their ideas are exposed to adults, they may be revealed as intellectual lightweights. Students therefore need to understand that when professors object to being recorded, it is a statement of contempt for them.” —Dennis Prager

Stuck between a rock and a hard place: “I think we have to work with [Trump]. I’ve got people who — you know, I keep telling people, this is our president. He’s going to be our president for the next four years.” —Rep. Elijah Cummings, whose colleague, John Lewis, has stated, “I don’t see this president-elect as a legitimate president”

And last… “Some reporters believe they have an obligation to hold leaders accountable, and they are right to a point, but they don’t appear to believe anyone should hold them accountable. … Few people would deny the right or even the obligation of journalists to be skeptical, but, in too many instances, skepticism has become cynicism. Just think of how the media characterizes all things conservative.” —Cal Thomas