Tuesday Short Cuts
Pence astutely challenges Naval Academy grads “to command yourself,” because “discipline is the foundation of leadership.”
The Gipper: “Freedom is not bought cheaply. It has a cost; it imposes a burden. And just as they whom we commemorate were willing to sacrifice, so too must we — in a less final, less heroic way — be willing to give of ourselves.”
Upright: “I encourage you to continue to practice the discipline of self-control. There’s an old proverb that says, ‘Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control.’ I truly believe that commanding others first begins with being able to command yourself. Discipline is the foundation of leadership.” —Mike Pence at the Naval Academy
Braying Jenny: “Look, we have an advocacy press on the Right that has done a really good job for the last 25 years. They have a mission. They use the rights given to them under the First Amendment to advocate a set of policies that are in their interests, their commercial, corporate, religious interests. Because the advocacy media occupies the Right, and the center needs to be focused on providing as accurate information as possible. Not both-sides-ism and not false equivalency.” —Hillary Clinton
Lack of self-awareness 101: “[America’s fragmented media and modern communications technology] make it easier than ever to splinter ourselves into echo chambers. We can shut out contrary voices, avoid ever questioning our basic assumptions. Extreme views are given powerful microphones.” —Hillary Clinton … via a powerful microphone at an all-women’s college graduation
A blind squirrel finds a nut: “There is also an anti-intellectualism on the Left. An attitude of self-righteousness that says we are so pure, we are so morally superior; we cannot bear to hear an idea with which we disagree. Liberals think they are tolerant but often they aren’t. … American universities today seemed committed to every type of diversity except intellectual diversity.” —Leftmedia talkinghead Fareed Zakaria
Fear itself: “Nothing. I keep other people awake at night.” —Defense Secretary James “Mad Dog” Mattis responding to a question about what keeps him awake at night
And last… “A lot of talk about ‘privilege,’ but we need more talk about duty and what we can do to honor what were given by the sacrifice of others.” —Frank Fleming