The Patriot Post® · Monday Short Cuts

The Gipper responding to student protests on college campuses during his tenure as California governor: “The state of California has no business subsidizing intellectual curiosity.”

Upright: “In 1986, President Ronald Reagan led the effort to make America the most competitive nation in the world by cutting our business tax rate to 34%, well below the average rate of other developed nations at the time. It worked. Our economy boomed, the middle class thrived and median family income increased. But our economic competitors did not sit still. They saw what we did and started lowering their business tax rates, too. Over the past 30 years, the average business tax rate among developed nations in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) fell from 45% to less than 24%. Instead of remaining competitive over the same period, we actually raised our rate to 35%. … We owe it to the American people to fix this broken system.” —Donald Trump

Fair warning: “Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming. Kim Jong Un should take heed of the United Nations Security Council’s unified voice. All members unanimously agreed on the threat North Korea poses and remain unanimous in their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” —Defense Secretary Jim Mattis

Never let a good crisis go to waste: “A lot of people are going to need a lot of construction workers in Texas. … So, maybe this isn’t the time to crack down on immigration.” —New York Times’ David Brooks

Non Compos Mentis: “In the wake of Harvey, it’s time to treat science denial as gross negligence — and hold those who do the denying accountable.” —Motherboard editor Brian Merchant in his piece, “Climate Change Denial Should Be a Crime”

And last… “As I see it, the Left is trying to destroy our past by toppling statues, trying to destroy our future with abortions on demand, and they’re pretty much stinking up our present.” —Burt Prelutsky