The Patriot Post® · Wednesday Short Cuts

Insight: “It is largely because civilization enables us constantly to profit from knowledge which we individually do not possess and because each individual’s use of his particular knowledge may serve to assist others unknown to him in achieving their ends that men as members of civilized society can pursue their individual ends so much more successfully than they could alone.” —Friedrich August von Hayek (1899-1992)

For the record: “The special counsel investigation run by Robert Mueller has cost taxpayers more in four months than what the investigation into the Benghazi terrorist attack cost in over two years.” —The Washington Free Beacon (Flashback: “Republicans continue to drag out this political charade closer to the 2016 presidential election, and the American taxpayers continue to pay the price.” —Rep. Elijah Cummings, January 2016)

Braying Jenny: “I want every single California Republican to understand this. Your ideology doesn’t come first. Your party doesn’t come first. The PEOPLE come first. If you fail to recognize that, you don’t belong here.” —Nancy Pelosi (Translation: Conservatives “don’t belong here.”)

They’re not saying it’s racism, but it’s racism: “The stunning fall of Democratic Rep. John Conyers … has left confusion, anger, resentment and bewilderment inside the ranks of the Congressional Black Caucus, a group that Conyers helped found nearly four decades ago. Many CBC members see a double standard at play. They won’t say the treatment of Conyers is racist, necessarily … but they think white politicians accused of similar misconduct like Blake Farenthold, Al Franken, Roy Moore and Donald Trump get a ‘benefit of the doubt’ that black politicians don’t enjoy.” —Politico

Do as I say, not as I do: “Reports indicate the president will move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I wrote him last week to explain why that would be a terrible decision.” —Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who in 1995 voted in favor of legislation permitting Trump’s move

And last… “As we’ve learned, incompetence, bias, and sleaziness know no ideological bounds. But unless our nation can diversify its civil service (and unless civil servants themselves stop acting recklessly and foolishly) public trust will continue to erode, and everything will be viewed through a partisan lens, all the time.” —David French