The Patriot Post® · Tuesday Short Cuts

Insight: “The enemies of freedom do not argue; they shout and they shoot.” —William Ralph Inge (1860-1954)

Upright: “The Middle East is a mess and has been for some time. No one-size policy fits all circumstances, but premature withdrawal is not a policy, at least not one that will lead to victory or at a minimum stability. Perhaps President Trump can get our allies to share more of the cost and burden. For certain, both cost and burden will be much greater if he follows in President Obama’s footsteps and makes a decision that feels good at first but in the end exacts a much higher price.” —Cal Thomas

Preach! “The only way to save Western civilization is to convince more people that leftism — not liberalism — is a nihilistic force. Quite literally, whatever the Left touches it ruins.” —Dennis Prager

“Journalism”: “Who would force [Trump] to comply with the subpoena ordering him to do an interview with Robert Mueller? … What if he refuses to open the White House door? What if he fires any Secret Service agent who would allow the federal marshals in? What if Donald Trump simply decides, ‘I don’t have to follow the law. I refuse to be held under the law. No marshal can get into this White House, and any Secret Service agent that defies me is fired’?” —MSNBC’s Joy Reid

Non Compos Mentis: “You can hear the faint applause from heaven of this country’s founding fathers, who bequeathed to us a nation where the rule of law is supreme.” —MSNBC’s Steve Schmidt condoning Robert Mueller’s raid on Trump’s attorney

Alpha Jackass: “Would any of us put it past President Trump to decide that a nice little military adventure in Syria might be a nice distraction from [Mueller]?” —Ron Reagan

And last… “So John Kerry was hoodwinked by Syria that 100% of its chemical weapons were gone, but Iran is super-sticking to its nuke deal.” —Twitter satirist @hale_razor