The Patriot Post® · Wednesday Short Cuts

Insight: “Arbitrary power has seldom … been introduced in any country at once. It must be introduced by slow degrees, and as it were step by step.” —Lord Chesterfield (1694-1773)

For the record: “In New York, the supposed case fatality rate — the number of deaths from coronavirus over the number of confirmed cases — rests at around 5%. But between March 22 and April 4, 215 pregnant women were screened for COVID-19 in New York City, according to The New England Journal of Medicine. Four women had symptoms of COVID-19, and 29 tested positive despite being asymptomatic. This means 13.7% of these women had COVID-19 without knowing it — for every symptomatic woman, there were seven others who were asymptomatic but positive. If applied statewide — a simplistic model but certainly one that would be closer to accuracy than mere confirmed cases — this would drop the case fatality rate from 5% to 0.7%. Needless to say, such a statistic would alleviate some worry, particularly among less vulnerable populations.” —Ben Shapiro

Upright: “I never want to hear people moaning about nurses again. Or porters. These people are doing 14-hour shifts and not complaining, wearing masks, and being left with sores after risking their own health and their families’ health selflessly. But then I see someone complaining about being in a mansion with a swimming pool. And, you know, honestly, I just don’t want to hear it.” —Ricky Gervais

Village idiot: “This may be the time to consider a universal basic wage, which would acknowledge and dignify the noble, essential tasks you carry out. It would ensure and concretely achieve the ideal, at once so human and so Christian, of no worker without rights.” —Pope Francis

Alpha jackass: “The number is down because we brought the number down. God did not do that. Faith did not do that. Destiny did not do that. A lot of pain and suffering did that. That’s how it works. It’s math.” —Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Non compos mentis: “Halting funding for the World Health Organization during a world health crisis is as dangerous as it sounds. Their work is slowing the spread of COVID-19 and if that work is stopped no other organization can replace them. The world needs @WHO now more than ever.” —Bill Gates

And last… “The head of WHO is a communist — a member of a violent ‘liberation’ party in Ethiopia. As minister of foreign affairs, he covered up cholera outbreaks. The CCP poured millions into his campaign for director general, which is why WHO repeats Chinese talking points. WHO=no good.” —Allie Beth Stuckey