The Patriot Post® · Friday Short Cuts

Insight: “And this I must fight against: any idea, religion or government which limits or destroys the individual. … I can understand why a system built on a pattern must try to destroy the free mind, for this is the one thing which can by inspection destroy such a system.” —John Steinbeck (1902-1968)

“I spoke with someone who thought abortion was performed with a shot and that was the end of it. I showed someone else a picture of a 12-week old baby in utero and he was shocked by how developed it was. Ignorance leads to violence against the unborn. Knowledge leads to life.” —Classically Abby

“The left is all in on crushing the American energy industry, dictating what kind of car you can drive and what kind of appliances you can use in your home. But is America really the problem? A recent survey of major world cities that are contributing the most to greenhouse gases found that 25 ‘megacities’ produce 52% of all urban greenhouse gases. Guess what? Twenty-three of them are in communist China. The first American city that appears on the list is New York City, and it’s 26th. Only four American cities appear in the top 50. The bottom line is that we are an insignificant part of the problem. But Joe Biden just sent John Kerry to negotiate global warming issues with the Chinese Communist Party, and the CCP not-so-politely refused to meet with him in person.” —Gary Bauer

“David Chipman is an unhinged gun-grabber. His defeat is a win for the Constitution — and a crushing loss for Joe Biden.” —Senator Tom Cotton

“[Dr. Anthony Fauci’s gain-of-function lie is] a felony punishable by five years in jail. We’ve referred it to the Department of Justice. I don’t think Biden’s Department of Justice will do anything with it, but yes, it is very dangerous to have public officials, who we need to have trust in, coming and lying to us.” —Senator Rand Paul

“Even conceding Fauci’s point that the unvaccinated are ‘part of the problem,’ the principle at stake is one that progressives ignore all the time. How many progressives accuse people on welfare of being ‘part of the problem’ of budget deficits and crime because of the choices they make? Reducing the speed limit to 5 mph on the highway would save perhaps 40,000 lives every year, but how many progressives support that? Prohibiting alcohol could save about as many, but how many progressives would support that?” —Mario Loyola

“If COVID-19 will be here forever, is this what you want the rest of your life to look like?” —Philip Klein

“A $100 bill would buy less in 1998 than a $20 bill would buy in the 1960s. This means that anyone who kept his money in a safe over those years would have lost 80 percent of its value, because no safe can keep your money safe from politicians who control the printing presses.” —Thomas Sowell

“Biden’s promise is that he will keep you safe from covid if only you surrender a little more of your liberty. And a little more. And a little more. But don’t worry: he’ll compensate you for your loss of liberty with a vast cradle-to-grave welfare scheme.” —Ben Shapiro

Puppet-in-chief: “I’m supposed to stop and walk out of the room here.” —Joe Biden

Missing context: “In the first half of this year, our economy grew at the fastest rate in 40 years.” —Joe Biden

Inflation gaslighting: “If you take out those three categories [beef, pork, and poultry], we’ve actually seen price increases that are more in line with historical norms.” —White House Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese (“If you don’t count the carbs or sugar, cake is actually more in line with the keto diet.” —Reed Cooley)

Nope: “Trans men & non-binary people can also menstruate.” —Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Vote “yes”: “California! You’ve got a big choice to make by September 14, and everything is on the line. Your vote could be the difference between protecting our kids or putting them at risk; helping Californians recover or taking us backwards. Vote ‘no’ on the Republican recall.” —Barack Obama

Non compos mentis: “The Taliban have been cooperative in facilitating the departure of American citizens and lawful permanent residents on charter flights. They have shown flexibility, and they have been businesslike and professional in our dealings with them in this effort.” —National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne

Hollow words: “Leaving Kabul was the most difficult decision of my life, but I believed it was the only way to keep the guns silent and save Kabul and her 6 million citizens. … I apologize to the Afghan people that I could not make it end differently. My commitment to the Afghan people has never wavered and will guide me for the rest of my life.” —former Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani

Village idiot: “Dr. Fauci said if hospitals get any more overcrowded they’re going to have to make some very tough choices about who gets an ICU bed. That choice doesn’t seem so tough to me. ‘Vaccinated person having a heart attack? Yes, come right in, we’ll take care of you. Unvaccinated guy who gobbled horse goo? Rest in peace, wheezy.’” —comedian Jimmy Kimmel

And last… “Political experts say that Biden wants to change the subject from Afghanistan. But many Americans just want to change who’s president.” —Gary Bauer