Insight: “It is the highest impertinence and presumption, therefore, in kings and ministers to pretend to watch over the economy of private people, and to restrain their expense. … They are themselves always, and without exception, the greatest spendthrifts in the society. Let them look well after their own expense, and they may safely trust private people with theirs.” —Adam Smith (1723-1790)

“The same people who spent the last decade telling you health care is a human right now want to be able to deny it to you. As if it wasn’t enough to hound people without the COVID-19 shot out of their jobs, schools, and even effectively whole cities, pundits and even some doctors are now floating the idea of denying medical care to people based on COVID-19 vaccination status. … The push for health care as a human right is revealed as the power grab it always was.” —Elle Reynolds

“General Mark Milley should face an investigation, without delay, concerning the allegations contained in a new book by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. And if the claims turn out to be true, Milley should be removed from his post as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff immediately, and perhaps face more stringent sanctions for going behind the president’s back to the Chinese military during the waning days of Donald Trump’s presidency. … Generals don’t get to have their own personal foreign policies. Period. They answer to the elected branches, and they must carry out every lawful directive and policy set by the people’s representatives.” —National Review

Theater of the absurd: “This president, this current president, who follows the Constitution, who’s not fomenting an insurrection, who follows the rule of law, has complete confidence in Chairman Milley.” —White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki

Whew! “I have great confidence in General Milley.” —Joe Biden

Dezinformatsiya: “Republicans don’t like this? … Are you so stupid, I just got to ask, are you so stupid, are you so ignorant of how things work that you don’t know that from time to time generals talk to generals?” —MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough (“Watching liberal media stars spend 5 years trying to thread the needle between ‘we are so grateful to the unelected but noble Generals thwarting Trump’ and ‘only insane conspiracy nuts believe the US has a Deep State’ has been quite dizzying.” —Glenn Greenwald)

Grand delusion: “My Build Back Better plan calls for significant new investments in upgrading research infrastructure, laboratories all across the country. … I promise you: It’s going to create great economic growth, reduce inflation, and put people in a place where … children … are never going to have to worry about what we’re worrying about right now.” —Joe Biden (Kind of like how he promised the Taliban would not take over and that he would get all Americans out of Afghanistan.)

The BIG Lie: “This year alone, 18 states have passed 30 anti-voter laws. These laws disproportionately impact communities of color — and are designed to make it harder for people to vote.” —Kamala Harris

Village idiot: “COVID deaths have proven to be much higher in states that voted for Trump. Basically, if your state has more GEDs than PhDs, stay indoors. Of the 54,000 Americans who died from COVID since the start of the summer, almost … one in five of them died in Florida, which, my God, all those orphaned ferrets. It’s a shame.” —Jimmy Kimmel

And last… “Imagine the outrage if General Michael Flynn did with Russia or Ukraine what General Mark Milley did with the Chinese Communist Party.” —Charlie Kirk