This Week In Quotes: November 6 – 12

13 Nov, 2009 by John Hawkins

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A Veteran knows things: He knows life is precious, because he’s seen life cut short. He knows life is strange, because those that should die live and those who have the most life sometimes die. He knows life is not easily wrapped up in a box philosophically. He knows that plans fail. He knows there’s such a thing as luck. A veteran chooses his hard lessons and walks toward them. — Melissa Clouthier

It is obvious that this Israeli government believes it can have peace with the Palestinians and keep the West Bank, this Palestinian Authority still can’t decide whether to reconcile with the Jewish state or criminalize it and this Hamas leadership would rather let Palestinians live forever in the hellish squalor that is Gaza than give up its crazy fantasy of an Islamic Republic in Palestine.

If we are still begging Israel to stop building settlements, which is so manifestly idiotic, and the Palestinians to come to negotiations, which is so manifestly in their interest, and the Saudis to just give Israel a wink, which is so manifestly pathetic, we are in the wrong place. It’s time to call a halt to this dysfunctional “peace process,” which is only damaging the Obama team’s credibility.

If the status quo is this tolerable for the parties, then I say, let them enjoy it. I just don’t want to subsidize it or anesthetize it anymore. — Thomas Friedman

Here’s a simple test: If Nidal Malik Hasan had been a devout Christian with pronounced anti-abortion views, and had he attacked, say, a Planned Parenthood office, would his religion have been considered relevant as we tried to understand the motivation and meaning of the attack? Of course. Elite opinion makers do not, as a rule, try to protect Christians and Christian belief from investigation and criticism. Quite the opposite. It would be useful to apply the same standards of inquiry and criticism to all religions. — Jeffrey Goldberg

“How do we know when someone like Hasan is going to make his move and do we know he’s an Islamist until he’s made his move? He makes a phone call or whatever, according to Reuters right now. Apparently he tried to contact al-Qaida. Is that the point at which you say, ‘This guy is dangerous?’ That’s not a crime to call up al-Qaida, is it? Is it? I mean, where do you stop the guy?” — Chris Matthews

Were I granted any one wish, I’d wish that the GOP could get back to the kind of fun-loving, devil-may-care attitude it displayed circa 1989, when RNC chairman Lee Atwater duck-walked his guitar with a rockin’ band at the inaugural celebration.

More “Animal House,” less Dean Wormer. — Robert Stacy McCain

“Does anybody think that the teabag, anti-government people are going to support them if they bring down health care? All it will do is confuse and dispirit” Democratic voters “and it will encourage the extremists.” — Barack Obama

“You are never doomed until you are dead. There is always something that can be done.” — Dr. Helen

It is a given that the vast majority of American Muslims are loyal Americans. But that’s not the only given.

It is equally a given that a certain percentage of Muslims in and outside of the military are Islamists who want Americans dead and America Muslim.

It does the majority of Muslims no favor to deny the existence of the minority. And Muslim Americans do themselves no favor by denying it. — Dennis Prager

“Socialism is an opportunistic infection of the body politic. It occurs when defenses are low.” — Glenn Reynolds

There is no point dwelling on all the foolish mistakes we have made in our lives. For one thing, it can be very time-consuming. — Thomas Sowell

“Right now, they can trade anything – abortion, death panels, whatever. The trick is to plant the seed and let the ratchet effect of Big Government take care of the rest.” — Mark Steyn