* The West underestimates “the growing military cooperation between Iran, China, North Korea and Russia.”—Carlo Masala, German political scientist and author of “If Russia Wins.”
* “The leadership of Russia must understand that its attempt to rebuild Europe’s last empire is doomed to fail. The age of empires is over.”—Radoslaw Sikorski, deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Poland.
* “The purpose of Iran is Shiite theocracy, for its own sake and a counterweight to democratic secular, and Sunni governments allied with the United States in the region.”—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic.
* “Mr. Netanyahu’s political survival now appears to depend on Mr. Trump personally.”—Dana Stroul, research director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
* “Violence is baked into American culture and politics going back to the genocide of Native Americans, the importation of slaves and Aaron Burr offing Alexander Hamilton.”—Ted Rall, co-host of the DMZ America podcast.
* “We have the hottest country anywhere in the world, which tells you about leadership.”—Donald Trump.
* The Trump version of the GOP: “It’s a populist party, and whatever populism is, conservatism isn’t. Populism is the belief that the passions of the people should be aroused and transformed into public policy by a strong leader of the sort who might say, ‘Only I can fix it.’ Conservatism, Madisonian conservatism, says passions are the political problem.”—George Will.
* “Charlie Kirk represented politics at its worst. He laced his speeches with racist and bigoted remarks. He created a ‘Professors Watch List,’ demanding that any professor associated with the political left be fired.”—Bill Press, author and host of The BillPressPod.
* “Oklahomans would lose their mind if (Democratic Gov. JB) Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden Administration.”—Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt.
* “One of the biggest employers in the United States will become a net job destroyer, not a net job creator.”—Daron Acemoglu, of M.I.T., on Amazon’s plans to automate 75% of its operations.
* “An important part of this job is you have to be willing to be disliked.”—SCOTUS Justice Amy Coney Barrett.
* “We should be looking at ways to lean up government—right-size it, if you will.”—Republican Jim Boyd, the new Florida Senate president.
* “The primary aim of the humanities is to train people to make up their own minds.”—David Newheiser, associate professor of religion at FSU.
* “The real art in an art heist isn’t the stealing; it’s the selling.”—Robert Whitman, former FBI art crime inspector.
* “I am confident that something good’s going to happen in Tampa.”—MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, on prospects for a new Rays’ stadium.
* “The transformation underway in Ybor City is bringing new life, businesses, jobs and opportunity back to this historic landmark. Expanding Tampa General’s footprint in Ybor will offer the new residents, professionals and visitors we’re attracting to Ybor convenient access to exceptional health care.”—Developer Darryl Shaw.