Editorial Quick Hits: Theirs

Secure Afghanistan to fight terrorism

Peter Bergen, The New Republic:Afghanistan and the areas of Pakistan that border it have always been the epicenter of the war on jihadist terrorism and, at least for the foreseeable future, they will continue to be. Though it may be tempting to think otherwise, we cannot defeat Al Qaeda without securing Afghanistan.

Stop Beltway's business as usual

Brent Budowsky, aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, D-Texas, in The Hill:Remember the fierce urgency of now, the audacity of hope and change we can believe in? Even passing unemployment benefits became a life crisis for politicians in a town that gets little done. There is pain and suffering in the heartland but little urgency, audacity or change in Washington. ... The public burns, Washington fiddles, the president campaigns, Congress dithers, Democrats waver, Republicans obstruct, business as usual continues.

Mao's philosophy was a real killer

Washington Times editorial board:White House Communications Director Anita Dunn told a group of high school students last June that former Chinese communist dictator Mao Zedong was one of her two favorite political philosophers, and you could tell she was speaking from the heart. ... "You fight your war and I'll fight mine," she quoted Mao as saying, because apparently Mao was all about personal choice. Of course, Mao's usual response to those who questioned his authority was to have them killed, but mentioning that inconvenient truth might detract from Dunn anointing him a philosopher.

U.S. heads toward banana republic status

U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H.:We're basically on the path to a banana-republic type of financial situation in this country. ... You can't keep throwing debt on top of debt.

Sabotage Iran's nuclear aims?

Christopher Hitchens in Slate:We are at least entitled to consider the idea that a decaying regime (Iran) that is bluffing and buying (or rather stealing) time on weapons of mass destruction is in a condition that makes this the best moment to do at least something to raise the cost of the lawlessness and to slow down and sabotage the preparations. Or might it be better to wait and to fight later on more equal terms? Just asking.

Fix schools to make students innovative

Thomas Friedman, New York Times:Just being an average accountant, lawyer, contractor or assembly-line worker is not the ticket it used to be. ... So our schools have a doubly hard task now -- not just improving reading, writing and arithmetic but entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity. Bottom line: We're not going back to the good old days without fixing our schools as well as our banks.

Taxpayers wary of too much government

Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal: We know (government's) weight, heft and demands, ... even as we know it has made many of our lives more secure and helped many to feel encouragement. ... The White House often seems disappointed that ... the voters in the middle of the spectrum aren't all that excited about following them on their bold new journey. But it's a world America has been to. ... And we don't have too many illusions about it.