This week in Whoppers: Tucker Carlson muses on supernatural origin of nukes, ex-NY Mag writer wishes he copied better, and more
· New York PostThis fantasy
“Nuclear weapons . . . I don’t think were created by people.” — Tucker Carlson, Monday
We say: When it comes to technology there’s not a lot of alternatives to “people” as the inventors.
Carlson, who also says that demons torment him in his sleep, puts himself in the company of people who insisted that table forks, the printing press and trains were “devil’s work.”
This apology
“I did not use citations as aggressively as I should have and did not paraphrase well enough.” — former New York magazine writer Ross Barkan, Wednesday
We say: It’s odd to apologize for plagiarism — passing off other people’s words as your own — by saying you “didn’t paraphrase well enough.”
Writers are also supposed to come up with original ideas and observations, not just repackage other people’s.
This rationale
“If you’re stealing things [like soap or toothpaste], you need them.” — New York state Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, Aug. 13
We say: Drugstores are locking up shampoo and deodorant because of organized mass theft, not because a poor person took a bar of soap.
The left fights its war on common sense as vigorously as its assault on public order.
This excuse
“I’m not that informed on national security.” — Sen. Darline Graham (R-SC), Tuesday
We say: Sigh. It’s true that her big brother left large shoes to fill on security policy, but couldn’t Sen. Graham prepare a better debate answer than, “I don’t know”?
— Compiled by The Post Editorial Board