What the hell did H.L. Mencken know anyway?

[underpants]

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.

A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier.

Before a man speaks it is always safe to assume that he is a fool. After he speaks, it is seldom necessary to assume it.

Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance

Communism, like any other revealed religion, is largely made up of prophecies.
Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses.
Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.

Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable.

I believe in only one thing: liberty; but I do not believe in liberty enough to want to force it upon anyone.

In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/h/h_l_mencken_7.html

[indepat]

1. It's taken me three-quarters of a century to have gained even a thimble-full of Mencken's

insight and wisdom. :P

[zeemike]

2. I don't think it was all wisdom.

I think it was mostly observation...and he liked looking behind the curtain and when you look behind the curtain you mostly find someone pulling the strings.

[Individualist]

3. "...the worship of jackals by jackasses"

How true!

[alterfurz]

4. some favorite Menckenisms

The chief value of money lies in the fact that one lives in a world in which it is overestimated.

A Puritan is a person who lives in the fear that someone, somewhere, may be having a good time.

The cynics are right nine times out of ten.

Perhaps the most revolting character the U.S. has ever produced is the "Christian businessman." (Mencken once described the USA as a "Tory plutocracy")

There comes a time when every man feels the urge to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and start slitting throats.

[roguevalley]

5. I read he was a virulent, virulent anti-semite and it surprised the

world when it was found out.