H.L. Mencken on Elections, Politics, Government

H.L. Mencken is often regarded as one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century. It’s election season now, so it might be a good time to feature some of his quotes on elections, politics, democracy, and government.

1. Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
2. A good politician is quite as unthinkable as an honest burglar.
3. A politician is an animal which can sit on a fence and yet keep both ears to the ground.
4. Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
5. Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of jackals by jackasses.
6. Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage.
7. Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.
8. Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.
9. If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.

*Post courtesy of Mark J. Perry at Carpe Diem.

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