A Moron In The White House

I've been thinking about H. L. Mencken recently, wondering what he might make of today's political situation. I admire the irreverent muckraking, wisecracking journalist whose work for The Baltimore Sun, The American Mercury, The Smart Set, and other journals enlivened American journalism from the 1920s through the '40s.

Mencken was an archetypal curmudgeon. He disliked everything: government, marriage, religion, politicians and people. He poked the rich, prodded the poor, and disparaged the middle classes. He coined the phrase "monkey trial" for Tennessee v. Scopes and referred to the American people as Boobus Americanus.

A bit less than a century ago he wrote this as part of a piece on elected officials:

"As democracy is perfected, the office of the president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."*

We have reached that day, perhaps for this reason: "The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth."**

Mencken claimed to dislike all forms of government including democracy, but he was well aware of the value and potential fragility of the American system: "The only good bureaucrat is one with a pistol at his head. Put it in his hand and it's good-bye to the Bill of Rights."***

Mencken may have disliked government, but he certainly had his finger on its pulse. He even anticipated Mitch McConnell: "Moral certainty is always a sign of cultural inferiority. The more uncivilized the man, the surer he is that he knows precisely what is right and what is wrong."****

Mencken was not just a complainer. He had suggestions for righting social and political wrongs, and gave us some challenges for defeating government oppression (sorry for the sexclusive language):

     "All government, in its essence, is a conspiracy against the superior man: its one permanent object is to oppress him and cripple him.  The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos."***** (My emphasis).

And he reminds us: "It doesn't take a majority to make a rebellion; it takes only a few determined leaders and a sound cause."******

We have the cause, getting rid of the moron in the White House. Let's find a few leaders.


--- Diogenes, 5/4/20



*Baltimore Evening Sun, 7/26/1920
**The Smart Set, vol. 67, 1922
***Baltimore Evening Sun, 3/13/1933
****Mencken, H. L., Minority Report, p. 282
*****"Le Contrat Social", in: Prejudices: Third Series (1922)
******The Smart Set, Vol, 71, p, 144