H.L. Mencken on Liberty and Government

von Mises Institute ^ | 19 August 2002 | Gary Galles

[RLK]

"Every election is a sort of advance auction of stolen goods."

----------------------

Har!

[BuddhaBoy]

"The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who is able to think things out for himself... Almost inevitably, he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable."

Truer words were never written.

[tet68]

Didn't he say something about,"Democracy is the theory that the people know what they want and deserve to get it,.......good and hard."

[Donald Stone]

Bump !!!!

[Donald Stone]

"The most dangerous man, to any government, is the man who is able to think things out for himself... Almost inevitably, he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane and intolerable."

[Congressman Billybob]

Thank you for posting this. I have bookmarked several of the quotes I had not read before (I am a great fan of the Sage of Baltimore) for use in the 3rd Edition of my latest book. (Second link, below.)

Congressman Billybob

Click for latest column: "The Truth of a Gravel Road."

Click for latest book: "to Restore Trust in America"

[Askel5]

Hey Donald ... thanks for thinking of me!

Trust all is well with you.

[Donald Stone]

You're welcome !!!!
I will be doing a lot better when these dog days of summer are over.

[muleboy]

Many thanks for the post, I think.

Sobran, O'Rourke, but especially Mencken speak so much truth in such few words as to make my head hurt and my heart ache.

Thanks again, now where did I put the Excedrin and the Guinness?

[headsonpikes]

Bump bump bump!! HLM is the GREATEST!!

Of course, Mencken's just another dangerous, babbling libertarian radical.

Can't you just picture him on a Sunday AM talkfest?

He'd blow the doors off those simpering schnooks. ;^)

[45Auto]

"The storm center of lawlessness in every American State is the State Capitol. It is there that the worst crimes are committed; it is there that lawbreaking attains to the estate and dignity of a learned profession; it is there that contempt for the laws is engendered, fostered, and spread broadcast."

If ever there was a cry for absolutely limiting government authority, this is it. The guys who wrote the Constitution were thinking the same way as Mencken; too bad that those who came after did not share these views. After FDR, things began to go downhill for liberty at an ever-increasing speed. Today, the last thing the legislators consider before crafting assinine legislation is the Constitution. They think about as little of the document as if they were stepping on a bug.

[fporretto]

When I compare today's editors and opinion writers -- even the best of them -- to the insight, wisdom, and grace of the great Henry Louis Mencken, I want to weep. He was unique. We shall not see his like again.

Freedom, Wealth, and Peace,
Francis W. Porretto
Visit the Palace Of Reason: http://palaceofreason.com

[45Auto]

Government derives its authority and phoney power from the money it can steal from those who earn it. Limit the money, and you can limit the authority. The greatest evil of the 20th century was the institution of the progressive income tax; repeal the tax and you may once again claim to be free. Sadly, we have crossed the point of no return in terms of a peaceful solution.

[headsonpikes]

"Sadly, we have crossed the point of no return..."

I don't think so; there'll be no HAPPY solution, that's true; a lot of pension-seekers will be disappointed.

But there can certainly be a 'peaceful' solution; the Left must capitulate, that's all! ;^)

[jsraggmann]

What are you suggesting?

[jsraggmann]

The left will never capitulate. The answer is in your sceen name!

[secretagent]

Good stuff.

[Mulder]

Thanks for posting this. I'm going to add some of them to my list of quotes that I'm compiling.

[Mulder]

Thanks for posting this. I'm going to add some of them to my list of quotes that I'm compiling.