Quote of the day 14th July 2018

A quote within a quote …


“H L Mencken got it in many ways right, in one way wrong. On July 26, 1920 the greatest columnist in the history of English language journalism wrote this in The Baltimore Sun: “As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. 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.”

It would be tempting to say that 98 years later, Mencken’s prophecy has been fulfilled; but that would not quite be right. This president is most assuredly not a moron: it’s far more complicated than that.”

“Donald Trump doesn’t care to think too much before he speaks and has a habit of saying what he thinks. And the trouble with us, not him, is that what he thinks is what plenty of more genteel and considered folk do actually think, but don’t like to say.”

(Matthew Parris quotes H. L. Mencken in an article in The Times today, link here.)

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