Most people want security in this world, not liberty.
H. L. MENCKENDemocracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.
More H. L. Mencken Quotes
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A cynic is a man who, when he smells flowers, looks around for a coffin.
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A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers.
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The chief difference between free capitalism and State socialism seems to be this: that under the former a man pursues his own advantage openly, frankly and honestly, whereas under the latter he does so hypocritically and under false pretenses.
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Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.
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A sense of humor always withers in the presence of the messianic delusion, like justice and the truth in front of patriotic passion.
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Journalism is to politician as dog is to lamp-post.
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Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule—and both commonly succeed, and are right.
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The average man does not get pleasure out of an idea because he thinks it is true; he thinks it is true because he gets pleasure out of it.
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The common argument that crime is caused by poverty is a kind of slander on the poor.
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Government’s great contribution to human wisdom is the discovery that the taxpayer has more than one pocket.
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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.
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Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods.
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Puritanism. The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.
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Socialist: A man suffering from an overwhelming conviction to believe what is not true.
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Freedom of press is limited to those who own one.
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