Be Specific About Epithetical Books Notes on Democracy
| Title | : | Notes on Democracy |
| Author | : | H.L. Mencken |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 206 pages |
| Published | : | October 15th 2008 by Dissident Books (first published January 1st 1927) |
| Categories | : | Politics. Philosophy. Nonfiction. History |
H.L. Mencken
Paperback | Pages: 206 pages Rating: 4.17 | 305 Users | 37 Reviews
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Another reviewer made a point that everyone who reads this will agree and think that they are part of the non-mob / rabble that makes democracy so terrible. That is probably true. The same reviewer, or maybe it was another, blames this book for not offering a viable solution to the problems of democracy, which is kind of weird to damn Mencken for since he is pretty clear about not offering anything better, and going against the current that holds that if you can't come up with some way to fix whatever is broken then shut your mouth and live with it.Democracy might be the best system that we have, but it also has some terrible sides to it. This is kind of the thesis in this book, and Mencken goes about pointing out where the masses of America fuck things up constantly, or to paraphrase Mencken, if there is a choice between two things the masses will inevitably pick the worse of the two. This sounds cynical, but maybe it's true in Mencken's day. In ours though it's most certainly not, just look at health care, a whole portion of uninsured, underemployed people living in areas that have been economically wiped out in the past 15 years or more are violently opposed to getting their health care needs taken care of by someone other than rich insurance companies that generally won't cover them anyway. Obviously the masses are choosing correctly in supporting big business over their own self-interest and health. Oh Mencken if only you could see how far we have come.
In Mencken's day there were these lunatics who were trying to tell schools they couldn't teach science when myth was more pleasing to the palate. If only you could see us now when over 50% of the country knows that the Earth was created about 6000 years ago, and no facts in the world are going to change that truth they believe. Again we have come so far. You silly critical goose Mencken, can't you just enjoy the ride and not be so damning with all of your facts and moral outrage at things like prohibition and busy-body religious folk who want to regulate what you do in the privacy of your own home. If the majority of the people want a morality police then it must be a good thing. But saying things like this are just being critical and the charge of elitist is hanging around when you want to point out that there are too many fucking stupid people, and they get the same right as anyone else at making decisions.
As a thought experiment, picture the last time you went to Wal-Mart. Picture all those shoppers. The last time I went there was on Black Friday last year in the afternoon, it was pretty crowded. Picture those people, picture those malnourished yet obscenely obese people who can't even figure out how to feed themselves properly, those people running to get bargains, the 40 year-old grandmothers who are only a few years older than you who haven't even had one kid yet (if you happen to be in your mid-thirties and single like myself), picture the cashiers, and the zombified senior citizen greeting you at the door, and the guy wearing all NASCAR clothing, and all of the other people. Now let these people make all of your decisions for you by vote, what you are going to buy or not buy on your trip to Wal-Mart, just something simple like that, like you are an American Idol contestant, but instead a shopper who is letting this segment of the population make your decisions for you. Would you want these people to even pick what you are going to buy on one trip to the store? Do you trust them? (Maybe this is coming across as super-elitist, but whatever, my point is I have lived near these people, I have worked with them, I have had conversations with them and I can say that many I've known are really nice people, but I wouldn't want them making any decisions for me, never mind decisions on larger scales, why? Because they are not educated and aware, they are led by rhetoric and are uncritical, and it's not necessarily their faults, but they don't know any better).
To be honest though I don't fucking know much. I don't know anything about global warming, I hear things from some scientists, and then the right-wing people have their scientists, and it all comes out as sound-bytes, and I have no fucking idea which side is right, because I have never gone to really look into the information. I believe that the scientists that are saying global warming is happening and is bad, and we need to do something about it are right, but I'm not going to get into an argument with my parents about it who believe it's all a sham because some right-wing radio DJ says it is because of some studies that neither me nor my parents have seen. I'm not informed enough to really know about this topic, and my guess is that I'm in a majority of 99% of the population that doesn't fucking really know, but takes someones word at it.
This is one example, but I could pick lots of other issues and make a similar point. We are a bunch of ignorant fucks and we have been given this power to let our ignorance reign, by just being quick witted enough to not get ourselves killed before we become 18 years old, and restrain ourselves from committing a felony.
Anyway, this book is very good. Mencken is an entertaining writer, kind of in the same vein as Christopher Hitchens is. I'm happy to have finally read Mencken, someone I've admired from afar for quite awhile, but whom I have kept putting off reading for one reason or another.
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| Original Title: | Notes on Democracy |
| ISBN: | 0977378810 (ISBN13: 9780977378814) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Rating Epithetical Books Notes on Democracy
Ratings: 4.17 From 305 Users | 37 ReviewsCriticize Epithetical Books Notes on Democracy
Another reviewer made a point that everyone who reads this will agree and think that they are part of the non-mob / rabble that makes democracy so terrible. That is probably true. The same reviewer, or maybe it was another, blames this book for not offering a viable solution to the problems of democracy, which is kind of weird to damn Mencken for since he is pretty clear about not offering anything better, and going against the current that holds that if you can't come up with some way to fix"They [the masses] want to be delivered from the bugaboos that ride them. They want to be soothed with mellifluous words. They want heroes to worship. They want rough entertainment suitable to their simple minds. The science of politics under democracy consists of trading with them, i.e., in hoodwinking and swindling them. ... It is combat between jackals and jackasses." -- H. L. Mencken, Notes on Democracy, A New Edition, p. 87
A scathing book about democracy.
A man who can truly wield the English language; every word carefully chosen, every sentence constructed with care. The problem with democracy has been clear since Aristotle, who knew the mob would rule society and politicians would become more adept in forming public opinions. It has been clear now for decades the radical swings of public opinion, a pendulum of extremes. Majority rule does not make any act, law, or belief correct. Additionally, no one truly believes in democracy. If 51% of the
HL Menckens Notes on Democracy, recently republished in a sterling new paperback edition by Dissident Books, was originally published in 1926. Mencken was then a respected columnist and was considered one of the most progressive voices speaking in favour of liberty. Though recent years have seen labels of un-American pelted against him, Mencken remains, on the evidence of Notes on Democracy, one of the most strident voices of opposition against the religious specifically Christian domination
This book is a trenchant critique of the democratic system that existed in America in the 1920s. Mencken's insights are both humorous and scary, because plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. The footnotes in this edition were very helpful to understand the context and many of the references to people and events of the time. The author doesn't purpose a cure for the malady that he diagnoses, but his observations are likely to provide a much deeper understanding to the student of politics or
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