Where is the H. L. Mencken for our age.

Why?

And so someone observes and reads about persons, groups of persons, societies, etc. He then writes his own critiques of them and tries to sell his observations and musings about these people. Some of his prospective customers are, indeed, these very persons? And so did he ever grow corn to feed anyone? Did he ever fix a wheel to help someone on their way? Did he do anything of not other than to write about other people? I'm not saying there's no worthiness to this as a career but I'd never think to hold such a person in greater esteem than the many we see daily just doing their jobs and trying their best to be decent to others. These common folks shouldn't need to worry about earning high ratings from any journalist or writer

witty, perceptive writers around today in many fields. Mencken was unique, so asking for another one seems,IMHO, foolish. Each age has its own demands and critics.

should have done myself. He was such a large part of my growing up, my father making reference to him practically every week, and owning every book he ever wrote (I think). He wrote like an angel.

Sadly he was either second or third generation German American, and was contaminated with the German disease of anti-Semitism. My mother, English born and raised, had the same genteel quietly expressed anti-Semitism, which despite not knowing anyone of Jewish origin, I found irrational and racist. I was bathed in news reports of the civil rights movement as a child and an adolescent, and I couldn't see that being prejudiced against, as they were known then, Negroes was different from baseless prejudice against any group including Jews.

This was also the beginning of my differentiation from my parents opinions, a generational thing.

Rob

look at the results of the Bermuda Conference (look it up, it will be good for you) of 1943 or '44. It is his other writings concerning Democratic populism, William Jennings Bryan (a Democrat). When he chose, he could write brilliant analytical political commentary, and was influential in slowing demagoguery and causing it to lose favour.

There was a great Anti-Jewish rally here in Toronto in 1940 or 1941, Jews who took offence showed up and beat the swastika wearing protesters into the ground. I was quite surprised.

Rob

..he's dead, that was all 60+ years ago, and I still fail to see why we need another one of him around? What is it you admire about him?

were you even alive when that happened? How old are you? 63 or younger?

Mencken was a major figure. Mencken died when I was 6, and was still living in a Baltimore suburb.

Second, my father, born in 1914 was a major fan, had all his books, and when a political question arose, could usually quote something apposite from Mencken, so he became my touchstone for political commentary.

Third, I read all his books at a young age, but I don't claim I understood all I read, because as a young person, I didn't have the frame of political and personality references to understand everything.

Fourth, a lot that I had read became clearer as I did my degrees (plural) in American History in University. My area of specialization during my truncated Doctoral studies was "American-European Relations from 1890 to 1916". One of the leading Democratic political figures through that period was William Jennings Bryan, 3 time Presidential Candidate for the Democratic Party, in 1896, 1900, and 1908. Why is this relevant? Because H.L. Mencken found Bryan's populism repellant, and spent a great deal of ink debunking his almost Tea Party-esque rhetoric. Bryan was a Prairie and Southern based populist whose favourite punching bag were the North-Eastern industrialists and banks.

I'd like someone who would write so intelligently and cogently and with such talent about political hypocrisy, and phony populism.

Rob

to answer my question? Which I thought was rather simple, How old are you? Firts I could go into my Dad was born in Menard, TX in 1908, my Mom was born in Arkansas in 1909, But who cares?

if he was 6 when Mencken died........


.,

he was surprised at something that happened years before he was born,


"There was a great Anti-Jewish rally here in Toronto in 1940 or 1941, Jews who took offence showed up and beat the swastika wearing protesters into the ground. I was quite surprised."

And THAT is why I asked HOW old he was?? See??
DUH!

There was a great Anti-Jewish rally here in Toronto in 1940 or 1941, Jews who took offence showed up and beat the swastika wearing protesters into the ground. I was quite surprised. to read/learn of it..

is it THAT difficult.....

.,

He said and wrote a lot of good stuff. Nobody's perfect.

As Hitler gradually conquered Europe, Mencken attacked President Franklin Roosevelt for refusing to admit Jewish refugees into the United States:

There is only one way to help the fugitives, and that is to find places for them in a country in which they can really live. Why shouldn't the United States take in a couple hundred thousand of them, or even all of them?

.,

you say the sky is blue, he'd wait for a cloudy day and say it was white. You say the grass is green, he'd wait for a winter day and declare it was brown. I suspect he also suffered from envy of others who embodied qualities he felt lacking in himself.