American journalist and humorist famous for his criticism of American society. Born in 1880 in Baltimore, Maryland, Mencken held positions at several newspapers and magazines during his long career.
Mencken was one of the most quoted thinkers of the first half of the twentieth century, and with good reason. Some examples:
"No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American people."
"Nature abhors a moron"
"Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who would want to live in an institution."
Jury - A group of 12 people, who, having lied to the judge about their health, hearing, and business engagements, have failed to fool him.
The trouble with Communism is the Communists, just as the trouble with Christianity is the Christians.
Mencken despised the Puritan ideology predominant in America at the time. But he also respected the people's right to believe in God in any form they desired, even if he reserved the right to point out what he believed was silliness.
Despite his scathing critcisms, he remained a patriot and a supporter of the American way of life. Mencken found in American society a group of people that could guarantee the majority of its members the basics of life, even during the Great Depression.