Thinking About Democracy

The title to this entry suggests a long entry. I'm going to keep this one short. On the way to England, I finished reading H.L. Mencken's Notes on Democracy. It's a fascinating read and I wanted to share some of my thoughts.

Mencken was one of the most prominent journalists of the early 20th century in the U.S. As a resident of Baltimore, he lived through both WWI and WWII as a German-American. His views were often controversial and this book is an amazing piece of work - especially considering it was published in 1926.

I highly recommend this book to anyone; however, I must warn you. First, it is difficult to read. Mencken's prose is very colorful, his vocabulary deep, and the book is filled with contemporaneous references (which are explained well in the notes). Second, it is a scathing attack on democratic principles. He does not necessarily offer alternatives and is quite pessimistic. However, it is eye-opening and well argued.

Read it if you dare.