A prophet - Almost 100 yrs. ago

[packman]

[Thekaspervote]

1. Wow!! History.. the perfect crystal ball!

[NCTraveler]

2. Saw this going around a lot after the election.

Spot on. K&R

[Major Nikon]

3. The quote isn't exactly accurate

This started floating around with W, but the actual quote goes:

"On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."

It doesn't distract from Mencken's wit, but just isn't exactly accurate.

[gordianot]

4. The questions are will this continue, pass away, or happen sometime again.

What worries me most history is repetitious.

[PatSeg]

7. It does seem to happen

over and over again. The fault lies in an apathetic citizenry and a democracy with weak institutions and judicial systems, not to mention poorly educated voters. Poor education would be on the top of my list.

[gordianot]

8. Plato warned in his Republic.

Maybe humans and their institutions will evolve.

[PatSeg]

14. Hopefully

It goes through cycles and periodically we slide back. I think people's priorities became skewed probably during the eighties when consumerism and greed overwhelmed much of society. Values like compassion, honesty, gratitude, and genuine patriotism became quaint and old fashioned.

After the decadent roaring twenties, it took a Great Depression and World War II to shake things up and get people on a more positive progressive path. Looking back at the 1950s and 1960s, I realize I was blessed with an exceptional education. No expense was spared, as a high value was put on education. People went onto higher education for many reasons, not to just make lots of money.

[djacq]

5. Is this why Rex called him a Moron?

[yuiyoshida]

6. bullseye

BOOM!

[mountain grammy]

9. But what does "plain folks" really mean?

I consider myself plain folk, average in almost every way, but would not vote for a fool or a complete narcissistic moron. I know plenty of "plain folks" who also didn't vote for evil because they're not.

This is kind of elitest, like regular people can't choose wisely; but we did with FDR, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton and certainly Obama who were elected by the people.

Then there's the fact that millions more average "plain folks" voted against trump than for him and he lost the popular vote.

It's the racists and the greedy rich who gave us this nightmare, with plenty of help from a hostile foreign power.

[DeeDeeNY]

11. Exactly!

I was thinking the same thing but you expressed it way better than I ever could.

[mountain grammy]

12. Thanks..

Thing is, I kept thinking about this meme and Reagan and how he so smoothly hoodwinked so many Americans. My husband still is amazed he voted for Reagan. He never saw it and he was union and a vet without a racist thought, so plain folks can be duped too, but Reagan had appeal and I don't believe the man himself was racist.

But nobody was duped by trump.. the racists get what they want and the greedy rich will get richer. Us plain folk are the one's who'll suffer.

[grantcart]

10. And this is why we must denuclearize

[MarinCoUSA]

13. MENCKEN: Handle with Care. Mencken was genius & bigot.

H.L. Mencken was at the forefront of American journalism in his day. He reached perhaps the zenith of his career covering the Scopes trial when he vigorously lampooned William Jennings Bryant and American Christian religious fundamentalism. He coined a term to describe these folks which is still as good as the day he wrote it. "Boobouisie". He was a proclaimed non-believer. This post and picture are a testament to this spirit. HOWEVER.

He later became a fierce critic of FDR and the New Deal. He has been described not merely a skeptic of the human condition but a cynic. When his personal papers were finally released, it was revealed as incontrovertible fact that he was an extreme racist and anti-Semite. Now, white nationalist invoke him to name their conventions. As a brilliant writer. Handle with care