H.L. Mencken Speaks

H.L. Mencken tells it like it was. This is the only known recording of his voice and it is incredibly rare. I'll load the rest of the interview if anyone requests it.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• H.L.
• Mencken
• Henry
• Louis
• Speaking
• Interview
• rare
• recording

[JACKtheRIPP3R189]

Mencken, the saint of sarcasm. He was one of the few journalists that could be truly scathing without being being cheap. He does sound a bit congested though, poor chap.

[BleedingDiamondz]

And to think that he could have been a very successful journalist had he lowered himself to the average person and wrote shit about sports teams or celebrities. Society was a joke then, and it continues to live up to its past self even today.

RIP Mencken

[DefenceSpeech]

Shit, this guy is hilarious.

[MetuKhan]

A great writer. Notes on Democracy, the pieces on the Scopes Monkey Trial (which was his title!), In Defense of Women, and a score of other works have earned him a rightful place in American literature. Thanks for the upload.

[oldoddjobs]

@LoneKook What a baffling remark!

Wishy-washy: "feeble or insipid in quality or character; lacking strength or boldness."

You clearly have never read anything by Mencken.

[junkyardphilosopher]

Great to hear this. Thanks so much for posting. Mencken was a satirical genius. And the guy had guts. Two of my favourite "Menckenisms"..... (1) ' Washington is the slaughterhouse of ideas" and "The wives of American politicians look like British tramp steamers that have been done up for the coronation". RIP HLM

[SuzeraintyNow]

This is amazing! Is there a transcript available for this?

Thank you so much for posting!

[usedbookbrothers78]

The Sage of Baltimore speaks once more---and anyone with an internet connection can hear him! Wow!

Thanks very much for sharing this, Kaiser!

[MrJfury76]

Really like Mencken's views on politicians and his definite Bawlmer accent. Wish he would have been recorded more often!!

[jmjargon]

@KaiserAl32 lol yep.Ok thanks I will look for those.

[KaiserAl32]

@jmjargon In various articles for the Smart Set and the American Mercury, he says that he is not for "Completely unfettered" free-market capitalism. There are a few articles on him on Mises.org that clarify his position I think, but I read them awhile ago and forget the links. Don't bother debating tripfunkmonster, he's doing the best he can with his idiotic leftist preconceptions and you'll just get frustrated.

[jmjargon]

@KaiserAl32 Anyways where does he denounce freemarkets? I thought this quote was pretty indicative of his thoughts on the matter: "The chief difference between free capitalism and State socialism seems to be this: that under the former a man pursues his own advantage openly, frankly, and honestly, whereas under the latter he does so hypocritically and under false pretenses."

He may not have thought free markets were perfect, but I feel like they are in keeping with his ideas on darwinism.