If a politician found he had cannibals among his constituents, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.
Interpretation
This quote critiques politicians who exploit and deceive their constituents for personal gain.
H. L. Mencken's quote suggests that a politician will go to any extent to please the desires of their constituents, even if it means promising morally questionable actions. It highlights the idea that some political leaders prioritize their survival and advancement over ethical considerations, serving whatever appetites their supporters may have, sometimes at the expense of fundamental morality.
In practice
During a political debate, a candidate quoted Mencken to highlight the insincerity often found in political promises.
I know a good many men of great learning-that is, men born with an extraordinary eagerness and capacity to acquire knowledge. One and all, they tell me that they can't recall learning anything of any value in school. All that schoolmasters managed to accomplish with them was to test and determine the amount of knowledge that they had already acquired independently-and not infrequently the determination was made clumsily and inaccurately.
It takes a long while for a naturally trustful person to reconcile himself to the idea that after all God will not help him
It is the theory of all modern civilized governments that they protect and foster the liberty of the citizen; it is the practice of all of them to limit its exercise, and sometimes very narrowly.
The central belief of every moron is that he is the victim of a mysterious conspiracy against his common rights and true deserts.
The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy.
It is my conviction that no normal man ever fell in love, within the ordinary meaning of the term, after the age of thirty.
I think maybe the people in elected positions are more interested in preserving their jobs than in doing the best job possible.
'Do you pray for the senators, Dr. Hale?' No, I look at the senators and I pray for the country.
Terrorism constitutes a direct attack on the values the UN stands for: the rule of law; the protection of civilians; peaceful resolution of conflicts; and mutual respect between people of different faiths and cultures.
I am making a collection of the things my opponents have found me to be and, when this election is over, I am going to open a museum and put them on display.
The very first time a politician puts you in his target is sometimes a disappointment, because perhaps you thought you were friends and getting along well... But it is not something that you dwelled on. At least, I did not.
We live in very volatile times. And it is super necessary that all of us resist this move toward the militarization and establishment of a more and more authoritarian regime, not just in the United States but in Europe and elsewhere.
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