H. L. Mencken
520 citations

One of the main purposes of laws in a democratic society is to put burdens upon intelligence and reduce it to impotence. Ostensibly, their aim is to penalize anti-social acts; actually their aim is to penalize heretical opinions. At least ninety-five Americans out of every 100 believe that this process is honest and even laudable; it is practically impossible to convince them that there is anything evil in it. In other words, they cannot grasp the concept of liberty. ✨ Liberty and Democracy. Baltimore Evening Sun (April 13, 1925) as quoted in A Second Mencken Chrestomathy: A New Selection from the Writings of America's Legendary Editor, Critic, and Wit edited by Terry Teachout (p. 35), 1994.

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HumanityPoliticsTruth

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