Monday's Quote

Thinking of recent American history, I can't help but think that Henry Louis Mencken (1880-1856) was on to something with this observation:

"Civilization, in fact, grows more and more maudlin and hysterical; especially under democracy it tends to degenerate into a mere combat of crazes; the whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary."