H L Menken

I’m not quite this cynical but for those who have infinite faith in our elected School Board (or city councilors, county board members or legislators) here’s something to chew on.

“The government consists of a gang of men exactly like you and me. They have, taking one with another, no special talent for the business of government; they have only a talent for getting and holding office. Their principal device to that end is to search out groups who pant and pine for something they can’t get and to promise to give it to them. Nine times out of ten that promise is worth nothing. The tenth time is made good by looting A to satisfy B. In other words, government is a broker in pillage, and every election is sort of an advance auction sale of stolen goods.”

Of course, having only won two out of 12 attempts at public office I suppose it is fair to say that I don’t have any particular talent for “getting or holding office.”

— HL Mencken–

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