Hobgoblins

[pjthompson]

Random quote of the day:


"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."

—H. L. Mencken


(Golly, this doesn't sound familiar at all.)









Thanks to handworn for the quote.

Comments

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

Is it naive of me to think that this could be coming to an end relatively soon?

[pjthompson]

Maybe it will. But it's an old pattern, going clear on back to the Romans and beyond. I think it will undoubtedly recur, and even if it diminishes at the top there will be plenty of lesser demagogues ready to use this tactic. It makes me very sad when I think about it too much.

[kmkibble75.livejournal.com]

True enough.