The Gallipoli Myth And Australian Nationalism

By construing invasion as a site of heroism, the Gallipoli myth helps sustain the conditions under which the invasion of the Australian continent can be remembered as not only legitimate, but noble.

The chief business of a nation, as a nation, is the creation of heroes, mainly bogus.

— H.L. Mencken

The Gallipoli Myth And Australian Nationalism

In portraying the invasion of another country as an heroic act, the Gallipoli Myth invites the interpretation of the European invasion of the Australian continent as being not only legitimate, but noble.

The chief business of a nation, as a nation, is the creation of heroes, mainly bogus.

— H.L. Mencken

The Gallipoli Myth And Australian Nationalism

In portraying the invasion of another country as an heroic act, the Gallipoli Myth invites the interpretation of the European invasion of the Australian continent as being not only legitimate, but noble.

The chief business of a nation, as a nation, is the creation of heroes, mainly bogus.

— H.L. Mencken

The Gallipoli Myth And Australian Nationalism

In portraying the invasion of another country as an heroic act, the Gallipoli Myth invites the interpretation of the European invasion of the Australian continent as being not only legitimate, but noble.

The chief business of a nation, as a nation, is the creation of heroes, mainly bogus.

— H.L. Mencken

The Gallipoli Myth And Australian Nationalism

In portraying the invasion of another country as an heroic act, the Gallipoli Myth invites the interpretation of the European invasion of the Australian continent as being not only legitimate, but noble.

The chief business of a nation, as a nation, is the creation of heroes, mainly bogus.

— HL Mencken

The Gallipoli Myth And Australian Nationalism

In portraying the invasion of another country as an heroic act, the Gallipoli Myth invites the interpretation of the European invasion of the Australian continent as being not only legitimate, but noble.

The chief business of a nation, as a nation, is the creation of heroes, mainly bogus.

— HL Mencken

Divine Comedy

God is a comedian, 

playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.

— H. L. Mencken

Three Times Proves It

On some great and glorious day 

the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, 

and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.

 — HL Mencken (1880-1956)

Telling Difference

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed"

Inverse Proportions

The most costly of all follies is to believe passionately in the palpably not true. 

It is the chief occupation of mankind.

 — H. L. Mencken

"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed"

Using The Past To Push Personal Ideology

Historian: an unsuccessful novelist.
 — H. L. Mencken

One Motion After Another

It is impossible to imagine the universe run by a wise, just and omnipotent God, 

but it is quite easy to imagine it run by a board of gods.

— H. L. Mencken

Minority Ruled

Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.

 — H. L. Mencken

You Can't Choose Your Relations

It is even harder for the average ape to believe that he has descended from man.
 — H. L. Mencken

Press Gang

A newspaper is a device for making the ignorant more ignorant and the crazy crazier.

 — H. L. Mencken

Demanding With Menaces

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.

 — HL Mencken

Macerated Egos

God is the immemorial refuge of the incompetent, the helpless, the miserable. They find not only sanctuary in His arms, but also a kind of superiority, soothing to their macerated egos; He will set them above their betters.

 — HL Mencken

The Right-In-Exile

The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.
 — HL Mencken