<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Notes On Democracy</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/notes-on-democracy--7125916</link><description><![CDATA[Dive into the multifaceted world of democracy as this podcast unpacks the complexities and contradictions inherent in governance and the human condition. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that explores the nuances of democratic ideals, the role of the individual in shaping society, and the often satirical lens through which we can view political life. This is not a single story but a series of unique explorations that challenge conventional wisdom and provoke thought about the nature of power, representation, and civic responsibility. From the emergence of professional politicians to the unpredictable outcomes of electoral battles, listeners are invited to reflect on the past and its relevance to contemporary issues. Discover a new book with every episode, enriching your understanding of democracy's triumphs and tribulations throughout history and across cultures. Join us on this intellectual journey as we navigate the intricate dance of freedom, governance, and the human spirit.]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7125916/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright Politics Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg</url><title>Notes On Democracy</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/notes-on-democracy--7125916</link></image><lastBuildDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:12:05 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>Politics Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker75@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>Dive into the multifaceted world of democracy as this podcast unpacks the complexities and contradictions inherent in governance and the human condition. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that explores the nuances of democratic ideals,...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Dive into the multifaceted world of democracy as this podcast unpacks the complexities and contradictions inherent in governance and the human condition. Each episode features a new complete audiobook that explores the nuances of democratic ideals, the role of the individual in shaping society, and the often satirical lens through which we can view political life. This is not a single story but a series of unique explorations that challenge conventional wisdom and provoke thought about the nature of power, representation, and civic responsibility. From the emergence of professional politicians to the unpredictable outcomes of electoral battles, listeners are invited to reflect on the past and its relevance to contemporary issues. Discover a new book with every episode, enriching your understanding of democracy's triumphs and tribulations throughout history and across cultures. Join us on this intellectual journey as we navigate the intricate dance of freedom, governance, and the human spirit.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="History"/><itunes:category text="Government"/><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>3f1864dc-e2dd-5c06-bd83-4077dba4f5e2</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>American Notes-Rudyard Kipling</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/american-notes-rudyard-kipling--74374221</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74374221</guid><pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 09:01:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74374221/american_notes_rudyard_kipling.mp3" length="80549596" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10059</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Souls of Black Folk-W. E. B. Du Bois</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/souls-of-black-folk-w-e-b-du-bois--74352211</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74352211</guid><pubDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 09:01:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74352211/souls_of_black_folk_w_e_b_du_bois.mp3" length="230295794" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>28758</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Mother Earth, Vol. 1 No. 6, August 1906-Various</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/mother-earth-vol-1-no-6-august-1906-various--74331658</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74331658</guid><pubDate>Sun, 06 Sep 2026 09:00:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74331658/mother_earth_vol_1_no_6_august_1906_various.mp3" length="80874055" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10099</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Future of the Women's Movement-Helena Swanwick</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/future-of-the-women-s-movement-helena-swanwick--74308973</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74308973</guid><pubDate>Sat, 05 Sep 2026 09:00:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74308973/future_of_the_women_s_movement_helena_swanwick.mp3" length="163517335" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>20419</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Damn! A Book of Calumny-H. L. Mencken</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/damn-a-book-of-calumny-h-l-mencken--74291610</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74291610</guid><pubDate>Fri, 04 Sep 2026 09:00:46 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74291610/damn_a_book_of_calumny_h_l_mencken.mp3" length="70349222" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8785</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Vindication of the Rights of Men, in a Letter to Edmund Burke-Mary Wollstonecraft</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/vindication-of-the-rights-of-men-in-a-letter-to-edmund-burke-mary-wollstonecraft--74271230</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74271230</guid><pubDate>Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:00:40 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74271230/vindication_of_the_rights_of_men_in_a_letter_to_edmund_burke_mary_wollstonecraft.mp3" length="83200707" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10390</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Philadelphia Negro A Social Study-W. E. B. Du Bois</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/philadelphia-negro-a-social-study-w-e-b-du-bois--74256358</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74256358</guid><pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:00:49 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74256358/philadelphia_negro_a_social_study_w_e_b_du_bois.mp3" length="278758441" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>34810</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Web of Indian Life-Sister Nivedita</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/web-of-indian-life-sister-nivedita--74240964</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74240964</guid><pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:00:45 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74240964/web_of_indian_life_sister_nivedita.mp3" length="247442575" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>30900</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Christmastide-William Sandys</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/christmastide-william-sandys--74227267</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74227267</guid><pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:00:48 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74227267/christmastide_william_sandys.mp3" length="206233775" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25754</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Essays on Work and Culture-Hamilton Wright Mabie</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/essays-on-work-and-culture-hamilton-wright-mabie--74208846</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74208846</guid><pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:00:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74208846/essays_on_work_and_culture_hamilton_wright_mabie.mp3" length="112949324" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>14105</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Feminism in Greek Literature-Frederick Adam Wright</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/feminism-in-greek-literature-frederick-adam-wright--74182572</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74182572</guid><pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:00:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74182572/feminism_in_greek_literature_frederick_adam_wright.mp3" length="158150755" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>19749</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Sins of Hollywood-Edward Roberts</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/sins-of-hollywood-edward-roberts--74156766</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74156766</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:00:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74156766/sins_of_hollywood_edward_roberts.mp3" length="80412362" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10041</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Idea of Progress An Inquiry into Its Origin and Growth-John Bagnell Bury</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/idea-of-progress-an-inquiry-into-its-origin-and-growth-john-bagnell-bury--74130209</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74130209</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:00:48 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74130209/idea_of_progress_an_inquiry_into_its_origin_and_growth_john_bagnell_bury.mp3" length="259209720" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>32369</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Crisis A Record of the Darker Races, Vol. I, No. 4-W. E. B. Du Bois</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/crisis-a-record-of-the-darker-races-vol-i-no-4-w-e-b-du-bois--74081524</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74081524</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:01:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74081524/crisis_a_record_of_the_darker_races_vol_i_no_4_w_e_b_du_bois.mp3" length="69435279" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8671</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Convivio-Dante Alighieri</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/convivio-dante-alighieri--74059213</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74059213</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:00:38 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74059213/convivio_dante_alighieri.mp3" length="266936512" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>33333</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Crisis A Record of the Darker Races, Vol. I, No. 1-W. E. B. Du Bois</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/crisis-a-record-of-the-darker-races-vol-i-no-1-w-e-b-du-bois--74037221</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74037221</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:02:05 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74037221/crisis_a_record_of_the_darker_races_vol_i_no_1_w_e_b_du_bois.mp3" length="43983373" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>5493</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Shadowings-Lafcadio Hearn</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/shadowings-lafcadio-hearn--74017550</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74017550</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:02:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74017550/shadowings_lafcadio_hearn.mp3" length="146443433" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>18287</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Malaria A Neglected Factor in the History of Greece and Rome-William Henry Samuel Jones</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/malaria-a-neglected-factor-in-the-history-of-greece-and-rome-william-henry-samuel-jones--73995933</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73995933</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:01:41 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73995933/malaria_a_neglected_factor_in_the_history_of_greece_and_rome_william_henry_samuel_jones.mp3" length="61383011" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>7665</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Your United States Impressions Of A First Visit-Arnold Bennett</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/your-united-states-impressions-of-a-first-visit-arnold-bennett--73975328</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73975328</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:02:06 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73975328/your_united_states_impressions_of_a_first_visit_arnold_bennett.mp3" length="158071323" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>19739</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Brazil. Stray notes from Bahia-James Wetherell</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/brazil-stray-notes-from-bahia-james-wetherell--73954383</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73954383</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:02:21 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73954383/brazil_stray_notes_from_bahia_james_wetherell.mp3" length="181358309" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>22647</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>France At War On the Frontier of Civilization-Rudyard Kipling</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/france-at-war-on-the-frontier-of-civilization-rudyard-kipling--73933317</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73933317</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:02:20 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73933317/france_at_war_on_the_frontier_of_civilization_rudyard_kipling.mp3" length="49187898" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>6142</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, December 1827-Commissioner of Indian Affairs</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/annual-report-of-the-commissioner-of-indian-affairs-december-1827-commissioner-of-indian-affairs--73909816</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73909816</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:03:01 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73909816/annual_report_of_the_commissioner_of_indian_affairs_december_1827_commissioner_of_indian_affairs.mp3" length="81926440" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10230</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>With the Empress Dowager of China-Katharine Carl</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/with-the-empress-dowager-of-china-katharine-carl--73888579</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73888579</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:03:13 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73888579/with_the_empress_dowager_of_china_katharine_carl.mp3" length="229178844" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>28618</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Ukraine-George Raffalovich</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ukraine-george-raffalovich--73867497</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73867497</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:03:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73867497/ukraine_george_raffalovich.mp3" length="61879153" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>7727</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Square Deal-Theodore Roosevelt</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/square-deal-theodore-roosevelt--73847587</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73847587</guid><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:04:13 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73847587/square_deal_theodore_roosevelt.mp3" length="111874616" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>13970</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Culture and Anarchy-Matthew Arnold</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/culture-and-anarchy-matthew-arnold--73379215</link><description><![CDATA[Matthew Arnold's "Culture and Anarchy" delves into the relationship between culture and society, exploring the tensions between individualism and communal values. Arnold argues for the importance of culture as a means of achieving social cohesion and moral improvement, emphasizing its role in countering the chaos of an increasingly industrialized world. This work remains relevant today as it addresses the enduring struggle between personal freedom and societal responsibility, urging listeners to reflect on how culture can shape and elevate the human experience amidst modern challenges. Arnold's insights invite a deeper understanding of the complexities of democracy and the vital role of culture in fostering a harmonious society.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73379215</guid><pubDate>Mon, 03 Aug 2026 10:12:31 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73379215/culture_and_anarchy_matthew_arnold.mp3" length="173751022" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>Matthew Arnold's "Culture and Anarchy" delves into the relationship between culture and society, exploring the tensions between individualism and communal values. Arnold argues for the importance of culture as a means of achieving social cohesion and...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[Matthew Arnold's "Culture and Anarchy" delves into the relationship between culture and society, exploring the tensions between individualism and communal values. Arnold argues for the importance of culture as a means of achieving social cohesion and moral improvement, emphasizing its role in countering the chaos of an increasingly industrialized world. This work remains relevant today as it addresses the enduring struggle between personal freedom and societal responsibility, urging listeners to reflect on how culture can shape and elevate the human experience amidst modern challenges. Arnold's insights invite a deeper understanding of the complexities of democracy and the vital role of culture in fostering a harmonious society.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>21697</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Notes On Democracy - H L Mencken</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/notes-on-democracy-h-l-mencken--72655675</link><description><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72655675</guid><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:58:07 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72655675/notes_on_democracy_h_l_mencken.mp3" length="144082473" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>H. L. Mencken</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[American journalist H.L. Mencken’s Notes On Democracy was originally published in 1926, yet is still relevant almost 100 years later. Mencken has proposed some succinct and satirical definitions of democracy, such as, “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.” And, “Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey house.” One predictable result of democracy, Mencken explains, is that the professional politician, who’s objective is always the job, and not the principle, is in a constant struggle for office and its rewards. The defeated candidate commonly takes his failure very badly. Regarding these sore loser “lame ducks”, he says: “…now and then there appears one whose wounds are too painful to be assuaged…. …This majestic victim not infrequently seeks surcease by a sort of running amok. That is to say, he turns what remains of his influence with the mob [common man] into a weapon against the nation as a whole, and becomes a chronic maker of trouble.” Notes On Democracy is a refreshing description of what a democracy is, and how it works, …and how it doesn’t work, and has timeless relevance in light of today’s political climate. - Summary by Lisa Reichert]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>18011</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>assuaged,democracy,infrequently,loser,mencken,notes,political,running,science,surcease</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/244f58a98b66c0f63f76bc72a09bbe26.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
