<![CDATA[American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills.]]>American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/topic/321c83e7-1f21-49aa-b488-5af82994b26e/american-journalist-essayist-satirist-and-now-i-guess-we-have-to-add-prophet-or-sooth-sayer-to-his-list-of-skills.RSS for NodeWed, 12 Aug 2026 17:44:55 GMTSat, 08 Aug 2026 13:33:30 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sun, 09 Aug 2026 07:39:34 GMT]]>@jonhendry @tokensane @juliehuz Exactly. But some people think adding a modern interpretation increases the impact. Rather it reduces it because it is deliberately inaccurate. It gets spread quickly because people want to believe that it was the quote. There seem to be many incorrectly attributed or inaccurate quotes floating about.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/MyricaGale/statuses/117064412313166333https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/MyricaGale/statuses/117064412313166333Sun, 09 Aug 2026 07:39:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sun, 09 Aug 2026 06:49:39 GMT]]>@juliehuz Why poorly modify a real quote? “Complete narcissistic moron” is so 2020’ and **so not 1920** that I, a non-native English speaker, checked.

cc @harold

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/cbzo/statuses/117064216064222790https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.green/users/cbzo/statuses/117064216064222790Sun, 09 Aug 2026 06:49:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sun, 09 Aug 2026 06:08:27 GMT]]>@MyricaGale @tokensane @juliehuz

Don't understand why they bothered to make the change. It was accurate in the original.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://iosdev.space/users/jonhendry/statuses/117064054034316108https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://iosdev.space/users/jonhendry/statuses/117064054034316108Sun, 09 Aug 2026 06:08:27 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sun, 09 Aug 2026 06:07:16 GMT]]>@Oyu_Fka @SecondUniverse @juliehuz

Oh it was noticed. Plenty of people had heard it. It was probably mentioned during the Bush 2 era.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://iosdev.space/users/jonhendry/statuses/117064049411922279https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://iosdev.space/users/jonhendry/statuses/117064049411922279Sun, 09 Aug 2026 06:07:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 21:17:16 GMT]]>@Beachbum @juliehuz Oh, they wanted it. They just didn't think it would apply to THEM.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/dedicto/statuses/117061965319695607https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/dedicto/statuses/117061965319695607Sat, 08 Aug 2026 21:17:16 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:31:37 GMT]]>@Oyu_Fka @sheislaurence @juliehuz @SecondUniverse let’s hope the next Congress is successful in writing laws to assure that this type of corrupt, amoral person never resides temporarily in our White House ever again.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.sdf.org/users/Beachbum/statuses/117061549893003350https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.sdf.org/users/Beachbum/statuses/117061549893003350Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:31:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:17:25 GMT]]>@juliehuz @dedicto ….being punished for what some Americans thought was what they wanted until they got it and then the minority who does indeed want it.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.sdf.org/users/Beachbum/statuses/117061494079382053https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.sdf.org/users/Beachbum/statuses/117061494079382053Sat, 08 Aug 2026 19:17:25 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:39:33 GMT]]>@juliehuz still, it took more than a century to come true

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/JonChevreau/statuses/117061345205234078https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mstdn.ca/users/JonChevreau/statuses/117061345205234078Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:39:33 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:44:45 GMT]]>@tokensane @juliehuz Indeed. The "narcissistic" part has been added. But the core message remains.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/MyricaGale/statuses/117061129717461970https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.scot/users/MyricaGale/statuses/117061129717461970Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:44:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:41:31 GMT]]>@juliehuz @sheislaurence @SecondUniverse Who? Me?!!! I'm just behaving myself today, lol!

My only confidence in humanity is that it's doomed to fail as a result of human nature - trump and his cabal are the extreme example of said flaw.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117061116989488693https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117061116989488693Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:41:31 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:28:32 GMT]]>@Oyu_Fka @sheislaurence @SecondUniverse Clearly you have WAY more confidence in humanity than I

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/juliehuz/statuses/117061065923962073https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/juliehuz/statuses/117061065923962073Sat, 08 Aug 2026 17:28:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:58:37 GMT]]>@sheislaurence @juliehuz @SecondUniverse Of course, you're right - trump isn't the first 'moron' in history. Let's hope he's the last 🤞.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117060948294721915https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117060948294721915Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:58:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:35:11 GMT]]>@juliehuz @SecondUniverse Just checked Wikipedia...jeez, amazing parallels, lol!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117060856178537296https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117060856178537296Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:35:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:29:08 GMT]]>@juliehuz Huxley had us pegged, too. We f'ing idiots.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116584758053727639/statuses/117060832362953628https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/ap/users/116584758053727639/statuses/117060832362953628Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:29:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:12:07 GMT]]>@Oyu_Fka @juliehuz @SecondUniverse Aristotle predicted this is you look far enough. It wasn't a novel idea that democracy without education is doomed to demagogy. Unfortunately it was mostly the argument of the elite for obv reasons (plebs too stupid) so that we forgot the merits of the idea of education altogether (accessing civic responsibility).

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sheislaurence/statuses/117060765425385553https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/sheislaurence/statuses/117060765425385553Sat, 08 Aug 2026 16:12:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 15:36:45 GMT]]>@juliehuz @SecondUniverse Ah, that makes more sense! So, he was referencing the near future, not the distant. Still applies, though!

I wonder what he'd have to say about trump and his administration/republicans today?

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117060626360300646https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117060626360300646Sat, 08 Aug 2026 15:36:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 15:17:53 GMT]]>@Oyu_Fka @SecondUniverse Well...TBF Warren G Harding was running for office in 1920 - and he is up there with Trump in terms of corruption and stupidity...so...

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/juliehuz/statuses/117060552189035278https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/juliehuz/statuses/117060552189035278Sat, 08 Aug 2026 15:17:53 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 15:12:10 GMT]]>@SecondUniverse @juliehuz Astonishingly accurate! But three questions:

1. How on earth did he see this coming from 100 years ago?

2. Was it related to American politics at the time?

2. How come no one took notice? Guessing it was considered impossible at the time.

Yeh, I know...Wikipedia here I come, lol! Done...strange character to say the least!

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117060529719239028https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.social/users/Oyu_Fka/statuses/117060529719239028Sat, 08 Aug 2026 15:12:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 15:03:24 GMT]]>@juliehuz Quote verified. From "On Politics: A Carnival of Buncombe", which is a selection of his political newspaper columns.

I decided to check because of the number of made-up quotes you see around the Net.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/tokensane/statuses/117060495256252733https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/tokensane/statuses/117060495256252733Sat, 08 Aug 2026 15:03:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:37:08 GMT]]>@SecondUniverse He lived to the age of 76, so I am sure he uttered similar thoughts in multiple ways

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/juliehuz/statuses/117060391960179222https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/juliehuz/statuses/117060391960179222Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:37:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:29:14 GMT]]>@juliehuz I have seen slightly different versions of this quote.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/13/hl-mencken-predicted-a-moron-in-the-white-house

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://autistics.life/users/SecondUniverse/statuses/117060360915607454https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://autistics.life/users/SecondUniverse/statuses/117060360915607454Sat, 08 Aug 2026 14:29:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:43:01 GMT]]>@dedicto and we certainly are.

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/juliehuz/statuses/117060179160706574https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://mastodon.world/users/juliehuz/statuses/117060179160706574Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:43:01 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. on Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:41:44 GMT]]>@juliehuz Or, as IIRC also said:

"The American public knows what it wants, and it deserves to get it good and hard."

]]>https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/dedicto/statuses/117060174143224855https://forum.fedi.dk/post/https://zeroes.ca/users/dedicto/statuses/117060174143224855Sat, 08 Aug 2026 13:41:44 GMT