Ciceronianus has a fascinating post up about H.L. Mencken, a guy who could inspire many of them. I wonder if young people still regularly read (or see performed in some form) the old play/movie Inherit the Wind ? For many of my generation, anyway, an interest in Mencken was first roused by the character based upon him in this play, E.K. Hornbeck , memorably played by Gene Kelly. (Yes, a non-dancing dramatic role by the Gene Kelly) in the 1960 movie. Hornbeck is not written as an admirable character. We're supposed to side with Henry Drummond/Spencer Tracy/Clarence Darrow after all, (how can one not side with Spencer Tracy??) and we're supposed to see Hornbeck as being as much a dogmatist as Brady/Bryan, though a dogmatist of a contrary dogma. The Bryanesque character, by the way, was played by Frederick March. William James, the titular figure and presiding genius of this blog, once referred to his own philosophical goal as ensuring a safe space between "t...