H.L. Mencken - along with many other highly intelligent and prominent American citizens - had a rather negative view of the Jews. But why ?

H.L. Mencken [“The Jews could be put down very plausible as the most unpleasant race ever heard of. As commonly encountered they lack any of the qualities that mark the civilized man: courage, dignity, incorruptibility, ease, confidence. They have vanity without pride, voluptuousness without taste, and learning without wisdom. Their fortitude such as it is, is wasted upon puerile objects, and their charity is mainly a form of display.” ― H.L. Mencken, Treatise on the Gods tags: antisemitism, jews, qualities, race]