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This country was founded by a group of slave owners who wanted to be free. Am I right? A group of slave owners who wanted to be free! So they killed a lot of white English people in order to continue owning their black African people, so they could wipe out the rest of the red Indian people, in order to move west and steal the rest of the land from the brown Mexican people, giving them a place to take off and drop their nuclear weapons on the yellow Japanese people. You know what the motto for this country ought to be? 'You give us a color, we'll wipe it out.'

George Carlin#85

PoliticsViolenceHistoryAmericaFreedomOppressionSlavery

About this quote

What does it mean?
Carlin uses hyperbole to trace a line from American founding values to systemic oppression and violence.
In plain terms
The nation was built by slave owners claiming freedom while destroying others.
What can you take from it?
Critique the contradictions between national ideals and historical actions.

Where it applies

  • discussing history
  • analyzing policy
  • political debate

Putting it to work

  • examine historical contradictions
  • question national myths
  • analyze power structures

Questions to consider

  • How do nations reconcile flawed origins?
  • What defines a national motto?

Another view

It simplifies complex historical motivations into a single malicious narrative.

More from George Carlin

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  2. Conservatives say if you don't give the rich more money, they will lose their incentive to invest. As for the poor, they tell us they've lost all incentive bec…

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  3. You can't fight City Hall, but you can goddamn sure blow it up.

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