Who's Britannica to tell me that the Panama Canal was built in 1914? If I want to say that it was built in 1941, that's my right as an American.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Colbert satirizes extreme American exceptionalism and willful ignorance of historical facts.
- In plain terms
- An American claims the right to ignore historical facts.
- What can you take from it?
- Pride can blind people to objective truth.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Why do some value identity over facts?
Another view
The joke relies on knowing the real date.
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