--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We stole countries with the cunning use…" description: "\"We stole countries with the cunning use of flags. Just sail around the world and stick a flag in. \"I claim India for Britain!\" They're going \"You can't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/eddie-izzard-1732_around-the-world_we-stole-countries-with-the-cunning-use_2651015.jpg" --- # We stole countries with the cunning use of flags. Just… ![“We stole countries with the cunning use of flags. Just sail around the world and stick a flag in. "I claim India for Britain!" They're going "You can't claim us, we live here! Five hundred million of us!" "Do you have a flag …? "No..." "Well, if you don't have a flag, then you can't have a…” quote by Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/eddie-izzard-1732_around-the-world_we-stole-countries-with-the-cunning-use_2651015.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/eddie-izzard-1732_around-the-world_we-stole-countries-with-the-cunning-use_2651015.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/186/eddie-izzard-1732_around-the-world_we-stole-countries-with-the-cunning-use_2651015.jpg) > “We stole countries with the cunning use of flags. Just sail around the world and stick a flag in. "I claim India for Britain!" They're going "You can't claim us, we live here! Five hundred million of us!" "Do you have a flag …? "No..." "Well, if you don't have a flag, then you can't have a country. Those are the rules... that I just made up!” [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Territorial claims are often based on symbolic gestures like planting flags, not on the people living there. **In simple terms:** Claims rely on symbols, not residents. Key Takeaway Question the legitimacy of symbolic claims. Themes politics colonialism identity Mood critical satirical Type political humorous When to use this quote - historical disputes - modern border conflicts - activism Key Concepts sovereignty symbolism nationalism Questions to Reflect On - What makes a flag a valid claim? - How do locals resist symbolic domination? A Different Perspective Symbols can be challenged by on‑the‑ground realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Around the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/around-the-world/) [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Flags](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flags/) [India](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/india/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [Well, if you don't have a flag, then you can't have a country. Those are the rules... that I just made up!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/well-if-you-don-t-have-a-flag-then-you-can-t-have-a-country-those-are/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [The Death Star is just full of British actors opening doors and going,Oh... I... oh... What is it Lieutenant Sebastian? It's just the Rebels,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/the-death-star-is-just-full-of-british-actors-opening-doors-and-going/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [“Would you like to sit?" Kellen asked her. "You'd better do it soon," Owen whispered close to her ear, "or I'm going to bend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-cunning/would-you-like-to-sit-kellen-asked-her-you-d-better-do-it-soon-owen/) [Olivia Cunning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-cunning/) > [“When a man possesses the innocence of a child, we call him a fool. When a child possesses the cunning of a man, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/when-a-man-possesses-the-innocence-of-a-child-we-call-him-a-fool-when/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Stratagem is the right hand of cunning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-william-curtis/stratagem-is-the-right-hand-of-cunning/) [George William Curtis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-william-curtis/) > [“Till swollen with cunning, of a self-conceit, His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-marlowe/till-swollen-with-cunning-of-a-self-conceit-his-waxen-wings-did-mount/) [Christopher Marlowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-marlowe/) > [Treason and murder ever kept together, As two yoke-devils sworn to either's purpose, Working so grossly in a natural cause That admiration did not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/treason-and-murder-ever-kept-together-as-two-yoke-devils-sworn-to/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [It is sometimes necessary to play the fool to avoid being deceived by cunning men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/it-is-sometimes-necessary-to-play-the-fool-to-avoid-being-deceived-by/) [Francois de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/art-is-the-final-cunning-of-the-human-soul-which-would-rather-do/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Why do some die and some live? 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And there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/when-i-first-came-out-i-thought-i-want-to-walk-like-a-real-woman-i/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [“You know, I don't believe that religions are religions. No, I believe they are philosophies with some good ideas and some fuckin' weird ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/you-know-i-don-t-believe-that-religions-are-religions-no-i-believe/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [If you've never seen an elephant ski, then you've never been on acid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/if-you-ve-never-seen-an-elephant-ski-then-you-ve-never-been-on-acid/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [I don't believe in God. I believe gods and devils are within us. It's our own battle. 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I know you won't!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/we-have-two-hundred-languages-in-europe-two-hundred-languages-count/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [I don't believe that competitions are important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/i-don-t-believe-that-competitions-are-important/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [“Have you got a flag?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-izzard/have-you-got-a-flag/) [Eddie Izzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-izzard/) > [Cause if you're a transvestite, you're actually a male tomboy, that's where the sexuality is. 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