--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a Communist. I'm an American. I'm…" description: "\"I'm not a Communist. I'm an American. I'm a capitalist. I mean, I'm not a very good capitalist, myself. I'm not very good at it, but it's not that I'm ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/fran-lebowitz-690_believe_i-m-not-a-communist-i-m-an-american-i-m_1094527.jpg" --- # I'm not a Communist. I'm an American. I'm a capitalist. I… ![“I'm not a Communist. I'm an American. I'm a capitalist. I mean, I'm not a very good capitalist, myself. I'm not very good at it, but it's not that I'm not for capitalism. But people who believe in things like corporate citizenship, it's idiotic. I mean, it shows you're an idiot.” quote by Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/fran-lebowitz-690_believe_i-m-not-a-communist-i-m-an-american-i-m_1094527.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/fran-lebowitz-690_believe_i-m-not-a-communist-i-m-an-american-i-m_1094527.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb1/fran-lebowitz-690_believe_i-m-not-a-communist-i-m-an-american-i-m_1094527.jpg) > “I'm not a Communist. I'm an American. I'm a capitalist. I mean, I'm not a very good capitalist, myself. I'm not very good at it, but it's not that I'm not for capitalism. But people who believe in things like corporate citizenship, it's idiotic. I mean, it shows you're an idiot.” [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A satirical confession of flawed capitalism, criticizing corporate idealism as foolish. **In simple terms:** Admits personal capitalism flaws while mocking corporate virtue. Key Takeaway Question corporate moralizing. Themes capitalism ideology self‑critique satire politics Mood skeptical wry critical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - business meetings - political debates - personal reflections Key Concepts moral philosophy economic theory social critique Questions to Reflect On - Do you think capitalism can be reformed? - How do personal failings shape political views? A Different Perspective Satire may oversimplify complex economic realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Capitalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capitalism/) [Citizenship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/citizenship/) [Communist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communist/) [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Idiot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idiot/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [He has said you can be a capitalist, and be a good person, or be a communist, and be good. What you can't be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-gonzalez/he-has-said-you-can-be-a-capitalist-and-be-a-good-person-or-be-a/) Roberto Gonzalez > [It seems to me the only pertinent question is: cui bono? It is clear that the size of the privileged strata as a percentage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/it-seems-to-me-the-only-pertinent-question-is-cui-bono-it-is-clear/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [In a system of capitalism, as people's wealth rises, the financial incentive to serve them rises. As their wealth falls, the financial incentive to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/in-a-system-of-capitalism-as-people-s-wealth-rises-the-financial/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [Communism was a great system for making people equally poor - in fact, there was no better system in the world for that than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/communism-was-a-great-system-for-making-people-equally-poor-in-fact/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [What the media is playing is what people want is really a false idea. Capitalism and people who control the market have a large…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/what-the-media-is-playing-is-what-people-want-is-really-a-false-idea/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [Any form of government, not just Capitalism, is whatever people who have all our money, drunk or sober, sane or insane, decide to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/any-form-of-government-not-just-capitalism-is-whatever-people-who/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There are people who don't like capitalism, and people who don't like PCs. But there's no-one who likes the PC who doesn't like Microsoft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/there-are-people-who-don-t-like-capitalism-and-people-who-don-t-like/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [“Just like the myth of the people’s or popular capitalism, which was propagated since the mid1950s in the countries to the west of Berlin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todor-bombov/just-like-the-myth-of-the-people-s-or-popular-capitalism-which-was/) [Todor Bombov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todor-bombov/) > [Capitalism and people who control the market have a large hand in everything. It doesn't have anything to do with figuring out what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boots-riley/capitalism-and-people-who-control-the-market-have-a-large-hand-in/) [Boots Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boots-riley/) > [Capitalism is what people do if you leave them alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-minogue/capitalism-is-what-people-do-if-you-leave-them-alone/) [Kenneth Minogue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-minogue/) > [Look at those numbers running. Money makes time. It used to be the other way around. Clock time accelerated the rise of capitalism. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/look-at-those-numbers-running-money-makes-time-it-used-to-be-the/) [Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/) > [People look at the same passage, and one person will say this is the best thing he's ever read, and another person will say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-auster/people-look-at-the-same-passage-and-one-person-will-say-this-is-the/) [Paul Auster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-auster/) > [People will say you cannot get a job in a down economy. 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Then you can really devote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/why-not-have-your-first-baby-at-sixty-when-your-husband-is-already/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I've never had the experience of being edited and never will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-ve-never-had-the-experience-of-being-edited-and-never-will/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I think humor is warmer, and wit is colder. Wit is judgment, whereas humor invites some sort of response.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-think-humor-is-warmer-and-wit-is-colder-wit-is-judgment-whereas/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Communists all seem to wear small caps, a look I consider better suited to tubes of toothpaste than to people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/communists-all-seem-to-wear-small-caps-a-look-i-consider-better/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [“lack, or loutish and crass kollective is a program dedicated to the proposition that vulgarity and bad taste are an inalienable right. the lackies,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/lack-or-loutish-and-crass-kollective-is-a-program-dedicated-to-the/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [I figure you have the same chance of winning the lottery whether you play or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-figure-you-have-the-same-chance-of-winning-the-lottery-whether-you/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [ \[Friendships\] are easy to get out of compared to love affairs, but they are not easy to get out of compared to, say, jail. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/friendships-are-easy-to-get-out-of-compared-to-love-affairs-but-they/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Smoking is, as far as I'm concerned, the entire point of being an adult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/smoking-is-as-far-as-i-m-concerned-the-entire-point-of-being-an-adult/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [If you want to get ahead in this world get a lawyer -- not a book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/if-you-want-to-get-ahead-in-this-world-get-a-lawyer-not-a-book/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [When it comes to sports I am not particularly interested. Generally speaking, I look upon them as dangerous and tiring activities performed by people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/when-it-comes-to-sports-i-am-not-particularly-interested-generally/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [The first time I ever saw platform shoes in the '70s, I knew they'd been revived from the '40s, and I felt sickened. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/the-first-time-i-ever-saw-platform-shoes-in-the-70s-i-knew-they-d/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Children ask better questions than adults. "May I have a cookie?" "Why is the sky blue?" and "What does a cow say?" are far…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/children-ask-better-questions-than-adults-may-i-have-a-cookie-why-is/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [ I do not think everyone is created equal. In fact, I know they're not. \[The Constitution\] means that everyone should have the same laws… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/i-do-not-think-everyone-is-created-equal-in-fact-i-know-they-re-not/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [When I fly, I'm never afraid the plane is going to crash. But there have often been times when I was afraid it wouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fran-lebowitz/when-i-fly-i-m-never-afraid-the-plane-is-going-to-crash-but-there/) [Fran Lebowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fran-lebowitz/) > [Smoking is, if not my life, then at least my hobby. I love to smoke. Smoking is fun. Smoking is cool. 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Garfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-garfield/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) Browse all 47,704 Believe quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not a Communist. I'm an American. I'm a capitalist. I mean, I'm not a very good capitalist, myself. I'm not very good at it, but it's not that I'm not for capitalism. But people who believe in things like corporate citizenship, it's idiotic. 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