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American business Quote by George Carlin

“Now, there's one thing you might have noticed I don't complain about: politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. They…” quote by George Carlin
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““Now, there's one thing you might have noticed I don't complain about: politicians. Everybody complains about politicians. Everybody says they suck. Well, where do people think these politicians come from? They don't fall out of the sky. They don't pass through a membrane from another reality. They come from American parents and American families, American homes, American schools, American churches, American businesses and American universities, and they are elected by American citizens. This is the best we can do folks. This is what we have to offer. It's what our system produces: Garbage in, garbage out. If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, you're going to get selfish, ignorant leaders. Term limits ain't going to do any good; you're just going to end up with a brand new bunch of selfish, ignorant Americans. So, maybe, maybe, maybe, it's not the politicians who suck. Maybe something else sucks around here... like, the public. Yeah, the public sucks. There's a nice campaign slogan for somebody: 'The Public Sucks. F*ck Hope.””

George Carlin

About This Quote

Source Stand-up Comedy: “The Public Sucks” routine, 2005

He satirically blames the public for electing poor leaders, suggesting that citizens' flaws produce flawed politicians.

In simple terms: Bad citizens create bad leaders.

Key Takeaway

Improve civic engagement and education.

Themes

politics society responsibility

Mood

sarcastic provocative

Type

humor political commentary

When to use this quote

  • voting
  • community meetings
  • public debates
  • school civics classes

Key Concepts

civic duty education media influence

Questions to Reflect On

  • What can individuals do to raise standards?
  • How does media shape public perception?
A Different Perspective

Changing leaders alone won’t fix systemic issues.

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