--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every empire has to get sucked down the…" description: "\"Every empire has to get sucked down the drain. As a British person, I know how it feels.\" — John Oliver" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a97/john-oliver-2975_british_every-empire-has-to-get-sucked-down-the_2606183.png" --- # Every empire has to get sucked down the drain. As a… ![“Every empire has to get sucked down the drain. As a British person, I know how it feels.” quote by John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a97/john-oliver-2975_british_every-empire-has-to-get-sucked-down-the_2606183.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a97/john-oliver-2975_british_every-empire-has-to-get-sucked-down-the_2606183.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a97/john-oliver-2975_british_every-empire-has-to-get-sucked-down-the_2606183.png) > “Every empire has to get sucked down the drain. As a British person, I know how it feels.” [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Empires inevitably decline; personal experience of decline offers insight. **In simple terms:** All great things fall. Key Takeaway Learn from decline. Themes history impermanence humor Mood witty critical Type satire political commentary When to use this quote - economics - politics - career cycles - cultural shifts Key Concepts political analysis social commentary Questions to Reflect On - What signs of decline do you notice? - How can you prepare for change? A Different Perspective May be overly cynical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-person-1668114/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Drain British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drain-british-1987900/) [Drains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drains/) [Empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empire/) [Empire Sucked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empire-sucked-1987901/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Feels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feels/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person/) [Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persons/) ## Related quotes > [With the fall of the empire, Art, Philosophy and decent drains all vanished from the West.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-ward-perkins/with-the-fall-of-the-empire-art-philosophy-and-decent-drains-all/) [Bryan Ward-Perkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-ward-perkins/) > [“(On Captain Britain) "Every British person thinks he's got the same accent as them. The air around him is warm like a summer meadow.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-cornell/on-captain-britain-every-british-person-thinks-he-s-got-the-same/) [Paul Cornell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-cornell/) > [You can tell I'm a very, very British person, but I've kept my roots quite strong. I still speak Farsi.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omid-djalili/you-can-tell-i-m-a-very-very-british-person-but-i-ve-kept-my-roots/) [Omid Djalili](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omid-djalili/) > [I want to be the first British person to lift a UFC World Title.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bisping/i-want-to-be-the-first-british-person-to-lift-a-ufc-world-title/) [Michael Bisping](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bisping/) > [“One thing that has remained constant, across four centuries, has been the desire for a British person to fill a silence with talk of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-haig/one-thing-that-has-remained-constant-across-four-centuries-has-been/) [Matt Haig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-haig/) > [The average British person would hear me doing my joke about Rebecca Adlington and realise there's no malice in it. It was an off-the-cuff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frankie-boyle/the-average-british-person-would-hear-me-doing-my-joke-about-rebecca/) [Frankie Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frankie-boyle/) > [As a British person, I am unable to give strategic advice to political campaigns in the U.S.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-nix/as-a-british-person-i-am-unable-to-give-strategic-advice-to-political/) [Alexander Nix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-nix/) > [The American empire should be destroyed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aleksandr-dugin/the-american-empire-should-be-destroyed/) [Aleksandr Dugin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aleksandr-dugin/) > [Every single empire in its official discourse has said that it is not like all the others, that its circumstances are special, that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-said/every-single-empire-in-its-official-discourse-has-said-that-it-is-not/) [Edward Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-said/) > [Emma Rothschild's magnificently researched and lucidly written book reveals the many connections and layers of empire without in any way undermining the less edifying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudrangshu-mukherjee/emma-rothschild-s-magnificently-researched-and-lucidly-written-book/) [Rudrangshu Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudrangshu-mukherjee/) > [The Romans have provided a lot of writers with a model for various interstellar empires, of course, and no wonder. The Roman Empire is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-leckie/the-romans-have-provided-a-lot-of-writers-with-a-model-for-various/) [Ann Leckie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-leckie/) > [Anybody who ever built an empire, or changed the world, sat where you are now. And it's \*because\* they sat there that they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-bingham/anybody-who-ever-built-an-empire-or-changed-the-world-sat-where-you/) [Ryan Bingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-bingham/) > [I don't want a trillion-dollar empire to run.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-malkovich/i-don-t-want-a-trillion-dollar-empire-to-run/) [John Malkovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-malkovich/) > [My mind to me an empire is,While grace affordeth health.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-dyer/my-mind-to-me-an-empire-is-while-grace-affordeth-health/) [Edward Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-dyer/) > [In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/in-the-eyes-of-empire-builders-men-are-not-men-but-instruments/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) ## More by John Oliver > [I've always been interested in socially political, or overtly political, comedy. And I guess I've always liked to channel some kind of personal element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-ve-always-been-interested-in-socially-political-or-overtly/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I knew I was going to go into the field and make fun of people to their faces. I knew what I was getting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-knew-i-was-going-to-go-into-the-field-and-make-fun-of-people-to/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Once you learn how to make people laugh, then you get to choose exactly how you want to make them laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/once-you-learn-how-to-make-people-laugh-then-you-get-to-choose/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [When you see people say crazy things on our show, they mean this stuff,and that's easy to forget: They're not joking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/when-you-see-people-say-crazy-things-on-our-show-they-mean-this-stuff/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I think Americans still can't help but respond to the natural authority of this voice. Deep down they long to be told what to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-think-americans-still-can-t-help-but-respond-to-the-natural/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I think I'm just a summer fling that people will soon forget.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-think-i-m-just-a-summer-fling-that-people-will-soon-forget/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I guess the tone of jokes is often, at best, irreverent, but it always comes from a place of deep love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-guess-the-tone-of-jokes-is-often-at-best-irreverent-but-it-always/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I'm always interested in audience interaction. Not so much aggressive audience interaction - I'm genuinely interested in how people see things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-m-always-interested-in-audience-interaction-not-so-much-aggressive/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I do one accent - my own. I can make it louder or quieter. That is the sum total of my vocal range. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-do-one-accent-my-own-i-can-make-it-louder-or-quieter-that-is-the/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [If you work on a comedy show, your basic form of communication is teasing. That's generally how we speak to each other: you communicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/if-you-work-on-a-comedy-show-your-basic-form-of-communication-is/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I know I'd be an absolutely horrendous politician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-know-i-d-be-an-absolutely-horrendous-politician/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Anybody who claims to be excited for April Fools' Day is probably a sociopath.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/anybody-who-claims-to-be-excited-for-april-fools-day-is-probably-a/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Pumpkin spice lattes are egg nog for morning people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/pumpkin-spice-lattes-are-egg-nog-for-morning-people/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [I've made so many people angry that they kind of blur into one unpleasant memory of people staring at you with somewhere between passive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/i-ve-made-so-many-people-angry-that-they-kind-of-blur-into-one/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) > [Armando Iannucci is one of my heroes. As I was growing up, he was probably the most influential comic voice that I had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-oliver/armando-iannucci-is-one-of-my-heroes-as-i-was-growing-up-he-was/) [John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) [Explore all 143 John Oliver quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-oliver/) ## More British quotes > [I'd love to work in the States; I'd love to work anywhere where you get a good script and a good part to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-carmichael/i-d-love-to-work-in-the-states-i-d-love-to-work-anywhere-where-you/) [Laura Carmichael](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-carmichael/) > [I shot for French and British Vogue. The British Vogue one featured clothes by Chloe and was shot at Highgate and the John Soane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nan-goldin/i-shot-for-french-and-british-vogue-the-british-vogue-one-featured/) [Nan Goldin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nan-goldin/) > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [ No wonder that Churchill described this effort \[the British codebreakers working at Bletchley Park\] as "Britian"s secret weapon," a weapon far more effective than… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hilton/no-wonder-that-churchill-described-this-effort-the-british/) [Peter Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hilton/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/) [Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/) > [Somebody said that part of my reaction to British cinema is actually, paradoxically, a patriotic one. I'm so disappointed that we're not better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-brownlow/somebody-said-that-part-of-my-reaction-to-british-cinema-is-actually/) [Kevin Brownlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-brownlow/) > [All the cliches of glamorous sophistication have little appeal to me. Do I want to live the British version of 'Dynasty?' No thanks!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sade-adu/all-the-cliches-of-glamorous-sophistication-have-little-appeal-to-me/) [Sade Adu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sade-adu/) > [British Forces should be in a position to give back in a ten fold measure any attack that the Germans may attempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-banting/british-forces-should-be-in-a-position-to-give-back-in-a-ten-fold/) [Frederick Banting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-banting/) > [Although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-i-don-t-have-anything-against-people-from-other-countries/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It could be my British need for discipline that makes me admire the American appetite for freedom and passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-winwood/it-could-be-my-british-need-for-discipline-that-makes-me-admire-the/) [Steve Winwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-winwood/) > [While we like to think queueing is unique to British culture, the truth is that we are mere amateurs. The old Soviet Union turned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/while-we-like-to-think-queueing-is-unique-to-british-culture-the/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [The American Constitution declares 'All men are born equal.' The British Socialist Party add: 'All men must be kept equal'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/the-american-constitution-declares-all-men-are-born-equal-the-british/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [The whole nuclear-arms-control and non-proliferation policy of the nuclear powers is a fraud: The Americans could not prevent the Soviets from replicating their weaponry,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conrad-black/the-whole-nuclear-arms-control-and-non-proliferation-policy-of-the/) [Conrad Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conrad-black/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) [Browse all 3,149 British quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Every empire has to get sucked down the drain. 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