--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think deep down, this planet yearns for…" description: "\"I think deep down, this planet yearns for the days of the British Empire again. They long once more to be treated that badly, that politely. We did far..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/john-oliver-2975_british_i-think-deep-down-this-planet-yearns-for_1715869.jpg" --- # I think deep down, this planet yearns for the days of the… ![“I think deep down, this planet yearns for the days of the British Empire again. They long once more to be treated that badly, that politely. We did far worse things than you can possibly dream of, but we did it with that certainly gentlemanly swagger... Dreadfully sorry, but we seem to have…” quote by John Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/john-oliver-2975_british_i-think-deep-down-this-planet-yearns-for_1715869.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/john-oliver-2975_british_i-think-deep-down-this-planet-yearns-for_1715869.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cac/john-oliver-2975_british_i-think-deep-down-this-planet-yearns-for_1715869.jpg) > “I think deep down, this planet yearns for the days of the British Empire again. They long once more to be treated that badly, that politely. We did far worse things than you can possibly dream of, but we did it with that certainly gentlemanly swagger... Dreadfully sorry, but we seem to have crushed your entire continent's infrastructure. Allow me to make it up to you by offering you a job 4,000 miles away. No, no, I insist.” [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. The speaker satirically critiques imperialist attitudes, exposing the absurdity of nostalgic colonialism. **In simple terms:** Mocking the desire to return to empire highlights its cruelty. Key Takeaway Recognize and reject romanticizing oppressive histories. Themes history colonialism satire Mood critical ironic Type satirical political When to use this quote - political discourse - education - media analysis - activism Key Concepts power dynamics historical trauma Questions to Reflect On - Why do some people idealize past empires? - How can satire be used responsibly to address injustice? A Different Perspective Humor can obscure the seriousness of the critique. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british/) [British empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-empire/) [Continent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/continent/) [Deep down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deep-down/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Gentlemanly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gentlemanly/) [Historical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/historical/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Humour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humour/) [Infrastructure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/infrastructure/) [Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jobs/) [Swagger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swagger/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [“In addition, it seemed unlikely that one nation could govern an entire continent. The distances were just too great. A critical fact in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-e-ambrose/in-addition-it-seemed-unlikely-that-one-nation-could-govern-an-entire/) [Stephen E. Ambrose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-e-ambrose/) > [Our vision is to, one day, connect all of Europe with our Hyperloop One system, networking the entire continent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/our-vision-is-to-one-day-connect-all-of-europe-with-our-hyperloop-one/) [Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/) > [There can be no doubt that if we had been victorious on the Vistula, the revolutionary fires would have reached the entire continent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikhail-tukhachevsky/there-can-be-no-doubt-that-if-we-had-been-victorious-on-the-vistula/) Mikhail Tukhachevsky > [“Childhood: it was like trying to chart an entire continent by the brief flare of a firework. Except that you had no idea that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-docx/childhood-it-was-like-trying-to-chart-an-entire-continent-by-the/) Edward Docx > [Why on Earth would the United States ever want to be more like Europe? Correct me if I'm wrong, but we left, did we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-crowder/why-on-earth-would-the-united-states-ever-want-to-be-more-like-europe/) [Steven Crowder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-crowder/) > [“Despite the fact that the entire continent was unable to itself produce even a single consumer Internet company of global scope, Europe did reserve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-garcia-martinez/despite-the-fact-that-the-entire-continent-was-unable-to-itself/) [Antonio Garcia Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-garcia-martinez/) > [All the nice girls in my life I have treated badly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-khan/all-the-nice-girls-in-my-life-i-have-treated-badly/) [Sajid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-khan/) > [“everyone is affected when one person is demotivated, treated badly, not given due respect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-dalio/everyone-is-affected-when-one-person-is-demotivated-treated-badly-not/) [Ray Dalio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-dalio/) > [When you have a limited resource and you have a lot of people wanting that resource, then those who get more justify as to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/when-you-have-a-limited-resource-and-you-have-a-lot-of-people-wanting/) [Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/) > [Part of the reason I wrote the book was I wanted to understand for myself why such good people let themselves get treated so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/part-of-the-reason-i-wrote-the-book-was-i-wanted-to-understand-for/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [Being rude to someone who treated you badly is wrong. Just smile and spend the next few days planning their accidental death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/being-rude-to-someone-who-treated-you-badly-is-wrong-just-smile-and/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“The reason you’re being treated so badly is because you don’t belong in Mimbeye. As long as you’re there, you’ll experience pain. If you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-grace-davis/the-reason-you-re-being-treated-so-badly-is-because-you-don-t-belong/) [Liz Grace Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-grace-davis/) > [You know, sometimes you fall in love and you get treated badly, sometimes you get treated well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/estelle/you-know-sometimes-you-fall-in-love-and-you-get-treated-badly/) [Estelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/estelle/) > [“We always want someone we've treated badly to be gay. It's less upsetting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francoise-sagan/we-always-want-someone-we-ve-treated-badly-to-be-gay-it-s-less/) [Françoise Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francoise-sagan/) > [“your heart on a shelf You've spent so much time being treated so badly That you can't see yourself without feeling sadly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-maxon/your-heart-on-a-shelf-you-ve-spent-so-much-time-being-treated-so/) [Ken Maxon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-maxon/) ## 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": "I think deep down, this planet yearns for the days of the British Empire again. 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