--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm an old guy, and I was protesting…" description: "\"I'm an old guy, and I was protesting during the Vietnam War. We killed fifty Asians for every loyal American. Every artist worth a damn in this country..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/kurt-vonnegut-41_artist_i-m-an-old-guy-and-i-was-protesting-duri_2887683.jpg" --- # I'm an old guy, and I was protesting during the Vietnam… ![“I'm an old guy, and I was protesting during the Vietnam War. We killed fifty Asians for every loyal American. Every artist worth a damn in this country was terribly opposed to that war, finally, when it became evident what a fiasco and meaningless butchery it was.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/kurt-vonnegut-41_artist_i-m-an-old-guy-and-i-was-protesting-duri_2887683.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/kurt-vonnegut-41_artist_i-m-an-old-guy-and-i-was-protesting-duri_2887683.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/012/kurt-vonnegut-41_artist_i-m-an-old-guy-and-i-was-protesting-duri_2887683.jpg) > “I'm an old guy, and I was protesting during the Vietnam War. We killed fifty Asians for every loyal American. Every artist worth a damn in this country was terribly opposed to that war, finally, when it became evident what a fiasco and meaningless butchery it was.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Critiques Vietnam War, noting absurdity and loss of life, and the hypocrisy of artists. **In simple terms:** War absurd, costly. Key Takeaway Question war’s purpose and hypocrisy. Themes war hypocrisy art Mood critical somber Type philosophical political When to use this quote - activism - education - public discourse Key Concepts political critique historical analysis Questions to Reflect On - What drives anti‑war sentiment? - How can art influence war perception? A Different Perspective May generalize all artists. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Artist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/artist/) [Butchery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/butchery/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Fiasco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiasco/) [Old guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-guys/) [Protesting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protesting/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) [Vietnam war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam-war/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [I'm an old guy, and I was protesting during the Vietnam War. We killed fifty Asians for every loyal American. 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Fiasco in which a person causes total destruction of own work and reputation through stupidity,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/kar-a-bek-i-an-n-from-rabo-karabekian-u-s-20th-cent-painter-fiasco-in/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [When I was arrested opposing the war in Vietnam in 1965, as I said about 20 or 30% of people were opposed to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/when-i-was-arrested-opposing-the-war-in-vietnam-in-1965-as-i-said/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [I opposed the war in Iraq because I did not believe it was in our national security interest, and I still don't. What we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-springer/i-opposed-the-war-in-iraq-because-i-did-not-believe-it-was-in-our/) [Jerry Springer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-springer/) > [ By that time \[1966\], we did begin to get some protests \[against Vietnam War\]. But not from liberal intellectuals; they never opposed the war. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/by-that-time-1966-we-did-begin-to-get-some-protests-against-vietnam/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I've traveled with Jack Murtha to Iraq three times to learn more about the region, talk with our diplomats and military leaders, and meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-b-larson/i-ve-traveled-with-jack-murtha-to-iraq-three-times-to-learn-more/) [John B. Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-b-larson/) > [Every book that comes out, every article that comes out, talks about how - while it may have been a "mistake" or an "unwise…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/every-book-that-comes-out-every-article-that-comes-out-talks-about/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [I was so opposed to the war in Vietnam that I initially refused President Nixon's urgings for me to go there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-davis-jr/i-was-so-opposed-to-the-war-in-vietnam-that-i-initially-refused/) [Sammy Davis, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-davis-jr/) > [My explanation remains the same: It was an attempt to make the point that anyone who opposed the war can achieve their objective by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-moran/my-explanation-remains-the-same-it-was-an-attempt-to-make-the-point/) James P. Moran > [ Barak Obama initially opposed \[war in Libia\]. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-assange/barak-obama-initially-opposed-war-in-libia/) [Julian Assange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-assange/) > [“Influential Americans such as Charles Lindbergh opposed war with the Nazis under the slogan “America First.” It”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/influential-americans-such-as-charles-lindbergh-opposed-war-with-the/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [“So, if people don't want a war - are opposed to a war - how do you get away with it? You change public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sibel-hodge/so-if-people-don-t-want-a-war-are-opposed-to-a-war-how-do-you-get/) [Sibel Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sibel-hodge/) > [I'm not going to say I was opposed to the Vietnam War. I'm going to say I'm opposed to war. But I'm also opposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wooden/i-m-not-going-to-say-i-was-opposed-to-the-vietnam-war-i-m-going-to/) [John Wooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wooden/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. 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