--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The last thing I ever wanted was to be…" description: "\"“The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the whole planet would be named Bush, Dick and Colon.”\" — Kurt Von..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/kurt-vonnegut-41_bush_the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-a_400189.jpg" --- # The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the… ![“The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the whole planet would be named Bush, Dick and Colon.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/kurt-vonnegut-41_bush_the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-a_400189.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/kurt-vonnegut-41_bush_the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-a_400189.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/kurt-vonnegut-41_bush_the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-a_400189.jpg) > ““The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the whole planet would be named Bush, Dick and Colon.”” [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. The speaker laments living under the rule of three powerful leaders named Bush, Dick, and Colon. **In simple terms:** He dislikes being alive during their rule. Key Takeaway Critically assess political leadership. Themes politics leadership discontent Mood cynical reflective Type satirical political When to use this quote - voting decisions - public discourse - activism Key Concepts power dynamics historical irony Questions to Reflect On - What impact do leaders have on personal outlook? - How does satire shape political critique? A Different Perspective The quote misidentifies “Colon” and may be satirical. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Powerful people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/powerful-people/) ## Related quotes > [“Thanks a lot, you dirty rats. The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thanks-a-lot-you-dirty-rats-the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the whole planet would be named Bush,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-alive-when-the-three-most-2/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I think I'd make a better president than George Bush. I'll tell you what, George Bush and Dick Cheney have been to jail more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-mustaine/i-think-i-d-make-a-better-president-than-george-bush-i-ll-tell-you/) [Dave Mustaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-mustaine/) > [“Here's the news: I am going to sue the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company, manufacturers of Pall Mall cigarettes, for a billion bucks! Starting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/here-s-the-news-i-am-going-to-sue-the-brown-williamson-tobacco/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [George W. Bush has gathered around him upper-crust C-students who know no history or geography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/george-w-bush-has-gathered-around-him-upper-crust-c-students-who-know/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“As children, because of our dependency, we experience a sense of being powerless in a world of powerful people. If our home environments are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-forward/as-children-because-of-our-dependency-we-experience-a-sense-of-being/) [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) > [“Do not expect me to fly at the capacity of your height”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/do-not-expect-me-to-fly-at-the-capacity-of-your-height/) [Dr.P.S. Jagadeesh Kumar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-p-s-jagadeesh-kumar/) > [People who build hope into their own lives and who share hope with others become powerful people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zig-ziglar/people-who-build-hope-into-their-own-lives-and-who-share-hope-with/) [Zig Ziglar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zig-ziglar/) > [Politicians live in mortal terror of ever saying they are sorry about anything, because that would suggest they have been wrong. It is often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katty-kay/politicians-live-in-mortal-terror-of-ever-saying-they-are-sorry-about/) [Katty Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katty-kay/) > [In order to be able to make and keep commitments... to enduring, intimate relationships... you need to be a certain kind of person. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-silk/in-order-to-be-able-to-make-and-keep-commitments-to-enduring-intimate/) [Danny Silk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-silk/) > [As a former prosecutor, I understand the importance of holding powerful people accountable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamala-harris/as-a-former-prosecutor-i-understand-the-importance-of-holding/) [Kamala Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamala-harris/) > [“Can you imagine charging one of the most powerful people in the country with treason and those around him with fraud and corruption?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-pauw/can-you-imagine-charging-one-of-the-most-powerful-people-in-the/) [Jacques Pauw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-pauw/) > [If you give up on politics, you're giving up on democracy. And if you give up on democracy, you're basically saying to the moneyed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reich/if-you-give-up-on-politics-you-re-giving-up-on-democracy-and-if-you/) [Robert Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reich/) > [Even the most powerful people at a given point in terms of class, will all play by the same rules.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorne-michaels/even-the-most-powerful-people-at-a-given-point-in-terms-of-class-will/) [Lorne Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorne-michaels/) > [“Powerful people sometimes do things to help people like me without really understanding people like me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance/powerful-people-sometimes-do-things-to-help-people-like-me-without/) [J.D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance/) ## 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. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Bush quotes > [President Bush is a friend of mine. He's not a moron at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-chretien/president-bush-is-a-friend-of-mine-he-s-not-a-moron-at-all/) [Jean Chretien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-chretien/) > [The administration of George W. Bush, emboldened by the Sept. 11 attacks and the backing of a Republican Congress, has sought to further extend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/the-administration-of-george-w-bush-emboldened-by-the-sept-11-attacks/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) > [Obama's policies have been approximately the same as Bush's, though there have been some slight differences, but that's not a great surprise. The Democrats…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/obama-s-policies-have-been-approximately-the-same-as-bush-s-though/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [This country was the moral leader of the world until George Bush became president.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/this-country-was-the-moral-leader-of-the-world-until-george-bush/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [We're half an hour from Toronto, which offers everything you could want from a city, and a couple of hours from beautiful vacation country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linwood-barclay/we-re-half-an-hour-from-toronto-which-offers-everything-you-could/) [Linwood Barclay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linwood-barclay/) > [On election night 2000, I had never met then-Governor Bush, though I'd supported him for years. I believed he would be a strong, optimistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-perino/on-election-night-2000-i-had-never-met-then-governor-bush-though-i-d/) [Dana Perino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-perino/) > [The president of the United States of North America, George W. Bush, the little gentleman of the North, the political cadaver that is visiting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugo-chavez/the-president-of-the-united-states-of-north-america-george-w-bush-the/) [Hugo Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugo-chavez/) > [Obama and the Democrats were so critical of what Bush did, the interrogations, the secret prisons, Guantanamo and all of that, and even the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-krauthammer/obama-and-the-democrats-were-so-critical-of-what-bush-did-the/) [Charles Krauthammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-krauthammer/) > [I remember when President Bush, George W. Bush, came into office, he focused on No Child Left Behind, and with - and before very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-alexander/i-remember-when-president-bush-george-w-bush-came-into-office-he/) [Lamar Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-alexander/) > [ If George Bush \[Jr.\] decided he was going to turn the troops loose on Syria and Iran after that he would last in office… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-eagleburger/if-george-bush-jr-decided-he-was-going-to-turn-the-troops-loose-on/) [Lawrence Eagleburger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-eagleburger/) > [I mean, look, no matter how you feel about Bush, watching him speak is difficult. It's like- it's like watching a drunk man cross…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-carlson/i-mean-look-no-matter-how-you-feel-about-bush-watching-him-speak-is/) [Tucker Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-carlson/) > [I'm not tempted to write a song about George W. Bush. I couldn't figure out what sort of song I would write. That's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lehrer/i-m-not-tempted-to-write-a-song-about-george-w-bush-i-couldn-t-figure/) [Tom Lehrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lehrer/) > [It would be a tragic mistake for us out here to imagine that Bush represents the hearts and the minds of the majority of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/breyten-breytenbach/it-would-be-a-tragic-mistake-for-us-out-here-to-imagine-that-bush/) [Breyten Breytenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/breyten-breytenbach/) > [In the bush, trust no one you don't know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-haley/in-the-bush-trust-no-one-you-don-t-know/) [Alex Haley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-haley/) > [Leadership is about making decisions with the information you have, not the information people will have 12 years later, i kind of feel sorry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-huckabee/leadership-is-about-making-decisions-with-the-information-you-have/) [Mike Huckabee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-huckabee/) Browse all 764 Bush quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the whole planet would be named Bush, Dick and Colon.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Kurt Vonnegut" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-alive-when-the-three-most/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bush" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-alive-when-the-three-most/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/kurt-vonnegut-41_bush_the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-a_400189.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/kurt-vonnegut-41_bush_the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-a_400189.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c6b/kurt-vonnegut-41_bush_the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-a_400189.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The last thing I ever wanted was to be alive when the three most powerful people on the whole planet would…” — Kurt Vonnegut", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Kurt Vonnegut", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The last thing I ever wanted...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-alive-when-the-three-most/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-last-thing-i-ever-wanted-was-to-be-alive-when-the-three-most/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```