--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's the way our founding fathers would…" description: "\"It's the way our founding fathers would have wanted it, if they had founded corporations instead of just a country.\" — Stephen Colbert" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/stephen-colbert-503_corporations_it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would_702212.png" --- # It's the way our founding fathers would have wanted it, if… ![“It's the way our founding fathers would have wanted it, if they had founded corporations instead of just a country.” quote by Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/stephen-colbert-503_corporations_it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would_702212.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/stephen-colbert-503_corporations_it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would_702212.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/stephen-colbert-503_corporations_it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would_702212.png) > “It's the way our founding fathers would have wanted it, if they had founded corporations instead of just a country.” [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If the founders had created corporations, they'd likely support modern business structures. **In simple terms:** Founders would back corporations. Key Takeaway Consider how historical values apply today. Themes history business values Mood thoughtful critical Type political commentary When to use this quote - policy debates - entrepreneurship - public discourse Key Concepts founding principles corporate governance Questions to Reflect On - How would founding fathers view today's corporations? - What values should guide modern business? A Different Perspective Historical context may differ from modern realities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Corporations Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations-instead-1306419/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Founded Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founded-corporations-5557042/) [Founding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding/) [Founding fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/founding-fathers/) [Our founding fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-founding-fathers/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [If our Founding Fathers wanted us to care about the rest of the world, they wouldn't have declared their independence from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/if-our-founding-fathers-wanted-us-to-care-about-the-rest-of-the-world/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Hey, our Founding Fathers wore long hair and powdered wigs - I don't see anybody trying to look like them today, either... But we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leigh-steinberg/hey-our-founding-fathers-wore-long-hair-and-powdered-wigs-i-don-t-see/) [Leigh Steinberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leigh-steinberg/) > [... the moral equal of our Founding Fathers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/the-moral-equal-of-our-founding-fathers/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [There is nothing more important in my life than my relationship with God and my faith. I have been so driven to my knees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-palin/there-is-nothing-more-important-in-my-life-than-my-relationship-with/) [Sarah Palin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-palin/) > [The threat to change Senate rules is a raw abuse of power and will destroy the very checks and balances our founding fathers put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-reid/the-threat-to-change-senate-rules-is-a-raw-abuse-of-power-and-will/) [Harry Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-reid/) > [I’m not going askew from the principles on which the United States was built; I’m right there with our founding fathers. I’m a patriot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/i-m-not-going-askew-from-the-principles-on-which-the-united-states/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom. Our founding fathers clearly understood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-problem-is-that-democracy-is-not-freedom-democracy-is-simply/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Every child in America who enters school at the age of five is mentally ill, because he comes to school with an allegiance toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chester-middlebrook-pierce/every-child-in-america-who-enters-school-at-the-age-of-five-is/) [Chester Middlebrook Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chester-middlebrook-pierce/) > [I rise in support of the separation of powers as established by our Founding Fathers in the Constitution. The Constitution clearly delegates the power…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-rohrabacher/i-rise-in-support-of-the-separation-of-powers-as-established-by-our/) [Dana Rohrabacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-rohrabacher/) > [I'm a Progressive. Much in the same way our founding fathers - who, oddly enough, wouldn't get elected today - were Progressives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-ferrell/i-m-a-progressive-much-in-the-same-way-our-founding-fathers-who-oddly/) [Will Ferrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-ferrell/) > [Our Founding Fathers never meant for Washington, D.C. to be the fount of all wisdom. As a matter of fact they were very much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-perry/our-founding-fathers-never-meant-for-washington-d-c-to-be-the-fount/) [Rick Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-perry/) > [When our Founding Fathers passed the First Amendment, they sought to protect churches from government interference. They never intended to construct a wall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/when-our-founding-fathers-passed-the-first-amendment-they-sought-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [If we are to continue to have the freedoms that came of the inspiration of the Almighty to our Founding Fathers, we must return…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/if-we-are-to-continue-to-have-the-freedoms-that-came-of-the/) [Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/) > [All around the country, individuals are choosing to redefine their lives and the pursuit of happiness in ways much closer to the original notion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/all-around-the-country-individuals-are-choosing-to-redefine-their/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [Our country was founded on a distrust of government. Our founding fathers gave power to the people to keep an eye on government. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-duchovny/our-country-was-founded-on-a-distrust-of-government-our-founding/) [David Duchovny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-duchovny/) ## More by Stephen Colbert > [Don't be bitter. Everybody suffers. If you can accept your suffering then you will understand other people better. Be grateful for pain. Love life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/don-t-be-bitter-everybody-suffers-if-you-can-accept-your-suffering/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/cynicism-masquerades-as-wisdom-but-it-is-the-farthest-thing-from-it/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [We all deserve credit for this new surveillance state that we live in because we the people voted for the Patriot Act. Democrats and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/we-all-deserve-credit-for-this-new-surveillance-state-that-we-live-in/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I've long been against illegal aliens, partly because they distract us from an even bigger threat: real aliens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-ve-long-been-against-illegal-aliens-partly-because-they-distract-us/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Believe in me, cause I don't believe in anything, and I wanna be someone to believe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/believe-in-me-cause-i-don-t-believe-in-anything-and-i-wanna-be/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [It's August, which means Congress is on recess and Mitch McConnell has shimmied back into the ocean to seek a mate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-august-which-means-congress-is-on-recess-and-mitch-mcconnell-has/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Try to love others and serve others and hopefully find those who love and serve you in return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/try-to-love-others-and-serve-others-and-hopefully-find-those-who-love/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Thirty seconds is the exact amount of time Americans can tolerate something they don't understand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/thirty-seconds-is-the-exact-amount-of-time-americans-can-tolerate/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I used to make up stuff in my bio all the time, that I used to be a professional ice-skater and stuff like that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-used-to-make-up-stuff-in-my-bio-all-the-time-that-i-used-to-be-a/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [I live by syllogisms: God is love. Love is blind. Stevie Wonder is blind. Therefore, Stevie Wonder is God. I don't know what I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/i-live-by-syllogisms-god-is-love-love-is-blind-stevie-wonder-is-blind/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“Unlike Paul Newman, who seems to think that salad dressing is the cure-all for America's ills, I'm a man of action.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/unlike-paul-newman-who-seems-to-think-that-salad-dressing-is-the-cure/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Now, for my younger viewers out there, a book is something we used to have before the internet. It’s sort of a blog for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/now-for-my-younger-viewers-out-there-a-book-is-something-we-used-to/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/jesus-forgives-sinners-not-criminals/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [Used books are the sluts of the literary world. Passed around from person to person, spreading their pages for anyone, getting cheaper and cheaper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/used-books-are-the-sluts-of-the-literary-world-passed-around-from/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) > [“Divorce is a marital welfare. It's just couples asking society to bail them out because they didn't do enough research before they got married.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/divorce-is-a-marital-welfare-it-s-just-couples-asking-society-to-bail/) [Stephen Colbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) [Explore all 514 Stephen Colbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/) ## More Corporations quotes > [It makes no sense to talk of the social obligations of the corporation without reference to its economic obligations. The two are intertwined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-r-raymond/it-makes-no-sense-to-talk-of-the-social-obligations-of-the/) [Lee R. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-r-raymond/) > [I've long believed one of the mainsprings of our own liberty has been the widespread ownership of property among our people and the expectation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-ve-long-believed-one-of-the-mainsprings-of-our-own-liberty-has-been/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [Corporations have nothing to do with values, and they know it, and sometimes say it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-kierans/corporations-have-nothing-to-do-with-values-and-they-know-it-and/) [Eric Kierans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kierans/) > [Corporations invest in sophisticated CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, programs to effectively oversee their relationship with their customers at every point during the buying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-ostrofsky/corporations-invest-in-sophisticated-crm-or-customer-relationship/) [Marc Ostrofsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-ostrofsky/) > [“Whatever happened in those more than one hundred years, from the time my great-great-great grandfather studied law to the time when my own father…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/whatever-happened-in-those-more-than-one-hundred-years-from-the-time/) [Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/) > [I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-that-i-ve-spent-trying-to/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [There are questions as to whether it should even exist. Who should corporations be responsive to, the management of a corporation? Theoretically they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/there-are-questions-as-to-whether-it-should-even-exist-who-should/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [“Subsequently there ensues an epoch of complex, proliferating intrigues and conspiracies among the ranks of double agents, whose agendas become so densely intertwined that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ligotti/subsequently-there-ensues-an-epoch-of-complex-proliferating-intrigues/) [Thomas Ligotti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ligotti/) > [I'm not only a fan of Apple products, I have stock in the company. I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [At Epcot Center the Disney corporation has focused its attention on two things greatly in need of Disneyfication: the tedious future and the annoying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/at-epcot-center-the-disney-corporation-has-focused-its-attention-on/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [There can be no effective control of corporations while their political activity remains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/there-can-be-no-effective-control-of-corporations-while-their/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Since FDR's New Deal, corporations and wealthy families have been non-stop finding new ways to get tax breaks, deregulation and entitlements from the government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-mckay/since-fdr-s-new-deal-corporations-and-wealthy-families-have-been-non/) [Adam McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-mckay/) > [There's a whole journalistic-industrial complex dedicated to keeping newsprint, TV screens and radio waves clean of destabilizing scoops damaging to corporations or the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-s-a-whole-journalistic-industrial-complex-dedicated-to-keeping/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [They're counting on your patriotism to distract you from their plunder. They're counting on you to be standing at attention with your hand over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/they-re-counting-on-your-patriotism-to-distract-you-from-their/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) [Browse all 1,673 Corporations quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's the way our founding fathers would have wanted it, if they had founded corporations instead of just a country.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Stephen Colbert" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would-have-wanted-it-if-they-had/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Corporations" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would-have-wanted-it-if-they-had/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/stephen-colbert-503_corporations_it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would_702212.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/stephen-colbert-503_corporations_it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would_702212.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/691/stephen-colbert-503_corporations_it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would_702212.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It's the way our founding fathers would have wanted it, if they had founded corporations instead of just a…” — Stephen Colbert", "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": "Stephen Colbert", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-colbert/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It's the way our founding fathers...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would-have-wanted-it-if-they-had/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-colbert/it-s-the-way-our-founding-fathers-would-have-wanted-it-if-they-had/#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 } } ] } ```