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God save the Queen and a fascist regime … a flabby toothless fascism, to be sure. Never go too far in any direction, is the basic law on which Limey-Land is built. The Queen stabilizes the whole sinking shithouse and keeps a small elite of wealth and privilege on top. The English have gone soft in the outhouse. England is like some stricken beast too stupid to know it is dead. Ingloriously foundering in its own waste products, the backlash and bad karma of empire
William S. Burroughs
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote critiques the state of England and its monarchy, portraying it as a symbol of decadence and moral decline.

William S. Burroughs uses vivid imagery to describe a decaying England, suggesting that the monarchy, represented by the Queen, serves to uphold a failing system of privilege and decay. He implies that the society and its citizens have become complacent and ignorant of their own decline, likening the country to a beast in decline, unable to recognize its own demise. This reflects a deeper critique of the socio-political structure and the consequences of historical imperialism.

Themes

EnglandMonarchyDecaySocietyImperialism

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a discussion about the impact of imperialism on modern societies.

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when I become death. Death is the seed from which I grow.
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