My character is self-important, poorly informed, well-intentioned but an idiot. So we said, `Let's give him a promotion.'
Stephen ColbertRead
Citizens United said that transparency would be the disinfectant, but (c)(4)'s are warm, wet, moist incubators. There is no disinfectant.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Colbert critiques the idea that transparency in political funding can eliminate corruption, implying that certain entities thrive in obscurity.
In this quote, Stephen Colbert humorously argues against the notion that transparency in political donations will cleanse the system of corruption. He utilizes the imagery of 'warm, wet, moist incubators' to suggest that certain organizations, particularly 501(c)(4) groups, can thrive in a lack of oversight, thus challenging the belief that simply exposing funding sources is enough to ensure ethical practices in politics.
Themes
TransparencyPoliticsCorruptionFundingGovernment
In practice
Example use cases
During a political debate, one might quote Colbert to emphasize the importance of examining the influence of dark money in elections.
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