George Carlin (1937-2008) was an iconic standup comedian who championed progressive views. The Heartland Institute is a rightwing think tank that espouse climate change denial and other extremist views, which is funded by the likes of the Waltons, Scaifes, and oil and tobacco companies. A Carlin quote, as revised by Heartland, is going viral in the conservative blogosphere. Here’s the Heartland version:
And here’s what Carlin actually said:
(Click on images to enlarge.) If memory serves, you’ll recall that several prominent musicians have ordered Republican candidates to cease and desist using their music without permission in their campaigns to advance causes the musicians don’t support. This ripoff of George Carlin’s famous saying is yet another example of how rightwing propagandists steal other people’s work and alter it to make it appear a celebrity said something s/he would never say.