As in his earlier film MASH, Altman skewers an American historical myth of heroism, in this case the notion that noble white men fighting bloodthirsty savages won the West.

"I cannot fight wild savages on a lame horse, and this horse has been limping all morning due to improper shoes."

This is most peculiar; to propose to fight savages with ten ships and to ask for more before a blow is struck.

We came here intending to fight savages whose only missiles came from bows.

Aye, fighting other savages who wear no body armour.

We're fighting ignorant savages, Comrade Major.

The desire for fossil fuel will lead to more extreme measures to obtain it, from driving on the Dalton Highway in Alaska to drilling underwater in extreme depths, to fighting savages in a far away country.

We had killed two hundred great elephant since leaving the Zambezi river, and we had fought bad men and savages.

When you have civilized men fighting savages, you support the civilized men, no matter who they are.

It had been easier before the grandson died and before he went away to fight savages in the Philippines.