Just as there's garbage that pollutes the Potomac river, there is garbage polluting our culture. We need an Environmental Protection Agency to clean it up.

In this quote, Pat Buchanan draws a parallel between environmental pollution and the pollution of culture. He suggests that, just as garbage can harm natural environments like the Potomac River, there are harmful influences in society that are contaminating cultural values and norms. Buchanan is making the point that cultural pollution, such as negative or damaging media and ideologies, can have a similarly detrimental effect on society as environmental pollutants do on nature.

Buchanan goes further by suggesting the need for an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) not just to preserve the environment, but to act as a guardian for cultural health. This implies that just as the EPA works to clean up and protect the environment from harmful substances, a similar effort is required to safeguard society from cultural forces he believes are harmful. His use of the EPA as a metaphor underscores the seriousness with which he views cultural degradation.

The comparison also highlights Buchanan’s belief in the role of government or institutions in regulating and protecting society from what he perceives as damaging elements. He advocates for a structured response to cultural influences that might lead to moral or societal decline, much like the regulatory actions taken to prevent environmental damage. This view reflects his conservative stance on protecting societal values.

Ultimately, Pat Buchanan's quote critiques what he sees as the deterioration of culture and emphasizes the need for a more active and organized approach to restoring cultural integrity. By invoking the EPA, he suggests that a formal effort, possibly through regulation or societal intervention, is necessary to protect the cultural landscape from harmful influences, just as environmental protection aims to safeguard natural resources.