Have you ever wondered why Republicans are so interested in encouraging people to volunteer in their communities? It's because volunteers work for no pay. Republicans have been trying to get people to work for no pay for a long time.

In this line Carlin uses a mock “Have you ever wondered…?” setup to frame a cynical explanation of civic volunteerism as an ideological tool. The joke hinges on redefining a widely praised activity—community volunteering—as a way to normalize unpaid labor and reduce pressure for publicly funded social services or fair wages. By singling out Republicans, he targets a broader critique he often made about conservative rhetoric: that appeals to personal responsibility and charity can function as cover for policies that shift costs from institutions onto individuals. The punchline compresses that critique into a single, biting economic observation.