# I pit the people of the United States of America. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 2, 2017, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285 "2017-12-02T00:40:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/101 "2017-12-08T16:03:53Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Christ Amighty, someone’s got a LOT of time on his hands this evening. Which explains your post. Thanks for your participation. How get back to work. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/102 "2017-12-08T16:20:16Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I assume that more information is better than less. YMMV. Let us know if you provide any. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/103 "2017-12-08T16:23:14Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Let us know if you provide any. How would you know? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/104 "2017-12-08T16:29:37Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > How would you know? Ah doorhinge. A wise old fart once told me to know the audience and pick your enemies carefully, if need be. Instead of responding to that, why not just think about it for a day first. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/105 "2017-12-08T17:36:52Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Ah doorhinge. A wise old fart once told me to know the audience and pick your enemies carefully, if need be. > > Instead of responding to that, why not just think about it for a day first. Enemies? What enemies? Does your inability to follow forum guidelines by highlighting a members nom de plume in **bold** make you my enemy? I certainly hope not. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/106 "2017-12-08T17:52:37Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > … Does your inability to follow forum guidelines by highlighting a members nom de plume in **bold** make you my enemy? I certainly hope not. Okay, I am so sorry I didn’t nom your plume in bold, or gold, or whatever. I was just trying to help. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/107 "2017-12-08T18:08:42Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Okay, I am so sorry I didn’t nom your plume in bold, or gold, or whatever. > > I was just trying to help. Trying to help who (whom?)? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/108 "2017-12-08T18:25:18Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Trying to help who (whom?)? Who is on 1st. I don’t think Whom is playing today. I’ll check MLB. Okay, neither are playing today. Apparently the season is over. Anyway, I’ll keep trying to help. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/109 "2017-12-08T18:41:03Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > (post shortened) > > FYI, the majority of Americans did not vote for Hillary, either. Hillary won the race that no candidate was running for. Congratulations Hillary. > > What is this “fluke in the rules” that you are referring to? Did you just become aware of what the Electoral College is? Or what it does? Did you graduate from a high school in the U.S.? Do you remember taking a Constitution Test as part of your H.S. graduation requirements? I was born here, I went to school here, and I graduated here. Then I went to college here, after a stint in the military here. Any other stupid questions? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/110 "2017-12-08T18:44:58Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > Any other stupid questions? Hahaha. They will not end anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/111 "2017-12-08T18:58:11Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Hahaha. They will not end anytime soon. Well played. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/112 "2017-12-08T19:03:15Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > I was born here, I went to school here, and I graduated here. Then I went to college here, after a stint in the military here. (post shortened) You forgot to explain the “fluke in the rules” that you alluded to earlier. With your qualifications, you should have little trouble describing what you see as a “fluke in the rules”. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/113 "2017-12-08T19:07:25Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Who is on 1st. > I don’t think Whom is playing today. I’ll check MLB. > Okay, neither are playing today. Apparently the season is over. > > Anyway, I’ll keep trying to help. Thanks? ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/114 "2017-12-08T19:38:49Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Hahaha. They will not end anytime soon. I have to step in here— **doorhinge** has so much more to offer than stupid questions. He also makes stupid assertions, draws stupid analogies, makes stupid predictions and voices stupid opinions. His profoundly stupid catchphrase, a braying jackass “laugh,” is stupidity in its purest form. He stupidly believes that partial quotes need to be tagged with “(post shortened),” being too stupid to notice, after more than five years, that he’s the only one who does it, or perhaps thinking that we’re too stupid to notice when a quote is truncated, which would make the rest of us stupider than he, which is just plain stupid. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/115 "2017-12-08T19:46:24Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > we’re too stupid to notice when a quote is truncated (post shortened) ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/116 "2017-12-08T19:54:57Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > I have to step in here— **doorhinge** has so much more to offer than stupid questions. He also makes stupid assertions, draws stupid analogies, makes stupid predictions and voices stupid opinions. His profoundly stupid catchphrase, a braying jackass “laugh,” is stupidity in its purest form. He stupidly believes that partial quotes need to be tagged with “(post shortened),” being too stupid to notice, after more than five years, that he’s the only one who does it, or perhaps thinking that we’re too stupid to notice when a quote is truncated, which would make the rest of us stupider than he, which is just plain stupid. I’m just following the rules. You seem to be too stupid to understand that. Keep up the good work. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/117 "2017-12-08T19:57:18Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I’m just following the rules. You seem to be too stupid to understand that. Keep up the good work. You seem to miss the point VT was making. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/118 "2017-12-08T20:05:14Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > You seem to miss the point VT was making. Maybe he/she is wearing a hat and it wasn’t a noticeable as it might have been? It appears that pointed headed **VT** objects to the rules. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/119 "2017-12-09T00:02:20Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > (post shortened) > > FYI, the majority of Americans did not vote for Hillary, either. TBF, no presidential candidate has ever had a majority in the popular vote. Johnson probably got closest at around 38%, which is a tad better than Ronnie got in '84. ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2017, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285/120 "2017-12-09T11:35:10Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > Environmental protections? [Gone](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/05/climate/trump-environment-rules-reversed.html). > > FCC privacy protections? [Gone](https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2017/03/30/fcc-privacy-rules-how-isps-will-actually-sell-your-data/#9ce03ad21d17). > > Net neutrality? [On death’s door](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/technology/fcc-net-neutrality.html). > > And now, congressional Republicans have announced [they have the votes to pass their](https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/01/us/politics/senate-tax-bill-debate-vote.html) [highly unpopular](https://www.opposingviews.com/i/politics/polls-gop-tax-bill-least-popular-decades) tax plan that will give a [$682 billion gift to corporations](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/11/30/why-congress-is-giving-cash-flush-corporations-more-cash/?utm_term=.5510839cd50b) and [add $1 trillion to the national deficit](https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/johnson-to-back-senate-tax-bill-putting-gop-leaders-close-to-securing-passage/2017/12/01/0226ff98-d6a2-11e7-b62d-d9345ced896d_story.html?utm_term=.64a0a88b9410). And they’re voting on it tonight. > > The blame for this lies squarely on the shoulders of the American people. Aside from the wealthy class of donors who know exactly what they are doing, Republicans won control of the entire government because their voters are are about as sharp as a bag of wet hair. Some buy into the GOP narrative hook, line, and sinker and remain willfully ignorant to the overwhelming evidence that they are being lied to. They see intelligence as scary and evil. They denounce science because they’re too stupid to understand it. Others are single issue voters who don’t care what their party does as long as hurts the fags. And yet even others are a frightening group of white nationalists who truly believe their God-King Trump will save the pure white race from the raping and pillaging hordes of brown people who are just trying to get by on $4 an hour. They are ruled by hate and fear. Fuck you, you racist, ignorant, homophobic, sanctimonious piles of human garbage. > > There’s no less blame on the other side. Left-wing ideals have become such a laughingstock that to be called a “social justice warrior” is an insult. Progressivism is viewed entirely as a Tumblr caricature. There was a movement called Occupy that had a real chance of bringing change, and they completely blew it. They rallied, they made noise, and they got attention. But once the news cameras were focused on them, it was all deer in headlights. “Demands? Wait, what are our demands, guys? Shit, we got high and forgot to meet about that. Bummer.” What’s more, Congressional Democrats have taken a back seat through this entire governmental clusterfuck. What are the possible political consequences for standing up and drawing the world’s attention to the bold-faced lies of the Republicans? They have no majority to lose. You had a chance to fire up your voters while at the same time ironically doing the right thing. But that chance to stand up and save this train wreck has passed. You have no discernible agenda. You have no balls. The only congressional Democrats currently in the news are sexual predators. If you win anything come midterms, thank your lucky fucking stars, because apparently God too has had it with this bullshit. Fuck you, you cowardly, weak-willed mound of spineless amoebae. > > The rest of you 41% who couldn’t even be bothered to get off your asses and vote. Some of you refused to vote for Hillary because Bernie got the shaft. Some of you just didn’t feel like it. Whatever the reason, you don’t deserve a paragraph the size of the others. You’ve gotten so comfortable in your cozy little amniotic sac of filled with Starbucks, Walmart, and Dancing with the Stars that you don’t even glance back to see how thoroughly you’re being fucked. Some countries just got their democracy and wait in polling lines for hours on end and at the threat of violence. You, you inattentive, underachieving waste of flesh, you didn’t go because you didn’t feel like putting shoes on. > > Finally, I pit myself. I’m nearing the completion of a master’s degree in social work, and I haven’t engaged in one iota of community action. I joined [Represent.Us](http://Represent.Us), sat on one conference call, felt proud of myself, then went back to porn and video games because I decided “I didn’t have enough time.” Fuck me for being a self-satisfied, lazy shitstick. > > The United States is in a state of decline. The balance has tipped too far. We allowed ourselves to be ruled by an elite wealthy class, and now we will be the ones paying for it. I endorse this entire post. And I also confess to doing too little in the past, and doing even less now. (I do try to “spread the word” on another Internet platform.) If I returned to the U.S.A. I _might_ join marches … but _might_ use my cardiovascular condition as an excuse not to. But I still say the real problem is our modes of political communication. FoxNews didn’t invent FakeNews, but the rise of cable and Internet means many Americans live in bubbles where they ONLY see FakeNews. > [@watchwolf49](#): > > … Three generations of American who were supposed to be not as well off as the previous … and it never has happened … I’ve deleted most of this nasty ignorant post, but left one claim intact. The ‘American Dream’ was to have a life better than one’s parents had. I thought it was widely agreed that this Dream was believed throughout the 20th century _and largely came true._ It is only recently that this Dream has turned to Despair; and in fact _ **young Americans generally face a life more difficult than their parents’** _. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-the-people-of-the-united-states-of-america/803285.md?page=7)