# “They're all a bunch of crooks” **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 2, 2018, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989 "2018-02-02T00:22:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/21 "2018-02-12T00:58:57Z")
> [@Fretful\_Porpentine](#): > > 1. They . . . are too lazy to do the work of researching individual politicians . . . This is by far the most common reason, in my experience. Most Americans don’t know shit about how their governments work, because they’re too lazy to learn about it. (Trump took advantage of this to create his cult base, and “drain the swamp” was just part of that.) When people say, “They’re all crooks,” I’ve found that usually their knowledge of the basic facts is almost nil. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/22 "2018-02-12T02:15:34Z")
I’ve had this discussion with friends before. It seems to me that a lot of people who say this are making a fundamental error. I like to make this analogy: The process of government is like a machine. You put stuff into it, and turn a crank, and stuff comes out. In the case of the government in Washington, the inputs are time, money and all the compromises required to reach a consensus. Both Republicans and Democrats need to work the machine in a similar way, and that gives rise to a superficial impression that they are the same. The output of course is legislation. There are fundamental differences, as Republicans and Democrats start from different points, and put different things into the hopper of the machine, and the desired outputs are very different. However, they do look pretty similar when they are actually turning the crank. I’ve tried to make the point to my friends that to say, “They’re all crooks!” is to completely abdicate any responsibility to evaluate the goals, effects, reason and priorities of the various actors on each side of the aisle. They are very differnt, and you should take that into account when voting. The problem for the naive observer is that they both look the same while they are in the process of turning the crank. I can’t say that I have ever convinced anyone, but that’s my point of view. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/23 "2018-02-12T15:39:27Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > This is a great list; I would add: > > 1. They’ve been persuaded that uttering cynical remarks (such as ‘they’re all crooks’) will lead others to believe that they are _intelligent_. 1. It lets the person making the lazy statement feel morally superior, not only to said “crooks” but to those naive enough to think there’s a difference between them or that it matters. 2. It gives them a ready excuse for their non-voting or other non-participation when things go badly due to actual crooks being in power. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/24 "2018-02-12T15:49:15Z")
If seen variations of this used by those who support third party candidates-“All those guys in power are corrupt, so vote for change!” ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/25 "2018-02-12T20:57:41Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > 1. It lets the person making the lazy statement feel morally superior, not only to said “crooks” but to those naive enough to think there’s a difference between them or that it matters. > > 2. It gives them a ready excuse for their non-voting or other non-participation when things go badly due to actual crooks being in power. Yes, absolutely (to both). As a conversational ploy, ‘they’re all crooks’ is a fairly pure example of one-upmanship. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > If seen variations of this used by those who support third party candidates-“All those guys in power are corrupt, so vote for change!” And somehow they expect that their ‘out of power’ candidates will magically be untouched by corruption when _they_ get power, eh? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/26 "2018-02-12T21:21:11Z")
Statement: “They’re all a bunch of crooks.” Response: “Yep, that’s why it’s important to pick the ones on our side.” Take the conversation straight to the tribalism of us vs them, since they’re obviously not interested in a policy discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/27 "2018-02-12T22:44:31Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Statement: “They’re all a bunch of crooks.” > Response: “Yep, that’s why it’s important to pick the ones on our side.” > > Take the conversation straight to the tribalism of us vs them, since they’re obviously not interested in a policy discussion. Just enjoy your drink, then, and watch the football game, because otherwise you’re just wasting your time. ---
**Author:** ![AgingLiberalD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@AgingLiberalD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AgingLiberalD)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/28 "2018-02-25T09:48:02Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > (I say ‘nearly’ only to allow for those rare souls who manage not to greatly care what others think of them; I’m not among them, but I believe they exist. ^\_^) I’m one of them! I even have a tattoo on my palm that I love, even though everyone tells me it’s regrettable. It’s actually quite difficult navigating social norms and fitting in. I’ve always tried to copy people who cared until one day I realized I didn’t have to, and that the people I want in my life will accept me as I am. Advertising still effects me, of course, just under different circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![AgingLiberalD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@AgingLiberalD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AgingLiberalD)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/29 "2018-02-25T10:01:42Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Easy enough to find out, start a thread asking if people care what people think of them. > > The ones you are looking for are among the ones who don’t post. I would have to disagree. I don’t care what others think of me, but I am interested in why that is, and also with sharing my experiences with others so I would post. I just don’t care what their thoughts are about me, my looks, or my opinions. I do care very much about how I view myself however. ---
**Author:** ![AgingLiberalD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@AgingLiberalD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AgingLiberalD)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2018, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989/30 "2018-02-25T10:15:21Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > I was on the verge of becoming involved in a spirited political discussion when some person spewed out the line, “_Yeah, but they’re_ all _a bunch of crooks._” At which point, I kind of backed away. I say (I guess said now) “they’re all crooks” quite frequently and this thread is showing me a lot perspectives on how others can take the statement. I can now see it is a broad generalization(as if it weren’t common sense, DOH!). I never meant it as dismissive of the electoral process, since I am very much in favor of voting for the “crook” that will lead our country in a position that benefits society. I guess I just meant it as shorthand for “all politicians break promises”, or “all politicians value money over their voters”. Vauge, but as someone who’s said it I thought I’d give my reasons. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/theyre-all-a-bunch-of-crooks/807989.md?page=1)