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50 Screenshots Of Americans Being Peak Dumb That May Make You Feel Like A Genius (New Pics)
Interview
The United States is a fascinating place. Where else can you find stunning beaches, amazing mountains, vast deserts, spray cheese in a can and some of the most patriotic people on the planet? The U.S. will always hold a very special place in my heart, and I’m convinced that I’ll never find tastier peanut butter anywhere else in the world.
But just like any other country, there are a wide range of citizens, spanning from brilliant scholars with PhDs to people who probably shouldn’t have access to social media. We took a trip to the [Stuff] Americans Say subreddit and gathered some of their funniest screenshots below. Keep reading to also find a conversation with one of the moderators of the group, and please remember, pandas, that these posts are all in good fun!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
To Remember How Many Feet There Are In A Mile, U Just Gotta Use 5 Tomatoes
RELATED:
#2
"People Who Leave Their Phones Set To Military Time Are F**kin War Criminals"
Michael Largey 3 days ago
In military time, you start over at 24. "Sounds good to me." - Leonardo DeCaprio.
#3
Will Europeans Be Suprised About My Mixed Heritage?
Whether you’re from the United States or not, there’s a good chance you know quite a bit about the country. American media tends to dominate movie theatres and Netflix accounts across the globe, and I have yet to visit a country where I didn’t hear American pop music playing on the radio or in a random grocery store.
But one of the downsides of having all of this exposure is that the country becomes the butt of many jokes too. And if anyone gets caught posting ignorant remarks online, there’s no chance they’ll get away with it. That’s where the [Stuff] Americans Say subreddit comes in. This group has amassed an impressive 675K members since its creation in 2013, and it never seems to run out of content.
#4
"You're Gonna Mansplain Ireland To Me When I'm Irish?"
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 days ago
No,no, no. Some distant ancestor of hers once had a pint of Guinness. No one is more Irish than her.
#5
"I'm Norwegian (Not From There But Grandpa Is)
marianne eliza 3 days ago
I can remove that tumor for you. I'm not a surgeon but my next door neighbor's friend's son-in-law is.
#6
"Real Brave Of You To Insult Our Military"
To find out more about [Stuff] Americans Say, we reached out to the group’s moderator team. Lucky for us, one member was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and share some background info about the community.
“It seems to have been started in 2013 by a British user who also created a number of other subs around the same time (e.g. r/britishproblems, r/metal, r/worstof, r/america etc.). It was quickly followed by r/[Stuff]EuropeansSay, which seems to have been set up by someone who objected to this sub, but is now moderated by many of the same people as this sub.”
#7
"Can Anybody Tell Me If Portugal Has Running Water Like In The States?"
#8
"This Is America Gotta Speak English"
#9
I'm Italian And This Hurt Me Tbh
Franco Cicchetti 3 days ago
The person replied in Italian stating that it is a traditional dish from the region of puglia. The alleged Italian person did not understand that the person responded in Italian and not Spanish
roddy 2 days ago
Not only that, they thought there was a language called Mexican.
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Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 days ago
"I'm Italian, but I wasn't born there, I've never been there and can't recognise,never mind speak,the language. "
veryvenasaur 2 days ago
I mean please correct me if I’m wrong but knowing the language isn’t a requirement right. My dad was born in Lebanon but had to leave due to the threat of violence so I wasn’t born there and due to the HEAVY stigma around Arabic in America post 9/11 I never learned to speak the language. Is it wrong that I consider myself Lebanese.
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Remi (He/Him) 3 days ago
The Italian comment is that it's a traditional dish from Puglia, Bari if the commenter is not mistaken. So guessing the so called Italian was commenting on some food thing originally. As if there aren't local dishes in different regions of Italy
Robert Beveridge 2 days ago
I can't be the only one who desperately wants to know what dish we're discussing
The Commentator 5 hours ago
I'm pretty sure I'm 1/8 Italian (in terms of genetics), since my mother was 1/4 Italian (also in terms of genetics), not sure however.
Nicole Weymann 15 hours ago
I almost got whiplash from these turns: "I'm Italian" - gets answered in Italian - "Do I look like I speak Mexican" - Boyo: 1)we don't see you, 2) you claimed to be Italian, and don't even recognize your own language?? and 3) there is no language called "Mexican" . It's Spanish, or possibly one of over 60 indigenous languages, such as Nahuatl, Mayan, or Mixtec (curtesy of Wikipedia).
Who am I, where am I 1 day ago
"The entire world must change in order to make it easier for me as an American" 🤦🏼♂️
Isabel Galvez 1 day ago (edited)
If you're born in America but your family tought you Italian, and you visit Italy from time to time, then you can say you're part Italian. If you don't even recognise the language... well...
The moderator also shared that the community has grown fairly organically, “that is to say without much promotional effort (it was Subreddit of the Day a few years ago, though).”
“When I first subscribed to it circa 2017, there were probably around 20,000 here. Now, we gain on average about 25,000 new subscribers every quarter, though most posts tend to come from the same smallish subset of users,” the mod continued.
#10
Is There A Rome In Italy?
#11
Only Because Americans Pay For The Healthcare Of Europe
Dusty's mom 3 days ago
The lies of the ultra conservatives. Add this to my list of stupidities.
#12
A Wisconsin School District Says Students Can “Become Spoiled” With Free Meals And Opts Out Of Biden’s Free-Lunch Program
The group’s growth has also impacted how the mod team makes sure that the rules of the community are respected. “We've had to increase our reliance on automated tools/bots over time to assist in identifying potential troublemakers (users from certain rabidly pro-American subs often stop by to troll here, for example),” the moderator shared.
#13
"Why Would They Speak Spanish In Europe"
#14
"China Bombed Pearl Harbor"
#15
‘Texas Is Like Twice The Size Of Europe Alone’
We also asked the moderator why they believe Americans are caught sharing ignorant posts online so often. “As Americans make up a plurality of users on Reddit (and on many other social media platforms) the quantity of suitable material is greater than for other nationalities,” they explained. “Though, I don't think the proportion of ‘stupid/ignorant people’ is necessarily much different than you'd find in any other nationality.”
#16
Save Australia
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 days ago
Oh fűck. Are the emus on the march again? Sending thoughts and prayers to the Antipodes.
#17
They're Still Staying On American Soil, Which Is As Free As It Gets
Michael Largey 3 days ago
And when this country had slavery, the slaves were all on American soil, so ...
#18
"I Don't Get Hungover"
“Due to the historical and geographical isolation of the USA, many Americans have erroneous/dated/stereotypical ideas about the rest of the world, which we find amusing,” the moderator continued. “Also, they will often be quite arrogant about their confidently incorrect opinions and have a tendency to double down when challenged, which makes it even more entertaining.”
#19
""Paddy" Is The N Word For Irish"
#20
Georgia Is A State Not A Country
#21
Do Americans Have An Accent?
So what is the community like in this subreddit? “Generally, the established members 'get' what the sub is about,” the moderator says. “It's not about tarring all Americans with the same brush - we're not criticizing all Americans (or the country itself, there are already subs for that). But we do engage in banter, which Americans often misinterpret and assume is genuine criticism aimed at Americans/America as a whole.”
#22
“Jobs That Require Me To Speak More Than One Language Should Be Illegal!”
Dusty's mom 3 days ago
This kind of thinking is one of a myriad reasons we're so backwards and ignorant. The problem stems from such thinking as: wherever in the world we travel, we're going to be able to speak English as comfortably as we do at home; English is the main world language, so everyone ought to speak it so we can all communicate; a refusal to believe that other countries can exhibit nationalistic pride in their language; the myth of Manifest Destiny; a belief that English speakers are superior to other people - and the list goes on. I have encountered all these idiocies in my midwest American state. I wish The Ugly American was required reading for all students. It changed my attitude entirely.
#23
Vacations Are Only Interesting For About Four Days And Beyond That You're Basically Just A Lazy Bum
Norm Gilmore 3 days ago (edited)
Currently into my 18th day of leave and still have 8 to go (that's inclusive of weekends and Statutory days) More than happy to be a 'bum'...
#24
Do Europeans Have A Spice Rack?
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 days ago
We only colonised all those countries to make money from the spices, not use them.
“Generally, people [who are offended by the group] become extremely defensive and argumentative, which we can usually w**d out fairly rapidly as a result,” the moderator continued. “It is a lighthearted sub, not a debate sub, and we try to keep it that way. In order to maintain the high quality of posts, we do have a large number of rules, which people sometimes complain about, but it simplifies the moderation process and reduces the amount of ‘lawyering’ arguments.”
#25
English Please, Reddit Is An American Website (German Subreddit Btw)
Toothless Feline 3 days ago
I just love that this happens often enough on this subreddit that they have an automoderator bot that steps in telling people how to learn German.
#26
It Says West Coast On The Train. America
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 days ago
Who'd have thunk that an island would have a west coast?
#27
On One Side, Single Digit. On The Other Side, Wacky Numbers, All With Lots Of Extra Numbers On The End
We also asked the moderator if they could share some of their personal favorite posts from the group. They noted that several “themes” pop up often, including tipping culture and heritage. Apparently, pizza is a common conversation topic in the group too, as well as healthcare. The mod also shared a couple funny examples of when “the ‘information bubble’ that many Americans exist in is confronted by the reality of the rest of the world.” You can find those posts here and here.
#28
"No Europe Is More Walkable Because It's Socialist And Therefore Poor"
#29
Will My Right To Bear Arms Be Honoured In England Or Germany?
Michael Largey 3 days ago
But short-sleeved shirts are OK, so you can still bare arms in England and Germany. (The Vatican has a stricter dress code, however.)
Finally, the moderator wanted to make it clear that this group is not out to bash the United States. “Many people think we moderators are somehow 'anti-American' simply for pointing out the dumb things some Americans sometimes say,” they told Bored Panda. “In fact, we represent several nationalities, some of us are actually American ourselves or dual citizens (which is advantageous when trying to determine whether posts are 'uniquely American' or not). It's also not '[Stuff]RepublicansSay', as Democrats have their own brand of stupidity (as well as some overlap with Republicans, of course).”
#30
Europe Sucks
#31
"Inc*st Is Literally Celebrated In Europe So I'm Not Surprised At All " (Talking About Completely Normal Age Gaps. Again)
Norm Gilmore 3 days ago (edited)
The accuser needs to study their own laws before throwing stones... (though the less said about the Habsburgs the better..) Using the UK as an example. The Royal bloodlines are convoluted. Elizabeth and Philip were second cousins once removed (by descent from Christian IX of Denmark and Louise of Hesse-Kassel) and third cousins (by descent from Queen Victoria and Prince Albert). So considerable gap between bloodlines. I believe the right to marry a cousin in the UK is under debate in parliament at this time. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States
#32
Electrical Outlets
Dog Mom to Zoe 2 days ago
I would hope this idiot wouldn't do something like this in someone's home. When you travel, YOU ARE A GUEST SO BE RESPECTFUL!! MORON!!
#33
Getting A Tattoo Of Your Ancestry.com Results
Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het 3 days ago
The day before you get an email saying that they got your results mixed up.
#34
"The USA Has Not Ever Committed A Single War Crime!"
Jude Corrigan 3 days ago
I don't think I have enough crayons to explain it to those four above.
#35
Turns Out She Was Spanish, Not White
Nils Skirnir 3 days ago
To the ‘true’ Americans only Xtian Caucasians of Northwest European origin are White.
#36
There Should A Law Against This. This Is Socialism
Michael Largey 3 days ago
For some people, socialism is anything that helps people who aren't like them.
#37
Sad: 11 Year Old Arrested At School After Refusing To Stand For The Pledge
#38
British Customs
#39
Norway Here I Come!
#40
“Why Do We Think Of Knights As Being On Horseback When Horses Are From North America”
Gavin Johnson 2 days ago
I’ve seen The Holy Grail. Here in the U.K. we used coconut shells to imitate the sound of horses hooves, that was the case until we could import horses from the U.S.
#41
"The Cops In Our School"
Bad Alchemy 2 days ago
The fact that this is an accepted part of American life is just shameful! I feel sad for kids today.
#42
Nobody Takes A Train From Germany To France
Forrest Hobbs 2 days ago
🤣 Never mind anything else: some people walk from Germany to France. I mean, what with them, erm, sharing a land border? Imfamously, plenty of soldiers have done so (in both directions - Napoleon came before Kaiser Bill) ... 😬
#43
Extreme Restrictions On Free Speech
Jude Corrigan 3 days ago
Obviously, never been to Europe. Where are they getting these ridiculous ideas from?
#44
2 In 1: What Is A Litre & The English Language Is Owned By The United States!
#45
“Are Y’all Really That Discriminatory? I Can Feel Hatred Burning Through Generations”
#46
Don't You Miss Owning A Car?
Jude Corrigan 3 days ago
I was just made aware,depending upon state, that Americans living outside the US are still subject to US income tax. Why???
#47
"Who Would Be Paying For All The Food"
Petra Peitsch 2 days ago
When even Afghanistan has better "thoughts and prayer", than you ....
#48
Sas: Come To America Where Our Dialects Are So Different Some Count As Completely Different Languages
Add New Image
What do you think ?
bryan 2 days ago
Come on these posts only represent 74% of the US people. The other 52% are really smart people.
ninjaTrashPandaBoom 2 days ago
But that's only correct 129% of the time....
Load More Replies... Deborah 3 days ago
I think I am almost ashamed to admit I'm American. What is this country coming to? The level of ignorance shown here is mind-boggling.
Kerry Fletcher 3 days ago
You should be. Look who your country elected twice and soon to be convicted of 34 charges. Racists. Intolerance and ignorant.
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veryvenasaur 2 days ago
Hey I’m unfortunately American and I would like to apologize on behalf of my country. (This feels like when you’re a mom and your toddler bites someone and you say “so sorry we’re working on the behavioral issues please have patience.”)
Verena 2 days ago
Get you, but .... the world had patience once already. Just try to establish a voting process where there is actually a choice, every vote counts directly for the end result, and the outcome is a coalition of two or three parties. This is how most of the European voting works.
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G A 2 days ago (edited)
No we know and we love you really but it's fun taking the p**s out of the deeply thick. You shouldn't take offence, just roll with it. It will be 'Europeans cannot comprehend' in a day or two....
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Marnie 2 days ago
True, but different countries have different levels of education. America is largely uneducated as compared to other "developed" countries.
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Natalia Viana 2 days ago
The shocking thing is not how Americans get many things wrong - many do in many countries. But how they have such high self-esteem that they truly believe they know s**t and anyone else is wrong.
Sven Horlemann 2 days ago
And thinking in 2024, that in the 80's it was my dream to go to the US and make it big as a guitar player. I am so glad my later (and current) wife told me that is a BS idea. The level of ignorance too many Americans display makes me sick.
Ripley 2 days ago
Already done. I can only see 50 - well, technically 49 because 50 is on the border.
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Uncle Schmickle 2 days ago
I really liked this post. Some funny, some questionable, some ignorant and some just plain stupid. It was a great read. Do people know the difference between ignorance and stupidity ? Look up a reliable authority of definitions.
Captive 2 days ago
Always funny how they treat Europe as one big country. "I've been in Europe" oh yeah? In which of the many individual countries?
Aerial (Any pronouns/Canadian/Jewish) 2 days ago
Come on, BP. Do an idiot Canadians thread. I dare you. (Seriously, I would love to see a thread making fun of Canadians.)
lindsaygerring 2 days ago
Sorry for typos just awoken from sleep yes if you could explain the difference between 24 hour time and military That would be awesome thanks alot Warren have a great day
Ripley 2 days ago
There is no difference. 24 hour time is used wherever accuracy is very important - which is why the military uses it. There's no mistaking 5am for 5pm if one is 05:00 and the other is 17:00.
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Susannah Dean 1 day ago
This entire list makes me even more embarrassed to be an American than I already have been for the past eight years. I'd like to think that it'll all be done in the next four, but I won't hold my breath. (Copied from the comment above.) Also, I'm a Navy veteran. It's really sad that the morons of this country have commandeered the word "Patriot." It's become nothing but a false bravado word that willful ignoramus cowards have assigned themselves without ever having the sack to actually BE one. Sorry for the rant. This list just pisssed me off.
Montanavanna 2 days ago
I am just tired of people wishing ill on any country that isn't their country of origin. If you enjoy other countries going into decline, their people opressed and their lands ravaged, for whatever reason, you are a lunatic.
I am John 2 days ago
Its a shame how much BP has threads having a go at USA. Very unfair. I get that there are ignorant & prejudiced people everywhere, but I guess its a particular brand of USA ones that Europeans find funny. On the "free military protection" thing, well 100 years protecting Europe from other Europeans is always appreciated.
Ren Karlej 2 days ago
Do you know how BP pick the articles? The ones that generate clicks and comments - as that is how they sell to advertisers. It can generate a s**t-ton of outrage but that doesn't matter - that outrage will be represented as clicks and comments. I do agree it isn't fair but they're not going to stop unless people completely and utterly ignore these threads - not even downvoting, as that will count. 🤷🏻
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Anna Davidson 2 days ago
So many of these "stupid people" collections are actually just people being facetious or poking fun at tropes, such as the "dumb American" trope. Don't get me wrong, many Americans are extremely ignorant and they are often caught in the wild. But when someone says "I don't speak Mexican" to someone obviously speaking Italian, it's obviously a joke. Context is important and sarcasm can get lost in translation online. Not gonna die on this hill. I don't actually care that much.
Gavin Johnson 2 days ago
Dumb people everywhere. Walk down any street in any city or town in any country and you’ll find ‘em. The great thing about dumb people is they can’t help themselves, they just have to let you know what they know, what they are 100% convinced of and how it’ll improve your life. Unfortunately these people have also perfected infiltrating the political class and get voted into power by other dumb people, take a look at your political system and tell me it ain’t so! PS We love you America, we know you’ve got the same dumb problem that we have.
Ripley 2 days ago
They all tend to be less obviously stupid on the internet - or at least they're not doing it in English . . .
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Kerry Fletcher 3 days ago
Yes that's it, it's all just because of trump. It's because Americans are stupid for the most part. Only concern is USA usa USA. Been that way for 30 years. Your education system is garbage. Immigrants are not educated in the USA. Thank you for providing evidence of dumb Americans
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G A 2 days ago
Lighten up! Just shows Americans have no sense of humour cos they can't stand having the mickey taken.
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bryan 2 days ago
Come on these posts only represent 74% of the US people. The other 52% are really smart people.
ninjaTrashPandaBoom 2 days ago
But that's only correct 129% of the time....
Load More Replies... Deborah 3 days ago
I think I am almost ashamed to admit I'm American. What is this country coming to? The level of ignorance shown here is mind-boggling.
Kerry Fletcher 3 days ago
You should be. Look who your country elected twice and soon to be convicted of 34 charges. Racists. Intolerance and ignorant.
Load More Replies... veryvenasaur 2 days ago
Hey I’m unfortunately American and I would like to apologize on behalf of my country. (This feels like when you’re a mom and your toddler bites someone and you say “so sorry we’re working on the behavioral issues please have patience.”)
Verena 2 days ago
Get you, but .... the world had patience once already. Just try to establish a voting process where there is actually a choice, every vote counts directly for the end result, and the outcome is a coalition of two or three parties. This is how most of the European voting works.
Load More Replies... G A 2 days ago (edited)
No we know and we love you really but it's fun taking the p**s out of the deeply thick. You shouldn't take offence, just roll with it. It will be 'Europeans cannot comprehend' in a day or two....
Load More Replies... Marnie 2 days ago
True, but different countries have different levels of education. America is largely uneducated as compared to other "developed" countries.
Load More Replies... Natalia Viana 2 days ago
The shocking thing is not how Americans get many things wrong - many do in many countries. But how they have such high self-esteem that they truly believe they know s**t and anyone else is wrong.
Sven Horlemann 2 days ago
And thinking in 2024, that in the 80's it was my dream to go to the US and make it big as a guitar player. I am so glad my later (and current) wife told me that is a BS idea. The level of ignorance too many Americans display makes me sick.
Ripley 2 days ago
Already done. I can only see 50 - well, technically 49 because 50 is on the border.
Load More Replies... Uncle Schmickle 2 days ago
I really liked this post. Some funny, some questionable, some ignorant and some just plain stupid. It was a great read. Do people know the difference between ignorance and stupidity ? Look up a reliable authority of definitions.
Captive 2 days ago
Always funny how they treat Europe as one big country. "I've been in Europe" oh yeah? In which of the many individual countries?
Aerial (Any pronouns/Canadian/Jewish) 2 days ago
Come on, BP. Do an idiot Canadians thread. I dare you. (Seriously, I would love to see a thread making fun of Canadians.)
lindsaygerring 2 days ago
Sorry for typos just awoken from sleep yes if you could explain the difference between 24 hour time and military That would be awesome thanks alot Warren have a great day
Ripley 2 days ago
There is no difference. 24 hour time is used wherever accuracy is very important - which is why the military uses it. There's no mistaking 5am for 5pm if one is 05:00 and the other is 17:00.
Load More Replies... Susannah Dean 1 day ago
This entire list makes me even more embarrassed to be an American than I already have been for the past eight years. I'd like to think that it'll all be done in the next four, but I won't hold my breath. (Copied from the comment above.) Also, I'm a Navy veteran. It's really sad that the morons of this country have commandeered the word "Patriot." It's become nothing but a false bravado word that willful ignoramus cowards have assigned themselves without ever having the sack to actually BE one. Sorry for the rant. This list just pisssed me off.
Montanavanna 2 days ago
I am just tired of people wishing ill on any country that isn't their country of origin. If you enjoy other countries going into decline, their people opressed and their lands ravaged, for whatever reason, you are a lunatic.
I am John 2 days ago
Its a shame how much BP has threads having a go at USA. Very unfair. I get that there are ignorant & prejudiced people everywhere, but I guess its a particular brand of USA ones that Europeans find funny. On the "free military protection" thing, well 100 years protecting Europe from other Europeans is always appreciated.
Ren Karlej 2 days ago
Do you know how BP pick the articles? The ones that generate clicks and comments - as that is how they sell to advertisers. It can generate a s**t-ton of outrage but that doesn't matter - that outrage will be represented as clicks and comments. I do agree it isn't fair but they're not going to stop unless people completely and utterly ignore these threads - not even downvoting, as that will count. 🤷🏻
Load More Replies... Anna Davidson 2 days ago
So many of these "stupid people" collections are actually just people being facetious or poking fun at tropes, such as the "dumb American" trope. Don't get me wrong, many Americans are extremely ignorant and they are often caught in the wild. But when someone says "I don't speak Mexican" to someone obviously speaking Italian, it's obviously a joke. Context is important and sarcasm can get lost in translation online. Not gonna die on this hill. I don't actually care that much.
Gavin Johnson 2 days ago
Dumb people everywhere. Walk down any street in any city or town in any country and you’ll find ‘em. The great thing about dumb people is they can’t help themselves, they just have to let you know what they know, what they are 100% convinced of and how it’ll improve your life. Unfortunately these people have also perfected infiltrating the political class and get voted into power by other dumb people, take a look at your political system and tell me it ain’t so! PS We love you America, we know you’ve got the same dumb problem that we have.
Ripley 2 days ago
They all tend to be less obviously stupid on the internet - or at least they're not doing it in English . . .
Load More Replies... Kerry Fletcher 3 days ago
Yes that's it, it's all just because of trump. It's because Americans are stupid for the most part. Only concern is USA usa USA. Been that way for 30 years. Your education system is garbage. Immigrants are not educated in the USA. Thank you for providing evidence of dumb Americans
Load More Replies... G A 2 days ago
Lighten up! Just shows Americans have no sense of humour cos they can't stand having the mickey taken.
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