The American people this, the American people that. The American people are fed up with this, the American people want a future of that. The second I hear another politician or pundit on the right or left refer to the “American people,” I tune out. I realize that it’s a rhetorical flourish and politico-talk, but it’s no less disgusting to me. I know I’m not alone in this view. I googled “American people” and found a website that attempts to chronicle every utterance of the phrase in the public sphere. That’s a tall order. Sometimes I wish we had the technology so that when people on TV say “the American people,” they would receive a pinprick on the genitals, kind of like an electronic dog collar but more painful. Such a shock to the groin would be fitting recompense for their presumption, duplicity, and sophistry, don’t you think? Just sayin’. The only problem is that someone other than me might get a hold of the technology and use it indiscriminately, and for evil. Still, I think my solution to this problem is sound, and I'm sure the American people would agree with me.
