Is tipping the worst part of American culture?

No one is holding a gun to anyone's head to hold a "shitty" paying job. The reason capitalism has produced the world's most useful and spectacular inventions and innovations is that someone would make a buck from it.

These jobs are not meant to be a career. My wife worked at McDs while going to college, and made almost 200K before her retirement (it wasn't at McDonald's).

Force a minimum wage on companies, and they will find a way of eliminating what amounts to monkey skill level labor either through forcing the remaining workers to work harder for their "raise", or by implementing technological replacements. Those "lucky" enough to get the forced minimum wage will usually find it just enough to survive, but with it also goes the loss of motivation to better one's self.

Isn't this anti-capitalism? The American dream is that people can earn their money. That guy did not earn his.

Wow...you really DO love that movie!

Exactly. I was shocked that cabbies get a tip. What for?

No. Not my bag.

Speaking of science what do you think of male infant circumcision and water fluoridation? Those are two uniquely American institutions in the name of science.

I think everything you’ve said is backwards. For example slavery was an African institution that spread worldwide and far less brutal and short lived in America than anywhere else. Whereas intellect is why a large majority of the entire world’s patents come from America. When I hear these things intelligence science progress I think of the destruction caused by our military and university research and development. I don’t think you would disagree with that except blaming universities but this is science. You lack wisdom and sneer at those who would value it? Let me tell you a similar case I hear all the time is that we need more empathy. But I think we have too much empathy always trying to help others with good intentions and bad results. We must step back and evaluate rationally. You know how there is nostalgia for the past? I think there is one for the present as well. People don’t like tradition and they don’t like black and white movies. People in the past were all sexist racist immoral only now we know better. How did they manage to tie their shoes? Old people suck.

Hey, Pete! You should give up your place at the trough in memorial.

Chop/chop!

Nice try but those who are against tradition and religion are the dumbest people in our society when it comes to things like science and progress. These same people think that there are 60 different genders, that socialism works (even though it never has in the history of this planet), and that throwing a trillion dollars at global warming will simply make it go away. Yeah religion is most likely made up but at least the followers know that abortion is wrong, that transgenders suffer from mental illness, and that sexual promiscuity is bad. The humans who stray away from tradition almost always turn to drugs, cut there genitalia off, or grow up with very few friends and live miserable lives.

"And yes, I have been a waitress but I stayed in school and got a better job."

Well, Aren't you special? Listen PRINCESS!!!!
I also eventually pulled myself up by the boot straps and got a better (job?) SEVERAL BETTER JOBS with great pay before I retired.
You may hate tipping, and the whole system SUCKS, but you sound as though you are looking down your long nose at those who still have to depend on a living for those tips.

If I somehow misunderstood your post, please explain it to me one more time.
I did stay in school.... I just never put up with snobs like you