Amen Beet, I think the message on the Statue of Liberty was interpreted by foreign govts as "send me your stupid, your lazy, your criminals. As a citizen of the U.S.  I can tell you we have a LOT of stupid people here.  
My rule of thumb in getting through the day: 80% of the people around me are barely functioning idiots, I must be on the alert for the inevitable; their  stupidity manifesting itself in some dangerous/foolish action or expression.