I am lucky enough I do have trails between home and work, and it's a short enough ride. So sometimes I ride the MTB. And I enjoy it, so I share it here. But that hardly translates to "Americans are stupid because their 'pioneering spirit' makes them buy mountain bikes for commuting." That screed belongs on 1990's Usenet. You can ride any kind of bike anywhere you want. But people have not been buying new mountain bikes for commuting in many years, and the industry has not been pushing them, unless you give it a really broad definition. A mainstream mountain bike today, with its 800mm handlebar, 1200mm wheelbase, dropper post, Maxxis Minions at volleyball pressure, probably rear suspension, and huge price tag, is obviously wildly inappropriate for a city street. The ones with rack and fender holes are only a few entry level models, or misanthrope iconoclast brands we still love to talk about like Surly, Rivendell, etc.