As long as you don't break their laws the experience is fine. To be honest, I'm more frightened of going to America as a non-white person where even obeying the laws can result in death.

Edit: If you disagree with my post please add to the conversation rather than just down-voting.

Edit: The rhetorical device is called a “whataboutism”. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism. The fallacy involved is called “to quoque” – a special case of an “ad hominem” argument, i.e. attacking the speaker and not the content. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_quoque

In general despotic regimes love visitors who are willing to keep their opinions about the local political situation to themselves no matter what sort of person they are. Places like the US tend to be indifferent to the political beliefs of visitors and as a result any local racial biases will be applied fairly to those visiting.

The uae condones killing people for being gay as a matter of policy. Don't expect much more than downvotes when you attempt to portray as the US being worse in that comparison.

>It's not so easy to hide that one is black.

Sure it is. Wear a burka every time you are in public. This suggestion is also as ridiculous as suggesting that people hide the fact that they are gay.

So let me get this right:

You are comparing the ridiculousness of a black person having to wear a burka in the US to avoid being shot, versus the ridiculousness of a gay person having to hide the fact that they are gay while in the UAE?

I'm sorry, it just doesn't sound as ridiculous to me to expect someone to take care not to utter the words, "I am gay" while in a country where being gay can get you legally killed, as opposed to the ridiculousness of a black person having to wear a burka in the US to avoid being shot illegally.

Being black in the US is legal, and being shot for being a black person in the US is uncommon. The burden of having to wear a burka all the time lest your blackness be discovered is large.

Being gay in the UAE is illegal and punishable by death. The burden of not saying certain particular words to expose your gayness is small.

Ergo, the black guy having to wear a burka option is clearly more ridiculous.

That's true, although you also run the risk of being choked/tasered to death.

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/06/asia/indonesia-migrant-wor...

It's so complex that even its government is not entirely a single rock. There are avid defenders of human rights as well as evil masters in its government. Somehow they are both coexisting. That's how big America is.

I'm non-white and non-American and I certainly hate some ugly parts of it. But I have mixed feeling to America. I guess it's a kind of feeling that many people have towards the country.

America has problems with racial violence, but your comment indicates a total disconnect from reality in pretty much every way.

Your comment shows the level of misinformation and reputation damage done by media and various social movements. Not only do I disagree with your comment, but I find it offensive that you would propagate the myth. It's damaging and unsubstantiated.

"why did you shoot me?" "I don't know" [1]

[1] https://mobile.twitter.com/TheDailyShow/status/7566992798261...

There are reasonable mistakes made in the course of living and of any action. So if you want to exaggerate the claim of one (or even a few) examples to the point of making it appear as an epidemic in America; then I will hold you to a higher standard than the half-assed arguments that I see here. Many people engaged with these narratives are grossly misrepresenting legitimate claims of police brutality or racial discrimination. If you cannot be honest in debate, then I would also not expect the same to be honest in any proposed solution. Blatant misrepresentation by so many; it's disgusting.

This is patently not true. You can blame social media, or SJW's or whatever, but it is not true, except in the minds of the alt-right.

Sure, I will remember your name, Olsco. My name isn't hard to remember - it's Away; Throw Away.

> Nice astro-turfing in your comment history

Do you not even know what astroturfing is? Keep attacking my HN handle - just shows that you know your statement was patently, absurdly and almost hilariously false.

I've never had a problem as a half-black Canadian business traveler. That doesn't mean I'm not anxious.

All though the US may legitimately seem callous and murderous to those on the sharp end of its foreign policy, there are a whole lot of Americans who take this freedom thing seriously. More important, there is a culture of free speech and of challenging government.

Example: The current US administration apparently has a “kill list” for enemies of the US government that they plan to assassinate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disposition_Matrix

I find such a thing scary and unethical. Yet, as I understand it, domestic political opponents of US politicians do not have to fear torture, disappearance, or imprisonment without trial – it is even possible to openly criticize the people who command such assassinations without being in danger of being executed by the government.

Sure, statistically, most visitors aren't going to have any problem with our screwed up police.

But remember that, statistically, your average voter is more likely to drown in a bucket[1] than be a victim of terrorism, and look at what has been done since 2001 "to keep us safe".

Fear is not rational, and "you're wrong" or "I have this issue with your rhetorical technique" is not going to change any minds.

[1] Picked statistically unlikely event at random; did not look up actual statistics. You get the point and I'm not going to respond to pedantry.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/26/gcc-joint-security-agree...