I'd rather save my money and just not visit. I don't see anything that could out balance all the negatives. Many millions of Americans are lovely people who I'd donate a kidney to. I'd just not want to put myself through all that for so little gain.

I used to say that until I started doing sports competitions and had to travel there repeatedly. I was admittedly worried because of my ethnicity but it went fine (a Canadian passport and NEXUS membership might've helped...you also wouldn't find much on my phone other than sports memes, as much as I care about my privacy).

Similarly in the game development community, lots of people complain about customs but then go to GDC every year.

I guess my point is that as long as America continues being a pillar of the world, people (like myself!) will continue putting their principles aside and comply, and the system will have no reason to change.

I hope you'll last longer than I did. :)

Edit for clarifications.

There's a cost to doing that. I guess it depends just how badly you need to travel to the US, but as a Canadian citizen, I see no reason to endanger myself or my family by traveling there at the current time. Walt Disney World will still be there in 2021.

> Walt Disney World will still be there in 2021

Border policy won't change by 2021 either, at least not for the better.

Hey we could still see a sea change at the US federal level of either progressive or adherent libertarian representatives that curtail the fear / police / surveillance state in the 2020 election.

Its about as likely as bitcoin taking over the world economy, but hey we all have to cling to false hope sometimes.

> Walt Disney World will still be there in 2021.

I think you'll have to wait awhile. These policy tools have been under both parties starting with GWB far as the initial PATRIOT Act (I think?). Right now, we're at a point where the USA might, but unlikely, go back to an isolationist policy far as borders.

At a meta level, this is a debate around internationalism vs globalism. Currently, Earth is in an era of internationalism. There is a desire by lots of people to move towards Globalism.

Even if a Democratic regime takes over in 2021 I promise you it will be no different. One of the largest expanses of the surveillance state was a consequence of the previous President, and there is no reason to believe that won’t continue into the foreseeable future.

The other thing to consider is that a burner phone will look quite suspicious.

Say that you take a burner when traveling abroad because you don't trust foreign governments to accord you the same civil rights protections against unreasonable searches that the United States does.

They are just cheap smartphones these days. Do they really profile people because their smartphones look too cheap?

Sometimes? If I see a person in their 20s or 30s that have other status items (expensive clothes/accessories) but a $50 smartphone I assume something isn't quite right.

> You get 1000x better treatment in Iran as a visitor for example.

Sure, as long as you aren't LGBTQ or a woman.

People in Charleston WV are super nice (but we were caucasian so it might have helped). They might be _sightly_ surprised that someone from another country chose their place as a vacation/tourist spot however (despite amazing rivers).