Meanwhile there are very few countries that don't have the same type of border security that we do for foreign nationals. This advice is just as pertinent if you travel to the UK or almost any EU country.
We were pretty "soft" (dislike the term) on the land borders and on immigration. Fairly easy to enter, to claim asylum, to live and work on different sides, and so on.
I don't have an answer for the question of if we should be making our border security as intense as it can be elsewhere, but I don't love the story of just doing as other countries do. We're exceptional, right?
I don't think this is a great comment I'm writing, but it's how I feel about things right now.
As I said, and not to be flip, but "propaganda mouthpieces." The odd part about "social media" is that it actually instills a sense of reward in people when they uncritically repeat what they've been told like a Manchurian candidate. While at the same time being an outlet for their frustrations with the outcome of these same policies and ideals.
> live in the freest and generally most superlative country
Since the 1950s the government has been opening and reading peoples mail. We had the Church Committee and the House Select Committee on Assassinations. In this era people did not make the same mistake. This notion of the "freest" country honestly started after 2001. "They hate us because of our freedom," was a useful excuse to invade Afghanistan and Iraq.
> We were pretty "soft" (dislike the term) on the land borders and on immigration.
That depends on your perspective. The cold war certainly had an impact on some citizens of the world more than others. The 2001 trade center attack just moved the goalposts. Here we are moving them again.
> but it's how I feel about things right now.
That's the most valuable thing you could possibly do. Thank you.
That's absolutely not the impression US gives to the people outside. The visa system is soft only on one specific demographic it deems worthy (educated, wealthy, commonwealth citizen), and treats everyone else with contempt at best.
Getting a visa requires extensive background checks, and an in-person interview in a part of a consulate built like a prison. The green card lottery keeps people on uncertain ground for decades, during which they are second-class citizens and can have their entire life uprooted at any moment.
Claiming asylum via safe modes of transport has been made technically impossible (anyone suspected of seeking asylum won't be sold any tickets, won't be let through any security), and deadly dangerous and intentionally cruel towards everyone desperate enough to try anyway.
Unfortunately, many countries are like that, and the USA is not better than average even on the good side.
Nobody is forcing people to join the lottery. Nobody is in “limbo” against their will. it’s something that has a huge upside if you win, and little downside (apart from the Application fees).
Which country doesn’t do some kind of background check or information gathering when letting you in (except for tourism of course).
It’s extremely onerous to get a tourist visa to the EU if you’re an Indian citizen for example. Or it used to be.
They want your bank balances to make sure you aren’t going to just get on welfare.
Yup, and that pushes a nationalistic agenda even if not intentional. We're exceptional, so everyone else is mediocre and such border policies don't seem that strange? IMO a historical example of where being exceptional led us is the Trail of Tears.
Moving in the direction away from exceptionalism and more towards doing as other countries do is a simpler story toward reaching cooperation / peace than the alternative. Since if you don't, then you have to force your ideals on others, or every conversation just ends with "but we're exceptional and you aren't".
Freedom to be surprised by prices at restaurants because of extraneous fees/expected tips added on.
Freedom to be selected for a mystery vacation to a compound in El Salvador without due process.
Freedom (in many states) to receive a rent increase with only a short notice to decide to move or pay increased rent.
Freedom to be held liable for government administrative errors until you can definitively prove otherwise, with the freedom to voluntarily pay a lawyer an hourly rate to decode arcane caselaw.
Freedom to enjoy a spontaneous job hunt after a market downturn.
Freedom to partake in a reduced quality of life because someone sues you for arbitrary reasons over an ambiguous law where you need to pay for a lawyer to defend yourself.
Freedom to be imposed extraneous fees that you signed up for, clearly disclosed in fine print on page 18 of a Terms document you clicked “Agree” to.
Freedom to pay a third-party company/accountant to help you find the magic number the IRS already knows what to charge you.
As an American, I’m kind of not liking some of these freedoms we are granted.
1. Can’t walk about drinking a beer.
2. Can’t carry too much cash or it’s at risk of being confiscated.
3. Criminalization of walking. https://illinoislawreview.org/print/vol-2017-no-3/the-crimin...
4. Pretty much have to own a car in most places.
5. Thousands of polling stations closed since the Voting Rights Act was gutted.
6. Federal politics held hostage by low population states. It’s insane that North Dakota has slightly less federal power than Texas.
7. Not even the House of Representatives has proportional representation.
Hey, electric scooters are not the worst ever (although I got hit by a truck while riding one and decided to get a car just because I don't like getting hit by trucks)
So actually the lesson apparently was don't attempt to pass vehicles on a scooter, more speed is bad.
Regarding #1-- is it possible you have a drinking problem?
You don't have to be an alcoholic (I don't even drink) to agree that with OP that #1 is an arbitrary reduction of freedom. Especially when walking around with a gun is totally fine. Which one has a larger potential of killing somebody?
(And before you make some other ridiculous insinuation, we're talking here about walking, not driving.)
You are talking about America
That's two very different things
If someone with experience could explain why 1x6 people should be charged a higher price than 6x1 people, I am curious.
As an American, I recognize there are systems that can make us less free and I want to call them out in hopes that we will eventually address these issues so we have a more free society.
Various countries have laws to prevent at least some subset of the issues I’ve raised.
This is a lot better than the choice between allowing them to go through our files or not entering the country, but it's still pretty gross.
The people being deported are those calling for genocide. Good riddance. You do not have a right to come to this country to organize a foreign country's wars.
_anything_ here presumably doesn't include freedom of movement of when you find yourself in an El Salvador concentration camp.
Next up: How to replace your Real Madrid tattoo by obtaining a skin graft
They are still unreasonable searches enabled since and by the patriot act.
Mind you, this is for entering the country that considers itself the freest in the world...