Yo-yo... strategy?

[AlainK]

Hi folks in the US,
This is a message from the rest of the world ...

We're living an exceptional moment in history, whether good or bad, depending on what size you're on.

Here in (old) Europe, we've been dumfounded by the aggressiveness of your new president.
We've been accustomed to his vulgarity (we don't "lick" his ass, don't grasp women by the pussy, etc.) but what he's doing now with tariffs looks so erratic, one day, 100%, the next morning, 10%.
Flabbergasting.

Frankly,I'm not sure he realizes what he's doing.
Or is he, is it a strategy ? Making chaos so his friends benefit for a slump in shares, buy, and make profit the next day when he says it gets back to normal, or almost.
But little fat orange man, this is not buisiness in your courtyard, this is geopolitics !

Or id it just the erratic path of someone everyone knows he's an ignorant. And rude. And who insults people. How can someone, a president, behave like that ?

Will the US citizens be better off ?
I doubt it, except for his court. What I'm sure of is that it will fuel more hatred between counries, peoples, and certainly not make our world better.

Actually, he sounds like a capo in a mafia movie : "Ill make an offer you can't refuse".
The rest of the world don't like racketteers, and whatever happens, they'll remember.

I'll make my first trip to he US in June. I didn't cancel my trip, because I'm a adult, not a spoilt child or a mafioso.
Everywhere I've been to - everywhere ! - I met nice people. I'll see for myself if US citizens are real people.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Everywhere I've been to - everywhere ! - I met nice people. I'll see for myself if US citizens are real people.

US citizens are just like everyone on this planet. They are mostly good, though there are a few bad. Most people focus on trying to live a good life, put food on the table, raise good kids, and save for retirement. Because of this, they tend to vote locally - and will often change their vote because the price of eggs is too high... versus being concerned about our friends in Europe, tariffs on China, or aggression in the Middle East. The current administration will be judged by history - a history that they will not write. How will current events be viewed ten years from now? We live in interesting times.

Let's not turn this thread into politics, or I will have to shut it down. I'd rather focus on multi-national friendship - and be an example of the friendly American you hope to experience on your visit. Where are you visiting? Do you want some suggestions?

 

[Glaucus]

Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica and some others are actually beautiful places to visit.

Only 22.5% of Americans voted for their current government. And of those 22.5%, many of them deeply regret their vote. By June, many more of them will understand that countries like China, Japan, Canada, UK, Luxemburg, Belgium, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Taiwan, are actually funding the US government and the US debt by buying their bonds and thus offering the US a low interest rate.

Sadly for those in the US, financial markets and foreign investors are starting to distrust the US. And this will cost the US taxpayer. Such trust is not easily regained.
Maybe next election, which likely will be the least fair election in US history, more US voters will realize the global economy is rigged by the US in the US favour. And not rigged against the US in the favour of Madagaskar or Bangladesh.
And that international trade is not a zero-sum game. And that the legitimate grievances of those in rural areas, in poorer communities, in the rust belt, are not with foreign countries, or immigrants. But with those in power. At first, those in power of the state. And second, the federal government.

If you do go and visit the US, people will be really nice. How 'real' they are, will be up to debate, though. But you are most likely to meet Americans that do want friendly relationships with other countries. And they will realize you are European and be very quick to make sure you know that they are on your side. It will be quite difficult to meet the other type of American, even if you try to meet them.

If you ever do meet the 'bad' American, they will be too cowardly to show their politics. They will know you are a French tourists and go 100% polite mode and avoid politics at any cost.

As bad as all these things are, as a tourist visiting the US, it actually has only upsides. The dollar will be softer, so everything will be cheaper. There will be less Canadian and other European tourists. And Americans will feel a need to be even more polite and gracious.

But still, those other North and some Central American countries look a lot more appealing.

As long as you are white, not trans, visiting on a tourism visa, and don't have bad posts about Trump on social media, you should have absolutely zero worries about visiting the US. Ignore the news posts about that one Canadian actress, or European professor, or Australian MMA coach, getting thrown in jail by TSA or ICE. Millions of Europeans visit the US without any problem. You will surely enjoy your time there.

If you absolutely need to be 100% sure that there's no way you end up in an El Salvadorian horror prison, without any for form of due process, visit Canada!

 

[Time Wizard]

I'll make my first trip to he US in June. I didn't cancel my trip, because I'm a adult, not a spoilt child or a mafioso.

Every sentence of your post is childish, passive aggressive, and condescending. Especially that one.

Respectfully, Don't base your view of a foreign country on sensationalist headlines and movies and you won't be surprised to find out that most people there are normal and kind.

 

[AlainK]

Don't base your view of a foreign country on sensationalist headlines and movies

Do you ?
I don't.

you won't be surprised to find out that most people there are normal and kind.

I'm pretty sure this will be the case.

Everywhere I went, I met very nice people, even people I could hardly speak with, but hospitality was something that was beyond words.

But "Trumpism" is antinomic to "trust", it's synonym of hatred, greed, decieving and betrayal.

One you can't trust is not a friend, someone who was a friend and betrays you is your worst enemy. Someone who stabs you n the back. The Trump Caesar is someone that will kill you if if can make profit, which the pitiful clown you chose as a president is doing all the time because his "values" is money, money, money... Not yours ! HIS !

And he doesn't care a fig about the thousands of children taken away to be "russified" by his "friend", Putin : Ha! What does ghe care about people, the constitution, humanist values ?

Nothing.

But I will meet the other half : the US citizens (and immigrants probably) that hold the values of the founding fathers that led to what Trump wants to discard : Liberty, Equality, Fraternity. I hope a majority of US citizens will wake up...

 

[AlainK]

I'd rather focus on multi-national friendship - and be an example of the friendly American you hope to experience on your visit. Where are you visiting? Do you want some suggestions?

I know civilized people shouldn't talk about politics or religion.

I do appreciate the tone, and the meaning of your post.

But it's hard to keep calm when you're insulted, I mean not you, but the person who represents you. Hundreds of dead, more wounded, OK, Ukraine is far from where you are. Your president (whether you voted for him or not) is ready to sacrifice hundred of thousands of people, Ukrainian citizens, European citizens, for his OWN PROFIT. Can you support that ?

 

[Time Wizard]

What the hell are you talking about

 

[Glaucus]

Actually, maybe I was wrong. There's a whole bunch of new stories of European tourists that get put in jail upon arrival in the US, suffer humiliating treatment, and are then deported.
Several US cabinet ministers felt like they needed to address these concerns after questions from the media.
So no, it is not safe right now to travel to the US. Even for naturalized US citizens.
The odds are small, but if you are unlucky, things can go really badly.
Check with your government on which travel warnings for the US are currently into effect. Canada and several European countries put out new advice & warnings for those planning to travel to the US.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I promised myself I would not get worked up about these types of conversations. If one is inclined to visit the U.S., you will not discern a difference between this administration and the last when you come. One can always protest trumps actions and not come, but if you choose to come really nothing changed. If you choose to spend your time in The U.S. on a college campus destroying property and intimidating people, you may very well find yourself in trouble or on a flight home. And you should expect that. The news is very politically charged and is intended to rile us up. Times Square, for example, is not. It’s the same tourist trap it always was.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I promised myself I would not get worked up about these types of conversations. If one is inclined to visit the U.S., you will not discern a difference between this administration and the last when you come. One can always protest trumps actions and not come, but if you choose to come really nothing changed. If you choose to spend your time in The U.S. on a college campus destroying property and intimidating people, you may very well find yourself in trouble or on a flight home. And you should expect that. The news is very politically charged and is intended to rile us up. Times Square, for example, is not. It’s the same tourist trap it always was.

I don't know man, the travel advice from my country is still in the green but they made quite the remarks about potential shooting hazards and receiving (health)care as a minority. A couple of my coworkers skipped a congress because they have Arab and Spanish names out of fear of getting ICE'd.
If you come to the EU as an American, better say you're Canadian once you're past border security. I say this with the best intentions for your safety and mostly your ease of travel.

In regards to protests, yeah, we have Americans setting fire to our universities as well. They don't get into much trouble as we protect our rights to protest tooth and nail. Because we know what can happen if a government takes away those rights..
I don't agree with many of these protests, but I will defend their right to do so. My tax money is paying for the damages, that's alright.

 

[dbonsaiw]

don't agree with many of these protests, but I will defend their right to do so.

I will protect the right to protest as well. Protests and violence, however, are just not the same. This is not the way we should be living in western nations. Trump will come and go. The problems in our society are here to stay. Trump isn't the problem, we are all the problem. We all collectively contribute to making the world a shittier place. And we usually pave the road to hell with good intentions.

I don't know man, the travel advice from my country is still in the green but they made quite the remarks about potential shooting hazards and receiving (health)care as a minority. A couple of my coworkers skipped a congress because they have Arab and Spanish names out of fear of getting ICE'd.
If you come to the EU as an American, better say you're Canadian once you're past border security. I say this with the best intentions for your safety and mostly your ease of travel.

Sorry to say, but seems like a whole lot of projection going on here. You have made it clear that it's not the same nowadays for Americans travelling in Europe. And that's a shame. But that's on you guys. It's just not the case here (at least not in NYC). Here in the US, we simply do not care about these things as much as you may believe we do. I'm in NYC all day and it's still packed with tourists. There are no shootings. Most Americans are absolutely clueless what is going on in the world in any event. Americans don't have a position on an issue, because they don't even know there's an issue. NYC is probably something like 50% Spanish speaking even without tourists. Hispanic or Arab names are kind of par for the course here, not some rare thing that sticks out.

I cannot think of a single American who has any ill-will towards an EU citizen because of tariff issues. Assuming the American is even conscious of EU politics, maybe we don't care for Macron or whatever, Maybe they are Trump cheerleaders. But to have animosity towards the citizenry of a foreign country, that seems to be a trait reserved for others' treatment of Americans. You can visit or not - no one here will notice or care. No one will care if you say you are visiting from Europe of Canada or South America. It seems completely insane to me for an Englishman or Frenchman to get upset at a visitor because he is American. Rest assured, however, if you are here you can freely tell people where you come from. Really, nobody will care. The best you can expect is an attempt to sound like you with a bad American accent. Or someone may say "hey you're from the Netherlands, do you know my friend Jim?", as if there are only 6 people in the Netherlands who all know each other.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I will protect the right to protest as well. Protests and violence, however, are just not the same. This is not the way we should be living in western nations. Trump will come and go. The problems in our society are here to stay. Trump isn't the problem, we are all the problem. We all collectively contribute to making the world a shittier place. And we usually pave the road to hell with good intentions.

These protesters believe they are making that shittier place a better one. I mean, a burned down empty university wing is less of an issue than genociding a population. That's what these kids are protesting against.
I'm sitting at home arguing with a stranger.. They do more than I do to make the world better. Or at least they're trying.
The road to hell is paved with the best intentions, but let's not forget that the whole heaven and hell thing is in place so that people try to do good, so they themselves can go to heaven. A priori that is a selfish thing to wish for, doing good to others so that you get better treatment in the afterlife.

The European opinion is way too complex to write down in a single sentence, but we're having some issues here that are a direct result of the US foreign policies. It's not just the tarrifs. It's like having a big brother that helped you out in a fight once, and you had to pay him back for it, and now he's getting in and out of trouble and you have to jump in to do damage control each time, and the whole neighborhood thinks bad of you because it's your big brother. They come knocking at your door at night, asking for help because he kind of laid their house in ashes. And now his new girlfriend thinks you're a loser and keeps telling she'll fix things while she pours oil on the fire and calls you stupid, and also she's eyeing the room next to yours because she feels like she would run the household a lot better. It doesn't help that those neighbors are now in our backyards waving bicycle chains and stabbing and shooting at each other.
That is the sentiment. You don't have to agree with it, you don't have to understand it, just be aware that it is what it is.
The average native European will treat most people with respect, unless they're French. But that only goes so far, the latest political activities are too much. Our news outlets are eating popcorn while they write articles and that certainly fuels the fire, they, and all of us, are not without blame for publishing and reading every fart in the white house.

I can spend hours criticizing the European union, I've been doing it for decades. Heck, our politicians are bigger clowns than Vance sometimes. But I just as easily have an opinion of other countries and the way they're governed and they way they interact with others - it is in my opinion part of being a world citizen.

 

[dbonsaiw]

I'm not getting into an argument with you about "genocide". You have your opinions and biases and I really don't care enough to try to change your opinion. When violence is acceptable because you've decided the ends justify the means, please don't criticize Trump. The ends justify the means to him as well. You are simply advocating for the same - you just think it's ok because it's not directed at you. Burning down a university is simply never acceptable. I assume you would agree that the January 6 rioters were also "protesting" huh? Destroying some "empty" congressional buildings is less of an issue than "stealing an election". You really don't seem to understand the whole notion of rule of law. Is it your position that everyone can break the law and cause violence so long as they believe they are in the right? Is that how you think things should work? I do not want to live in a society like this.

My point was a very simple one - EU citizens seem to hate individual Americans who visit their country. You said we have to lie about our country of origin or there may be consequences. My point was that this doesn't exist in America. Nobody cares where you come from (except one place that doesn't apply to you). IF NY 10 years ago was something that interested you, it's the same today. Nobody here is going to treat you badly because of where you are visiting from. This is a sickness that only the EU suffers from. Please don't project it on us.