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U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

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Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#731
post #607

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Look around the thread and notice how little the comments defending these policies have to say about the policies themselves. Instead, what they all have in common is a vague underlying fear of being displaced, or sense that something owed to them is being taken.

"Instead, what they all have in common is a vague underlying fear of being displaced, or sense that something owed to them is being taken." This is true for both the citizens and the immigrants.

This comment is itself a perfect example of what I was talking about.

Nobody feels entitled to a visa. It’s aspirational, like applying to a job. People do it because they want a better life, knowing full well they could be denied, or that it may well be temporary.

But if you believe immigrants could take something from you, like your job or housing, then it makes sense you’d project this idea of entitlement onto them. As if by applying they’re implicitly laying claim to something owed to you, a citizen.

In reality the economy is not a fixed pie and nothing is being taken from you. Immigrants take jobs, but they also spend money, pay taxes, start businesses, and need houses built, all of which leads to more jobs. It’s a positive feedback loop that benefits everyone, and a big part of how America’s economy grew into what it is today.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#732
post #509

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everything they say is a lie.

By "they" it is that every single politician lies. So of course that is the tiniest small print of every promise any politician makes, such that once it is a promise broken it is someone else's fault and not theirs. Therefore their entire job is to lie.

This is a lazy take. It doesn't absolve you of being a poorly informed citizen.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#733

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's on purpose too. To send a clear signal that we don't want you. It's just a mobster way of doing it.

It's not a mobster way, more like a weasel way. The reason it is a weasel's move is because decisions at the consulate are made by consular officers who are career public workers and won't deny visas for arbitrary reasons. That is bad for the political leadership because they just don't want to issue visas. So they need to invent evasive moves to throttle the pipeline by adding trainings, background checks, and other…

> The reason it is a weasel's move is because decisions at the consulate are made by consular officers who are career public workers and won't deny visas for arbitrary reasons.

No? Visa can be denied for arbitrary reasons based on what executive branch of US. there have been multiple cases where it has been clear that visas are a privilige not a right. Visa needs a reason to be granted, by default it is denied.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#734

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cruelty is the point.

Like most internet meme phrases, this is both trite and inaccurate. The cruelty is not the point. This administration has decided foreigners are the scapegoat, and wants to get rid of as many as they can. It’s heartless, but cruelty is not the objective.

Cruelty is what their base voted for. This is fan service.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#735

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Speak for yourself, I voted for exactly these policies.

Thank you for posting. I'm being sincere. I think it is helpful to remind folk that these policies are not universally hated. Indeed a majority of voters voted specifically for them, and they were explicitly laid out. This is democracy in action. The majority (of those who care enough at all) get to rule over the minority (and the apathetic). Obviously not all actions will be universally loved, but no govt action can…

> This is democracy in action. The majority (of those who care enough at all) get to rule over the minority (and the apathetic).

I've always been confused about how "democracy" is good, but "tyranny of the majority" is bad.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#736
post #15

So for those that don't know, it's quite common for a visa renewal to be required to leave the country. Depending on the visa, you might have to do this every year. So just imagine, having a normal job in the US and you're asked to leave to renew your visa and this stuff happens. That's no more appointment, not even a new date and you're now very likely unable to work and possibly can't even enter the country to get…

There is no human right to have a US visa interview; everything is a privilege that can be withdrawn.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#737
post #698

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's one subset of Americans and not representative of all. NYC and Los Angeles are the biggest cultural exporting centers in the US and have none of that.

Big cities are indistinguishable from other big cities in other countries. All big cities mostly have the same culture. That's why I liked the Japanese perspective on us. They saw cool things that they liked and included in their fiction that contained us. If you want to experience American culture I recommend https://www.youtube.com/@PeterSantenello America doesn't have one culture. It has 500 cultures. But the ones…

[flagged]

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#738

This is really frustrating. I'm (native-born US citizen) naviagting the visa process with my future wife. She has no intentions of working (enjoys being NEET) and there's zero risk of her becoming a public charge (our hh gross income is closer to 7 digits than it is to 5 digits), very frustrating that we're getting screwed by this under the justification of labor market competition and public charge risk.

[flagged]

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#739
post #690

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I didn’t follow your casino allegory. Anyway I happen to agree that “pausing” is inhumane. What I’m trying to communicate is we didn’t get here in a vacuum. There is a real problem and good faith attempts have been made to curtail it by putting pressure via “taxes” on the “interests of capital” abusing H1B. Cooperation would have prevented this.

Is an un-rigged and meritocratic system possible if there are border controls? If not, then using words like "rigged" and "meritocratic" as a complaint about the current system can only mean that you want no border controls. If so, how? Every system I can think of can be rigged, and exclude people who have merit, resulting in a system which favors the rich and powerful.

I disagree.

Re: U.S. State Department pauses immigrant visa applications

#740

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The cruelty is the point.

Like most internet meme phrases, this is both trite and inaccurate. The cruelty is not the point. This administration has decided foreigners are the scapegoat, and wants to get rid of as many as they can. It’s heartless, but cruelty is not the objective.

Yes cruelty is the point for this admin and its voters. They think it makes them more manly looking. They openly brag about it. They glee in it. They go out of their way to endanger goals just to be cruel.

All of that is in the open, if you listen to what they say and watch what they do.

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