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Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

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Re: Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

#251

Post by aliston »

spin wrote: post #207
twoodfin wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then they'll ask you to expand on arbitrary details of your short boring story, and unless you're a very good liar you'll be in trouble. People are always reporting odd conversations with border agents. When those conversations result in further scrutiny or being denied admittance, they can appear sinister or arbitrary in retrospect. But it's a basic behavioral profiling technique: Take a random walk down a conversat…

Don't ever lie. Lying to a cop is a crime. (and/or it could get you into worse trouble later on...) But, like the parent-poster said: tell a simple, boring story. (You think that you're out to have fun on this exciting new adventure in life... your vacation!, your new business trip!, whatever. But they're looking for anything strange. They are bored, boring, unimaginative government bureaucrats. Give them the simple,…

Yeah, that's just a bizarre thing to say.

Re: Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

#253

Post by xacaxulu »

I'm a US Citizen, currently living abroad. I dread going through CBP when I have to come back through the Orwellian gauntlet. It's as if anyone who wants to travel outside of the US is unpatriotic. I couldn't believe how nice and professional Mexican, Belizean and Guatemalan customs agents have treated me, especially considering the disdain and contempt a seemingly large proportion of US border officials hold for members of those same countries.

Re: Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

#254

Post by rfnslyr »

berntb wrote: post #106
swombat wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I am a hard line atheist [...]. Idealists lie to themselves and others, because they mix up their self image with their opinions -- or they are just propagandists (since they know they are correct, the target is "winning", not learning.) Right. No contradiction there.

Hey, you almost got the self irony... here is half a cookie. :-) More seriously: There is a serious position to have -- identify with the process of getting your opinions _less_ wrong, not with a particular set of opinions. In fact, there is no contradiction. Anyway, this is not the subject of the discussion.

What are you going on about mate?

Re: Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

#255

Post by steven2012 »

fn wrote: post #159
blisterpeanuts wrote: post #67

U.S. Immigration agents are trained to look for certain traits in visitors: nervousness, unusual or inconsistent answers to questions, history of visiting certain countries. Any of these characteristics trigger an automatic escalation in the interrogation process. This individual, albeit sounding perfectly innocent, unfortunately triggered several hot buttons and the hapless agents were too unimaginative, uninformed,…

> I was born in Canada as it clearly states on my US passport Just wondering why you didn't enter Canada with your Canadian passport then?

He could also use his birth certificate as well.

Re: Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

#256

Post by dnautics »

tnuc wrote: post #76

He tried to enter on the US Visa Waiver program. If the guard doesn't like you then you don't get in. Getting a visa in advance does make the guard do more paperwork if they refuse entry. From some US gov website; --- To use the program, visitors must waive all rights of review or appeal of decisions made by an immigration officer and all rights to contest action in deportation except for asylum.

moreover, he considers it a system with graft to be preferable to what he endured in the US, which basically is an attitude of massive entitlement. While I personally believe a person should generally have the right to unconditionally enter any country, this guy doesn't (as evidenced by his excitement and apparent delight at passing through border controls). So, what, is 'getting the green light' some sort of personal validation? And getting rejected such a huge personal affront that he will never go back to the US because he knew he couldn't bribe one of the officers?

Re: Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

#257

Post by VexXtreme »

Nrsolis wrote: post #200
bighi wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your country is constantly under attack? It's as varied in culture and population as Europe? You can go from poor to billionaire? Dude, I surely want to smoke what you're smoking.

Please level up on your reading comprehension and see if you care to reframe your criticism. And Lloyd Blankfein grew up in a housing project in Brooklyn. In fact, the same housing project that Jay-Z did. It turns out that where hard work and preparation meet opportunity, there is luck to be won. I was born here as the child of two lower-class immigrant parents from different parts of the globe. Now I'm a one percent…

So Europe is shitty because your mom almost got killed by her government? How about tens of millions of native Americans who were systematically exterminated by their government?

While America was founded on some really great and unique ideas and concepts (your declaration of independence comes to mind), the execution is less than stellar. That in and of itself wouldn't be a problem if you wouldn't claim that you're somehow better and more exceptional than everyone else.

You don't believe there aren't other places in the world where people go from rags to riches on daily basis and where opportunities are abound? You think the rest of the world lives in caves and mud houses? The best way to remedy that would be to get a passport and get out more.

Re: Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

#258

Post by igravious »

kaybe wrote: post #244
ma2rten wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To me as an European it already crazy enough, that the US even interviews it's own citizens. In the EU if you are an EU citizen you just get waived though at immigration. (At might still get checked later at customs but that is a 1 in 100 chance).

I do however find it slightly irritating that no ID at all is needed to fly from Germany to Sweden. Repeatedly, the only thing needed at all was the number on the e-ticket. Not even a check of whether the ticket was in my name.

Do you need ID to travel from L.A. to Phoenix?

Re: Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

#259

Post by userulluipeste »

Nrsolis wrote: post #193
DanBC wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> and nearly as varied in customs, socioeconomics, and population as Europe. You can even stretch that to language in some parts of the USA. Try and get around South Miami without at least a smattering of Spanish language ability. 40 European languages: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/languages/... (That's just for starters.) In my rural county in England we have something like 120 different languag…

I think you're deliberately misunderstanding me. And that's fine. I'm definitely detecting a bunch of do-as-I-say type of sentiment. But my mother fled a country (her European home country and the country of her birth) that tried to kill her and every one like her. SO...please pardon me if I don't agree to entertain your Europe is oh-so-much-better than the US diatribe. If one persons difficult experience can indict…

"But my mother fled a country (her European home country and the country of her birth) that tried to kill her and every one like her."

Bad things happen, US has its own sins with wiped-out indigenous populations. The idea is to correct ourselves and to make things better. Apologetic attitudes aren't helpful in this regard. BTW, which is that European country if you don't mind?

Re: Why I Will Never Go Back to the United States

#260

Post by smileysteve »

raverbashing wrote: post #107
NateDad wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're wrong, and I'm sorry that people like you are the ones working on the border. He was obviously travelling all around the world sight-seeing. He had tons of proof of that. The border patrol were paranoid and idiotic. Keeping random people out who "seem" like they might be dangerous is not going to prevent any problems. It's just going to make the rest of the world hate us more.

"He was obviously travelling all around the world sight-seeing" This is not so obvious. This is one of the possible points of view, of course. "He had tons of proof of that" For example? I'm not sure other countries stamp a reason for entry like the US, it's usually an entry stamp for anything and that's it. I'm also sympathetic to the author, but he was extremely naive. The border control doesn't want to hear about…

> The border control doesn't want to hear about nice food or nice wildlife or other blah blah blah. Direct and cooled down answers will do. "On Vacation" is fine.

This is a horrible way to greet people to come visit and spend money in your country.

My experiences traveling abroad are that most of the other countries have agents that don't make you feel like you are a burden or threat. Imagine actually feeling welcomed when you visit a lush vacation spot.

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