• Arkouda@lemmy.ca
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    13 hours ago

    The US is not safe to travel to and you do not have a legitimate reason to travel there now. Keep this in your mind regardless of what reason you think contradicts this. It is not safe.

    • Miles O'Brien@startrek.website
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      11 hours ago

      As an American, seconded.

      I’m trapped here, don’t YOU risk being kidnapped and trapped here or sent somewhere worse just because you wanted to see the Grand Canyon.

      • Arkouda@lemmy.ca
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        11 hours ago

        I am honestly wondering how long it will be before you are eligible for refugee claims in the world with the state of affairs in your country. You aren’t trapped though! Come to Canada! We have a bunch of issues now, but it will be a breathe of fresh air compared to the issues you face.

          • Arkouda@lemmy.ca
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            10 hours ago

            Why isn’t it that simple? People leave their countries for a better life everyday. If the situation is as bad as claimed I can see no reason why regardless of complexity it isn’t the option chosen.

        • ohshit604@sh.itjust.works
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          10 hours ago

          You aren’t trapped though! Come to Canada!

          And this is how we achieved a population greater than what our housing can support. Unless you’re ready to fork over 1200-2k a month for a 1 bedroom & 1 bathroom then I would advise against this.

          • CII_RX@lemm.ee
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            5 hours ago

            People are already forking over that kind of money in the US, and have been for years.

          • Arkouda@lemmy.ca
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            8 hours ago

            You should take a peak on what people in the US have to deal with before you go shitting on Canada.

            That also isn’t how we got into a housing crisis. That was because the Government stopped building houses, and turned real estate into the monster of an investment vehicle it is today.

      • Bonesince1997@lemmy.world
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        11 hours ago

        I don’t know about pain, but the hard way really is the best teacher. People can tell you things until they are blue in the face, you’ll shrug, and when the time comes you may find out what they were talking about. But it will only make sense at that point! Sometimes it can go another way. Sometimes.

    • P1nkman@lemmy.world
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      11 hours ago

      I have a friend who’s going there this weekend. Landing in Orlando, and will be driving to LA. I told him to be very careful!

        • skulblaka@sh.itjust.works
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          11 hours ago

          Flying in from outside the US during this time to then attempt to drive all the way across the South

          Both. It’s both. I hope they stay safe. There are like 4 different major threats to a foreigner on that route.

          • burgerchurgarr@lemmus.org
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            8 hours ago

            Just out of curiosity I know it’s a super long drive but are there like places there where it’s not safe? Have never been to the US

            • skulblaka@sh.itjust.works
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              7 hours ago

              In the South? Yes, definitely.

              1. The Mexico border is down there. This is worrisome, not because of the Mexicans, but because ICE gangs like to hang out near the border to try and catch runners. A lot of them are tied up in northern cities right now kidnapping citizens but I wouldn’t expect them to leave the southern border undefended.

              2. It’s extremely hot as fuck right now. Further south you go the worse it gets. I’m ~600 miles north of Orlando and it was 109F outside today (that’s about 43C) with over 50% humidity. When you pass through my home state of Louisiana you’ll be seeing closer to 115F/80%. With heat that high and humidity content that high heat stroke becomes extremely easy. You’ll be dealing with this from Florida through around maybe Texas where it starts to become a drier heat, with lower humidity, but places like Arizona used to hit 120F/49C before we were all talking about global warming.

              3. Southern Americans (as in, Southerners in the US, not people who live in South America, I know it’s confusing) are not all racist, but uh… you’ll see more who are, than aren’t. If you’re any shade of brown you’re going to have a rough time. If you speak with a “funny” accent you’re going to have a rough time. Armed racists populate huge swathes of the southern and midwestern US. This is statistically more likely to be just upsetting rather than directly harmful in most situations, but I wouldn’t want to roll those dice, it’s still very possible to find people who would just abduct and kill a foreigner they don’t like.

              Currently speaking, your biggest problems in the American South right now as a foreign tourist are going to be local racism and ICE. The local racism has been around forever and is mostly tolerable if you don’t take offense easily, but you can probably expect to be called some slurs right to your face in more than a few small towns. ICE is a newer and probably bigger problem at the moment. They have orders from the president to capture and deport more people than they will possibly be able to accomplish, so anyone who looks or sounds foreign and doesn’t have three forms of ID on them to prove citizenship is increasingly likely to get bagged, tagged, and dragged to a blacksite somewhere. I’m not confident that a tourist visa (or even a work visa) is going to stop them, it’s already been proven that actual valid citizenship doesn’t stop them.

            • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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              7 hours ago

              In general I think they’re mostly referring to the fact that the U.S is ridiculously BIG. Like, most visitors freak out at how long you can drive through almost nothing here, when going between major population areas.

              Driving through wilderness without a lot of extra water and a cellular connection, and maybe a spare tire, for example, is foolhardy.

              Along the way, especially in “The South”, you’ll find the loveliest, kindest people, but you’ll also find various, (probably politically motivated, lately) sadists/racists/bullies, some of which may be small-town law enforcement looking for excitement.

              The law can be more “flexible” without major oversight in such places, and with the cult of the orange tyrant emboldening the prejudiced lately, that could spell trouble.

              There’s also various kinds of unsavory types as you’d find in any other country; I’m talking criminals, swindlers, and various weirdos of ill intent, and some stretches of the country are remote. Like, “no signal and it goes on and on in all directions until you see the earth curve” remote.

              The vast majority of people are lovely, and would probably welcome and appreciate foreigners, the worst you’d deal with is getting a migraine from stupid but friendly questions about your accent or where you’re from.

              But like anywhere else, you need your wits about you.

              In short:

              Lovely place where many sights and adventures can be had! The biggest dangers are the roads and wilderness, basically.

              • Don’t mess with wildlife.
              • Don’t go off exploring remote areas in which you have no business
              • Don’t underestimate the wilderness and go unprepared.
              • Practice the same street smarts as you would anywhere else, like don’t go getting into strangers’ cars or accepting random open beverages.

              Setting aside the anomalous political tensions right now, the biggest danger to travelers to this country is seeing it as a big theme park where they can’t possibly put themselves in any danger. Your average park rangers have plenty of horror stories about that, I’m sure, like idiots trying to selfie in front of buffalo or stand on the edge of the Grand Canyon, or falling into Yellowstone’s tranquil but literally boiling hot springs…

              Don’t be that tragic idiot . . .and you’ll likely have a fantastic time.

              Hope this helps. :)

              • burgerchurgarr@lemmus.org
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                6 hours ago

                Thanks a lot, this is super helpful actually! Couldn’t imagine driving through areas for hours without reception or any signs of civilization, sounds kinda exciting and scary at the same time. Will definitely keep this saved

        • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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          7 hours ago

          I wish your friend safety in their travels!

          Lol what degree of douchebag would downvote your comment, holy cow LOL.

          I sincerely commend the positivity and kindness you’ve been bringing to this thread with warmly inviting people to flee to Canada.

          Edit: Although maybe you’re being a bit harsh further down. :( It doesn’t have to be so personal? People are just discussing stuff. Let’s not let the decisions of stupid men in power deter us from productive discussion.

      • Arkouda@lemmy.ca
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        11 hours ago

        The key word is “travel” thus excluding you and your family from the warning. Now go fix your shit instead of crying to someone who cannot.

        • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]@lemmy.sdf.org
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          11 hours ago

          But if I leave the country for any reason I have to come back. So then I have to travel into the country.

          Also that’s kind of an aggressive response for what I meant to be kind of a jokey comment?

          • Arkouda@lemmy.ca
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            10 hours ago

            But if I leave the country for any reason I have to come back.

            You don’t, and that has nothing to do with traveling to the US from another country, so that is why you get the “aggressive” response because I am tired of Americans chiming in with “Jokes” when their country is a fucking hell hole that is impacting everyone else.

            Leave, fix your shit, or stop crying to people negatively impacted by your people without adding anything meaningful to the conversation.

            • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]@lemmy.sdf.org
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              10 hours ago

              I am tired of Americans chiming in with “Jokes” when their country is a fucking hell hole that is impacting everyone else.

              Go through my post history. I’m literally an anarchist. I literally hate America and I literally want to abolish it. I am perfectly aware of how disgusting American influence is on the world—that’s why I’m making jokes about it. Joking about it is how some people cope with the crushing reality of capitalism. And honestly I thought these two comments were kinda tame.

              • Arkouda@lemmy.ca
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                10 hours ago

                You literally aren’t an Anarchist because you are literally living under the boot of a dictatorship. You likely wouldn’t survive an anarchist society, but you will grow out of that idea eventually I am sure.

                • PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S [he/him]@lemmy.sdf.org
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                  10 hours ago

                  You literally aren’t an Anarchist because you are literally living under the boot of a dictatorship.

                  No that’s not how it works. Anarchists are people who advocate for the abolition of all authorities and hierarchies, including but not limited to the State, capitalism, xenophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, etc. You don’t have to currently live in an anarchist society to be an anarchist.

                  You likely wouldn’t survive an anarchist society, but you will grow out of that idea eventually I am sure.

                  Well no I wouldn’t survive because everyone dies 😆. But I wouldn’t advocate for anarchism if I thought I was going to have a bad time.

                  But I want to gently push back against the “Mad Max” notion of “anarchy” that I think you’re working with. Most forms of anarchism actually call for people to work together, to form groups to get stuff done but without the violence inherent in the State and the inequalities of capitalism that States inevitably reinforce.

                  For more information, see Section A.1 of the Anarchist FAQ.

                  • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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                    7 hours ago

                    I like the way you explain your Anarchist stances. I’m a Christian Anarchist myself, and see anarchism as a society in a similar light as personally trying to be like Jesus: It may be a state of perfection we, in our imperfections, cannot attain, but if everyone was trying their best towards a cooperative society free of authoritarian hierarchal peepee-swinging, maybe things would be much better overall.

                    Daring to believe in a better world and exert whatever influence we have to do so, takes a strong inner fire, and a lot of people miss the point when they think we just wanna tear it all down without a plan and start from scratch next week and it would all be unicorns and rainbows overnight.

                  • Arkouda@lemmy.ca
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                    8 hours ago

                    No that’s not how it works. Anarchists are people who advocate for the abolition of all authorities and hierarchies, including but not limited to the State, capitalism, xenophobia, racism, sexism, transphobia, etc. You don’t have to currently live in an anarchist society to be an anarchist.

                    I know what Anarchists are, which is why I said one day you will grow out of it. As long as you abide by the laws and systems of the things you “advocate against” you are nothing more than a hypocrite like all other Anarchists.

                    Well no I wouldn’t survive because everyone dies 😆. But I wouldn’t advocate for anarchism if I thought I was going to have a bad time.

                    You are advocating for something that wouldn’t last, and would be a bad time for most involved. The idea of Anarchy may sound cool to you, but if you bring it to its logical conclusion it fails immediately. There is a reason why Anarchy didn’t embed itself as the default after we started forming larger and larger groups.

                    But I want to gently push back against the “Mad Max” notion of “anarchy” that I think you’re working with. Most forms of anarchism actually call for people to work together, to form groups to get stuff done but without the violence inherent in the State and the inequalities of capitalism that States inevitably reinforce.

                    Whatever idea of Anarchy that you are working with is misinformed. The state formed as a product of people grouping up and requiring structures and rules for everyone to coexist as peacefully as possible. If your idea of Anarchy is “Everyone works together to get stuff done without violence inherent in the state and the inequalities of capitalism” we have a name for that and it is called “Socialism”.