(This is not directed at the Good Americans I know, obviously. You're all welcome to take refuge here.)
This fingerprinting of selected people entering the US is really bugging me on multiple levels. However, I assumed that people in the US would be just as annoyed by it as everyone else. Some of them are not. And here are a few choice quotes, revealing an insularity and downright ignorance that still manages to stun me:
I hadn't considered the tourist aspect of it.
and
I don't even think that tourism will be affected too negatively based on the rules in place. Most of the countries with citizens rich enough for international tourism are exempt anyway. And the super-rich of the countries who are not exempt don't account for enough people to be of enough consequence. Bad press and misinformation about the rules [...] will probably have more of a negative impact.
(If you wrote either of these, and you want me to credit you for it, please let me know. It feels a little churlish to point at people and say "HE said that!")
What really amazes me, though, is the sheer temerity of the American authorities in protesting Brazil's requirement of fingerprints from visiting Americans. I mean... what? what the hell? It's ok for the US to do it, but not any other country?
This fingerprinting of selected people entering the US is really bugging me on multiple levels. However, I assumed that people in the US would be just as annoyed by it as everyone else. Some of them are not. And here are a few choice quotes, revealing an insularity and downright ignorance that still manages to stun me:
I hadn't considered the tourist aspect of it.
and
I don't even think that tourism will be affected too negatively based on the rules in place. Most of the countries with citizens rich enough for international tourism are exempt anyway. And the super-rich of the countries who are not exempt don't account for enough people to be of enough consequence. Bad press and misinformation about the rules [...] will probably have more of a negative impact.
(If you wrote either of these, and you want me to credit you for it, please let me know. It feels a little churlish to point at people and say "HE said that!")
What really amazes me, though, is the sheer temerity of the American authorities in protesting Brazil's requirement of fingerprints from visiting Americans. I mean... what? what the hell? It's ok for the US to do it, but not any other country?
.