muesli

I guess that means I won't be able to visit my friends in the US for the foreseeable future. That's incredibly sad, but at some point you just got to take a stance and make a decision. Several lines have been crossed, and for me personally that's just one too many.

Dear American friends: only you can fix this horrible mess. Go and vote.

Jun 1, 2019 at 5:44pmWeb
Show threadRussJun 1, 2019
@fribbledom fwiw it's still "optional" for ESTA - I just filled it in the other day (and ignored that question). I think that article applies to people who are required to apply for a visa.
Show threadmuesliJun 1, 2019

@russss

Yes, it doesn't apply to everyone as I understand the news. However it used to be optional for years and apparently that changed today/yesterday. So you may have just been lucky this time. I'm sure they'll make it mandatory for everyone. It's just the logical next step.

Show threadmuesliJun 1, 2019

@russss

Also keep in mind that the ESTA is merely a travel authorization. I'm not sure what it's like for UK citizens, but at least the rest of Europe still needs to apply for a visa to visit the states (even though you can do it on arrival and it used to be more of a formality).

Show threadRussJun 1, 2019
@fribbledom I think the rest of Europe is treated the same as the UK - it's a visa waiver rather than a visa-on-arrival - but ultimately that doesn't make much difference if they decide they don't like you.
Show threadmuesliJun 1, 2019

@russss

I guess you're right, technically it's not a proper visa, even though they still call it "Tourist Visa" on the German forms.

Show threadShy bunnyJun 1, 2019
@fribbledom It’s as you surmise - this new “social media” disclosure requirement isn’t for ESTA (the visa waiver program), yet, only actual visas (H-1B, O-1, etc). Almost certainly just a matter of time - another few years, and I’d be surprised if it doesn’t shift to being mandatory for the visa waiver program as well.
Show threadThe DoctorJun 1, 2019
@fribbledom Directives like this are set at the discretion of the agency. They don't get voted on.
Show threadmuesliJun 1, 2019

@drwho

Of course. You do vote for the people who are in charge and supervising that agency though.

Show threadThe DoctorJun 1, 2019

@fribbledom "Supervising."

Agencies' directors are in charge, and in theory responsible for the policies the govvies under them set, but in practice it's really hard to get them to do anything about any of those policies. The govvies "above" the directors stay hands-off.

Show threaduuimJun 1, 2019
@fribbledom the US is making itself irrelevant & isolated; great at making shiny state-of-the-art consumer crap, but not leading edge tech. e.g. Tesla lithium battery cars ain't where it's at. Buggy ""self-driving"" cars neither.
Show threadDirk Jun 1, 2019
@fribbledom My cousin and her husband have been planning to emigrate. He's in the US, she's been caught in red tape limbo for more than a year by now ...
Show threadFrancis Theodore CatteJun 1, 2019
@fribbledom been trying for years but unfortunately our electoral system is a stacked deck, so getting any headway against corporte funded politicians is really, really difficult.
Show threadchebraJun 1, 2019
@FrankTheCat @fribbledom ad corporate funded, why would that matter? Do voters always go like "Yeah, this guy has the most money, so I'm gonna vote for him"? Voters have the power to make corporate funding irrelevant. They want you to think that your vote is irrelevant, that your idea about morality doesn't stand a chance against raw money. They want you to give up before the fight, that's how they win. But it's just in your mind
Show threadJesse LexJun 1, 2019

@fribbledom As an Ameican, I fully support this boycott. I didn't vote for this mess, I became temporarily disabled for a few months, but I've been trying to fight the mess as much as I can. . .from the liberal bastion of Chicago, which doesn't feel like much except I guess I have to support the existence of a bastion, too.

I'm hoping the hypothesis that 2016 was an electoral blip caused by Financial Crisis discouraging Millenials from building families & moving to suburbs proves true. . .

Show threadJesse LexJun 1, 2019
@fribbledom But I also plan to keep fighiting. . .
Show threadJesse LexJun 1, 2019
@fribbledom Thing I hate is that this will be permanent damage that will take a long time to recover from (unless Dems get enough seats in Congress to impeach judges). Trump & McConnell have worked hard to pack the courts & even though the states have seen some liberal backlash in 2018, there's A LOT of work to educate rural people to understand that the GOP doesn't really care about them. Dems have only had success they have because of high population & urban states. Need yo fight to. . .
Show threadJesse LexJun 1, 2019

@fribbledom . . .get country more on the same page. Crazy comparing today's electoral maps to older ones as wins were much more obvious then.

Sorry, I'm wonking out. I'm hard stopping.

Show threadDustin WilsonJun 2, 2019
@fribbledom I sure hope we can fix this country, but it's going to take more than just voting I fear.