Stechlinger
stuxβ‘οΈRandom poll:
Would you visit the US in it's current state? Either for vacation or travel. For Americans, imagine you would visit your country from somewhere else
Yes
No
I don't know
Poll ended at .
Tim Ward βπͺπΊπΆ #FBPE@stux There are at least three showstopper reasons now, in the order in which they manifested themselves, any one of which would be sufficient to keep me away on its own:
(1) the guns
(2) the plague [on the plane to get there]
(3) the nazis who are now running the place
Vysogota@TimWardCam, hey don't forget the cavity search and electronic device ransacking when you land there. Which were the reasons I've never considered going there even before the current nazi leadership // @stux
@petko @stux On my one and only visit to the Lower 48 (I found Hawaii and Alaska much more friendly) the thing that put me off, immediately on arrival, was the policeman in the arrivals hall with his hand hovering over his gun. Whether he was actually dying for an excuse to shoot someone, or whether he was just shit scared of this totally harmless crowd of tourists and business travellers, I don't know. But it was by far my scariest arrival in any country. (Boston, 1980s.)
@TimWardCam @stux wow... even before 9/11????
Howitzer105mm has moved@TimWardCam @petko @stux The armed law enforcement officers are not unique to the USA.
I traveled to Taipei in 1990, with a stop in Seoul preceding, and the Korean officers had submachine guns in hand.
Last year I was in Munich and it was the same.
I could readily understand Korea given the tensions between north and south.
I was surprised about Munich.
jack@Howitzer105mm @TimWardCam @petko @stux my first time flying commercially since childhood, visiting Australia in 2010, stopover in Singapore and the airport police had actual revolvers in belt holsters - they didn't seem nervous though
but coming from London I was used to seeing police officers wandering round public spaces with assault rifles
@Howitzer105mm @petko @stux Most armed police I've seen elsewhere in the world look as if they've completely forgotten they've got a gun on them - but not that guy.
But yes, police with machine guns in UK airports. And at party conferences. And in the Palace of Westminster. Usually these are in pairs, and they seem to try to arrange that one of the pair is a young girl, presumably deliberately so as to look as unthreatening as possible in the circumstances.
(At party conferences and Westminster I say "thank you for looking after us" as I leave. See picture for why.)
richh@TimWardCam @Howitzer105mm @petko @stux
"But yes, police with machine guns in UK airports."
Just to be entirely pedantic, British police don't have any assault rifles or machine guns. The Home Office take the reasonable view that civilians shouldn't possess such things, not even warranted civilians in Police uniform.
British Police have always been restricted to semi-auto - back when they used MP5s, they were specced with a semi-auto trigger group and called it a "carbine rifle". It lacked the burst/full-auto selector that military MP5s had.
The view is that if you need full-auto, you call for Blue Thunder and get Hereford involved.
That's the case for mainland GB. Not sure if PSNI (routinely armed) have anything bigger in the armoury.
@richh @TimWardCam @petko @stux @LeelaTorres I stayed a very long way away from the Korean personnel, making it hard to determine their demeanor.
The Munich security were patrolling, and at least one had the subgun in hand. I think that group was in a more relaxed posture. Keine Lederhosen.
I think it's easy to agree a semi automatic subgun is superior to a semi automatic handgun in just about every conceivable use case.
In Munich had more pressing concerns than security.
The Munich security were patrolling, and at least one had the subgun in hand. I think that group was in a more relaxed posture. Keine Lederhosen.
I think it's easy to agree a semi automatic subgun is superior to a semi automatic handgun in just about every conceivable use case.
In Munich had more pressing concerns than security.
Skyport Radio@richh @TimWardCam @Howitzer105mm @petko @stux True, but if Hereford did turn up they would likely be in police uniform so Joe public wouldn't know the difference
@skyportradio That definitely wouldn't happen. All sorts of legal & ethical issues dressing military personnel as civvie Police officers. To say nothing of local confusion/chain-of-command issues.
They'd likely be in nondescript black, rather than military green, but would not be bearing any sort of Police insignia. Might blend in from a distance but wouldn't fool the media for long.
There's no real secrecy in such cases - use of military force for domestic/policing/CT purposes requires Ministerial approval, so is necessarily open to later Parliamentary scrutiny. Albeit they won't name units, but they can't refuse to answer questions on domestic military deployment.
Quite different from military deployments where the MOD will just no-comment SF operations.
Also, we know the Home Office don't have any problem acknowledging military deployment in such circumstances - it happened as recently as 2020:
@richh ah ok interesting, I assumed they would just blend in with the police. Only came across them once during an exercise, they looked like the armed police who were also there, black helmets and black uniforms, but I don't remember if they had insignia or not.
@Howitzer105mm Pretty much everywhere has armed Police in airports - even the UK. Whilst we're unusual in British Police (your regular bobbies) not being routinely armed (at least away from key London locations), pretty much every BTP (British Transport Police) officer is authorised on firearms, and they routinely carry in airports - from sidearms up to carbines. Also major rail stations (again, mostly London), but not so much on the rest of the network.
They're also (mostly) extremely chill and not giving off itchy-trigger-finger vibes. Although they're probably a bit jumpy this week.
Leela Torres
Signor Q. π¦©@Howitzer105mm ItΒ΄s b/c of 9/11 and the following attempts of other people. The changed the aviation security act a few years afterwards.
Cali Gem
Mike Spooner@TimWardCam @petko @stux Around the same time, UK visitors to the US were asked on the plane whether they "were or ever had been a boy scout". Even just for 6 months at age 13, was enough to be denied disembarcation.
@shelldozer what??? really? why?
@petko at the time in the US, the Boy Scouts were viewed as a communist organisation. Yes, the 80's.
Biggles 20X6!@petko @TimWardCam @stux fingerprinting was before 9/11, I'll never travel to the US while they consider me a crook just for visiting.
Monica Rooney@TimWardCam @stux theyβd never let me in because of whatβs on my phone and my Mastodon
Innocuous In Innisfil Has Moved@monicarooney @TimWardCam @stux
Same. I would be disappeared quicker than a bucket of KFC on Air Force One....
Yet another Josh 
[4] With this partial government shutdown shit, TSA and air traffic controllers are basically enslaved (forced work without pay). FAA has announced a serious curtailing of flights.
Sick-outs are also a thing. So even if they can't legally unionize, whoops, "SICK".
This country isn't safe for anything for the foreseeable future. Stay away, and stay away from any planes that come through airspace.
@crankylinuxuser @stux I'm sure some version of the I'M SAFE rule applies to ATCOs just as it does to pilots. It is absolutely correct to declare yourself sick if you decide (and it's only you that can decide) you're unsafe because of, say, lying awake at night worrying about how to feed the children.
Thats the problem. We already faced something like this 44 years ago. The employees lost, when Reagan fired all of them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_Professional_Air_Traffic_Controllers_Organization_strike
In the USA, we also have no real employment policies that humanize humans. I could even be fired for this social media comment if my employer found and disapproved it.
We also have 0 guaranteed sick leave. I used to work in food service (Subway, Starbucks, Donatos - pizza). I routinely showed up sick, infecting peoples' food. If I tried to call in sick, I would be threatened with 0 hour weeks or fired. Both are completely legal, too.
The USA now is a culmination of thousands of factors that really make us a 3rd world pariah state with a 1st world military. And they will(?), no, have already used the military against the citizenry.
ReallyCanadianFly@crankylinuxuser @TimWardCam @stux the real problem back then was that the population supported him. As long as the slaves think they're free, nothing changes. Some good developments recently though, I hope they're a trend.
RootWyrm πΊπ¦
@crankylinuxuser @TimWardCam @stux so guess what?
They have absolutely nothing to lose by walking off the job. They cannot be replaced. It takes over a year to train an air traffic controller, and there are nowhere near enough trainers or classroom space to replace all of them.
Saint Dementia's handlers had already planned for it. They had ATCs ready to go.
There are no replacements.
And all they have to do is point out that they're being forced to work with no pay and no backpay. AKA slavery
@crankylinuxuser @TimWardCam @stux the FAA's reduction in flight capacity? It has NOTHING to do with staffing. NOTHING.
It's nothing more than the Nazi who threatened to shut down the skies making a half-assed follow through thinking it's going to get him his way. (Yes, he really threatened to shut down the entire ATC system.)
Staffing today is the same as yesterday, same as the day before. He thinks he has the power. It's well past time he be shown he has none.
CrumbeeNailed it.
As a military brat I never thought it would get this bad.
The past 30 years have been a nightmare of hope and shear terror.
Looking at retirement outside of the US at this point and urging others to stay away.
Alex
S.R.3
Judgment DaveI live here and nope.
Sebastian 
Sofia πΈ@stux I am well aware that just by my simple existence, even if I never said anything, I'm currently a target there. I've refused earlier this year to go on a business trip there for this exact reason.
Grahame Gardner π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ Ώ@stux I've already turned down three conference invites from the US this year. I don't intend to return while the nazis are in office.
zedaardv
Thibaultmol π@stux I sort of got invited to go to something in the US but I'm choosing not to go
Keep Left
7heo@stux I met a bunch of US tourists on a trip to Scotland. They were very adamant that we should visit the US. I politely said that I'd like to but maybe when it's more stable politically. Wife was not as polite and told them that we'll think about going when they stop making stupid decisions 
Alexander Diemand π
Dolf van der Haven ππ@codieplusplus @stux only to El Salvador
Shredd Tone 
@stux I had visited America a few times before which I have immensely enjoyed my time there, but with everything that's happening right now it makes it harder to even want to go again. The fact the authorities at the border are demanding to check our devices before entering and risking being declined entry under their opinion was a hell no for me.
If anything, I wouldn't mind going to participate in the protests in Portland (was it?). There people there seem to be having a best time.
I did vote 'No' btw as it's very unlikely tbh.
Mrs RavenNo, and I live here.
Here in the US we do another kind of calculation. I don't travel to red States, for example.
I put Florida and Texas on my "no fly" list after 2000.
Doug Baker - Elbows Up! π¨π¦@cassandracorvid @stux It's a very trying thing for some of us (Canadian here); our son, partner, and grandkids live in CA but so far we've declined to visit. It hurts all around. One of the many, many reasons I hate Trump.
BedastGPT@stux As an American, I tell folks to avoid the US. If they must travel here, I tell them to leave their personal devices (phones, computers, etc) at home and purchase temporary replacements upon arrival, while visiting, which they will get rid of before leaving (don't cross the border with any devices).
Can't be scrutinized for secretly criticizing this government if they have no devices to scan.
epicEaston197
Dickon Hood@stux Work wanted me to visit a US client on-site. I refused to go. They understood.
jc
KimberlyN π¨π¦Canadian. Nope. Nope. Nope. β
Nonya Bidniss@stux I wish this provided explicit options for people outside or inside the U.S. so we could see how that breaks down
Keith
Landsil
GinevraCat@stux Every time we see somewhere beautiful in the US, my husband and I look at each other sadly because our criteria for visiting another country is a basic confidence in that country's justice system.
grayrattus@stux No thank you.
If #ICE seen my mastodon profile, they would put me to #Guantanamo or better straight to alligator #alcatraz.