International travel plans with all these politics going on

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Asia is good. They're far removed from Latin American problems and culturally aren't in-your-face criticizers.

If you book for Greenland, who knows, you might find yourself on US soil by the time summer rolls around

"Asia" is broad. OP should probably skip North Korea, and perhaps China and even Myanmar.

Asia also includes Syria, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Indonesia, to name a few!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like people are talking about two different issues in this thread. 1, are you concerned about how you as an American will be treated and perceived while traveling abroad due to all the current events happening? 2, are you concerned about travel disruptions impacting you (especially flight delays and cancellations, being stranded somewhere, etc) if there are further big events like we just saw happen in Venezuela. I’m less concerned about 1 but thinking a little more about 2 these days.

ITA. I'm much more interested if there might be concerns about travel to Mexico or the Caribbean this year as a result of Trump policy. I hear about Trump wanting to take military actions against Mexican drug cartels *in* Mexico and it's making me wary of a planned trip to Mexico City later this spring. There are always some safety concerns traveling in Mexico but not ones that would normally keep me from going. This is giving me pause.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I mean you’re not denying it. I’ve clearly struck a nerve

You’re not denying you sound like Trump. So I guess that "struck a nerve", clearly.

The reason for not responding to that accusation is I don't gather anything would be persuasive, and I think any fair-minded reader would agree.

Google Maple MAGA. You’ll see it’s a thing in Canada. Why would you think rural Canadians in the interior provinces would be so much different than many rural Americans in the Midwest?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can't speak to other countries in South America, but there are a decent number of Canadians in Colombia and a LOT of MAGA maggots. I guess it shouldn't be that surprising because they make up half of the US population.

I'm particular about who I spend time with, so I usually screen them out fairly quickly. You can usually spot them from a mile away!

Thank you. As I’ve been saying, that poster clearly doesn’t know Latin America the way that some of us do. I really don’t understand why they’re so triggered.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I am Canadian. You are welcome here. Most Canadians feel that way.

My mother grew up in Nova Scotia. I’ve been there and it’s so calming, so quiet. I have no problem pretending my mother never left Nova Scotia so I’m Canadian.

There are lots of Canadian expats living in Latin America. Most are retired. Some aren't. Many of them are MAGA, don't bother learning the language, and are incredibly insular and cheap.

I’ve spoken to a lot of Canadians in the Caribbean Islands and Puerto Rico and they ended their yearly trips to Florida and other warm US Southern areas. No, There are not “many MAGA Canadians. Why would Canadians want to make America great. The majority of Canadians have very low opinions of Trump. As for them being cheap I will guarantee Americans are cheaper. Just read opinions on tipping and most Americans lose their minds and hate tipping. Even though tipping substantially brings service workers incomes up, workers who might want to get ahead and save money, most Americans don’t care.

60% of Canadians do not trust America.

I'm not talking about Canadians choosing the Caribbean over Florida for vacation because of Trump. I specifically said "expats." And yes, many are MAGA. There are many Canadians living in the fly over provinces who for all practical purposes are MAGA as well.

Canadians have done some damage to our Southern states tourist profits. That says a lot more than your claim that there are so many Canadians in South America. There aren’t many Canadians who move to South America at all. And it wouldn’t be MAGAs moving to countries that don’t speak English or French.

Why would you think there are large numbers of Canadians living in South America? Because you spoke to some while visiting? Did you visit the American MAGAs too? Oh, right, they didn’t move to South America either.

Actually, I avoid them. And there are more of them (and of American MAGAs) than you might think. I suspect I have spent a lot more time in the region than you.

You could live there and still don’t know what you’re talking about. Canada keeps track of their citizens. Look it up.

What on earth are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I mean you’re not denying it. I’ve clearly struck a nerve

You’re not denying you sound like Trump. So I guess that "struck a nerve", clearly.

The reason for not responding to that accusation is I don't gather anything would be persuasive, and I think any fair-minded reader would agree.

Google Maple MAGA. You’ll see it’s a thing in Canada. Why would you think rural Canadians in the interior provinces would be so much different than many rural Americans in the Midwest?

I’ve not posted anything about Canada. I think you are responding to the wrong poster.

[Anonymous]

This thread is amazing.

Am pretty sure the only travel some of these posters have done (maybe it's the same one who keeps posting) is in their imagination.

I go overseas all the time. Nothing has changed. Most people are nice anywhere. Very few talk about politics, especially American politics. They have their own politics and issues (incidentally, migration is a huge one in Europe). Have two more international trips coming up. Am confident nothing has changed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I mean you’re not denying it. I’ve clearly struck a nerve

You’re not denying you sound like Trump. So I guess that "struck a nerve", clearly.

The reason for not responding to that accusation is I don't gather anything would be persuasive, and I think any fair-minded reader would agree.

Google Maple MAGA. You’ll see it’s a thing in Canada. Why would you think rural Canadians in the interior provinces would be so much different than many rural Americans in the Midwest?

Because they’re typically better educated and don’t park themselves in front of Fox News and a creepy pastor on sunday am.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I don't even talk politics when I'm in America with my American friends, with whom I agree politically. We all understand we are aware of what is happening and we prefer to avoid doom-discussions to preserve our mental health.

I especially avoid doom-discussions with strangers, who I have to assume are informed by a cult of online misinformation. If on the random chance we agree, I'm avoiding doom-discussions.

With strangers, in another country? If I was traveling with someone who brought up politics with a stranger in a foreign country, I would abandon them.

Again, I doubt you travel the same way that I do. I'm about to go on a solo trip to Latin America for a month, for example, and I'm fluent in the language. In the past, I'd never bring up politics with anyone I'd meet. But things are different now. The first question anyone is going to ask you is where you are from. I'm not going to lie and say I'm Canadian or any of that bullshit. Nope. I'm going to say I'm American. And once you do that when you're abroad nowadays, you're going to hush the crowd around you. The reaction is palpable. Especially if you're older and white. The assumption is that you're a Trump supporter, and it's a major turn off for 90 percent of people who don't live in the USA.

So you make clear from the outset that you hate the guy, there's a collective sigh of relief, and the conversation more often than not goes in another direction. Sure, sometimes folks will want to continue with the political discussion, and that's fine too. It's our patriotic duty to reassure humans who have never been to the United States that not all of us have lost our minds.

The bottom line is that pre-Trump it was much easier to avoid discussing US politics with foreigners abroad, but now you almost have to or you'll be treated as a pariah.

I don’t think this is just a factor of HOW you are traveling but WHERE. There are some parts of the world where bringing up politics, especially with someone you’ve just met, is considered impolite. Surely you have enough experience to recognize that you can’t always just go running your mouth, you need to know your audience. And many countries in Europe have their own right wing nut jobs to worry about so they are less infatuated with Trump than you might think.

Sigh.

I don't introduce myself abroad and say "Hi, my name is X, I am American, and I hate Trump."

I'm talking about situation -- which is now way, way more common than it ever was -- where someone asks you where you're from, you say the USA, and you can read their faces. They're thinking "MAGA" and they don't like it. I squash that thinking like a bug every time, and never once -- never -- have I ever sensed that I was being taken as "impolite" for doing it. To the contrary, I almost always sense immediate relief.

These are different times. They just are. And they require different approaches when traveling.

NP I get you completely. Lived in LATAM for 12 years and am fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Also have the white supremicist "Maga look" a bit according to insta and TikTok and so clearing that up on the front end is just smart.

You couldn’t write out Latin America? Annoying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is amazing.

Am pretty sure the only travel some of these posters have done (maybe it's the same one who keeps posting) is in their imagination.

I go overseas all the time. Nothing has changed. Most people are nice anywhere. Very few talk about politics, especially American politics. They have their own politics and issues (incidentally, migration is a huge one in Europe). Have two more international trips coming up. Am confident nothing has changed.

The US government yesterday warned all citizens to leave the country. Thats a big escalation.

[Anonymous]

^ Venezuela

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is amazing.

Am pretty sure the only travel some of these posters have done (maybe it's the same one who keeps posting) is in their imagination.

I go overseas all the time. Nothing has changed. Most people are nice anywhere. Very few talk about politics, especially American politics. They have their own politics and issues (incidentally, migration is a huge one in Europe). Have two more international trips coming up. Am confident nothing has changed.

haha yup - went with an extended family of 5 to Spain over the New Year(who allegedly hates tourists, but definitely relies on tourist $$$). Everyone was very friendly and we heard 1 random Trump comment over the course of 7 days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is amazing.

Am pretty sure the only travel some of these posters have done (maybe it's the same one who keeps posting) is in their imagination.

I go overseas all the time. Nothing has changed. Most people are nice anywhere. Very few talk about politics, especially American politics. They have their own politics and issues (incidentally, migration is a huge one in Europe). Have two more international trips coming up. Am confident nothing has changed.

The US government yesterday warned all citizens to leave the country. Thats a big escalation.

This only suggests you have no real experience with travel. The US issues statements like this regularly over the years, as do other countries, when a certain place is deemed unstable enough. It means the US (or any other country issuing the statement) will not be responsible for any citizens who stayed and will not be obliged to take care of them or evacuate them.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a lot of people are in for a wake up call.
If things progress, and trump doesn’t taco, we will be in a bad situation with Europe. I wouldn’t travel there, or Latin America, or anywhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is amazing.

Am pretty sure the only travel some of these posters have done (maybe it's the same one who keeps posting) is in their imagination.

I go overseas all the time. Nothing has changed. Most people are nice anywhere. Very few talk about politics, especially American politics. They have their own politics and issues (incidentally, migration is a huge one in Europe). Have two more international trips coming up. Am confident nothing has changed.

haha yup - went with an extended family of 5 to Spain over the New Year(who allegedly hates tourists, but definitely relies on tourist $$$). Everyone was very friendly and we heard 1 random Trump comment over the course of 7 days.

+1

Colombia for us prior to and through New Years. Travel ban delayed a flight home (Caribbean based). Everything was fine.