A personal story on our shrinking economy and the new regime’s fingerprints all over it …
Months ago part of our family in Europe made plans to come here for an extended summer vacation trip. Lots of ideas were in the works for journeys and activities, things involving numerous hotel room nights and restaurant meals and museum visits and …
A personal story on our shrinking economy and the new regime’s fingerprints all over it …
Months ago part of our family in Europe made plans to come here for an extended summer vacation trip. Lots of ideas were in the works for journeys and activities, things involving numerous hotel room nights and restaurant meals and museum visits and gas tank fill-ups and other related expenditures, not to mention airfares and other travel-specific costs, additional grocery expenses at home, and so on. All of that hard currency inflow went up in smoke a couple of weeks ago, when they decided it was too risky to come to America with the news of traveler detentions and expulsion of undesirable foreigners and other governmental intimidation tactics. They have reconsidered the whole idea and now will take their money instead to either England or Portugal for their summer fun, and we will get nothing here in the United States. Times probably thousands of other families with their own plans who are feeling the same sense of fear and oppression about coming to America and spending their time and their money here.
That is what we have become. And that is where our economy is going. Connect the dots. It is what happens when our new government prioritizes renaming bodies of water and mountains, threatening the foreign-born living among us, picking senseless trade war battles, fighting battles of wills with our universities and colleges, and so many other things that telegraph a clear message to stay away and not trust the United States. It will only get worse until someone at the top of the government learns how to count the numbers and understand that the net losses increasingly are outpacing whatever minor gains they are registering. Far from making America great again on Day One, it is making us a little worse off every day as people around the world realize that we are not a place where they feel welcome and a people with whom they are confident in interacting. But we are getting a good reputation with hardline autocrats around the world who like how we are rounding into shape in ruling with an iron hand and a sense of force.
Way to go, team. Our forefathers surely would be so proud of us, and that they fought and even died for this. For my part I'm still trying to figure out exactly what is great about it.
The only thing this Administration seems to respect besides fealty to Donald Trump is money. If lots more families like yours make the sensible decision to keep their tourism dollars out of America because of its hostility and threat to foreigners, it just may make an impression on them. Maybe.
Even more relevant is the number of Canadians who are making the same decision. Their visits number in the millions. Good for them for staying away. I would do the same.
All this makes me wonder how many people in 1938 (when Hitler annexed Sudetenland) were saying "Oh, let's go to Germany this year! That will be fun!"
I wanted to take my son to the National Parks out west for a few weeks, but I don't think they'll even be operating at full capacity.
The obvious solution is to go the the Canadian Rockies instead of Glacier National Park, or Quebec instead of the Adirondacks, or British Coumbia instead of the PNW.
If I can get his passport in time, I'm thinking we'll loop Lake Superior for a road trip :) I hope our loss is Canada's gain.
I've been thinking the same thing. We should all be thinking seriously about taking our tourism dollars to Canada. Not just to support our Canadian friends, but to totally flip the script on Trump. As an added bonus: Canada is a beautiful and interesting place to visit.
A personal story on our shrinking economy and the new regime’s fingerprints all over it …
Months ago part of our family in Europe made plans to come here for an extended summer vacation trip. Lots of ideas were in the works for journeys and activities, things involving numerous hotel room nights and restaurant meals and museum visits and gas tank fill-ups and other related expenditures, not to mention airfares and other travel-specific costs, additional grocery expenses at home, and so on. All of that hard currency inflow went up in smoke a couple of weeks ago, when they decided it was too risky to come to America with the news of traveler detentions and expulsion of undesirable foreigners and other governmental intimidation tactics. They have reconsidered the whole idea and now will take their money instead to either England or Portugal for their summer fun, and we will get nothing here in the United States. Times probably thousands of other families with their own plans who are feeling the same sense of fear and oppression about coming to America and spending their time and their money here.
That is what we have become. And that is where our economy is going. Connect the dots. It is what happens when our new government prioritizes renaming bodies of water and mountains, threatening the foreign-born living among us, picking senseless trade war battles, fighting battles of wills with our universities and colleges, and so many other things that telegraph a clear message to stay away and not trust the United States. It will only get worse until someone at the top of the government learns how to count the numbers and understand that the net losses increasingly are outpacing whatever minor gains they are registering. Far from making America great again on Day One, it is making us a little worse off every day as people around the world realize that we are not a place where they feel welcome and a people with whom they are confident in interacting. But we are getting a good reputation with hardline autocrats around the world who like how we are rounding into shape in ruling with an iron hand and a sense of force.
Way to go, team. Our forefathers surely would be so proud of us, and that they fought and even died for this. For my part I'm still trying to figure out exactly what is great about it.
New Trump cap: Make America Russia.
Hah!
Sandy there are so many ways I can make fun of the acronym MAGA!
MAGAH: Make America Great At Hate (same as it ever was)
The only thing this Administration seems to respect besides fealty to Donald Trump is money. If lots more families like yours make the sensible decision to keep their tourism dollars out of America because of its hostility and threat to foreigners, it just may make an impression on them. Maybe.
Even more relevant is the number of Canadians who are making the same decision. Their visits number in the millions. Good for them for staying away. I would do the same.
All this makes me wonder how many people in 1938 (when Hitler annexed Sudetenland) were saying "Oh, let's go to Germany this year! That will be fun!"
I wanted to take my son to the National Parks out west for a few weeks, but I don't think they'll even be operating at full capacity.
The obvious solution is to go the the Canadian Rockies instead of Glacier National Park, or Quebec instead of the Adirondacks, or British Coumbia instead of the PNW.
If I can get his passport in time, I'm thinking we'll loop Lake Superior for a road trip :) I hope our loss is Canada's gain.
I've been thinking the same thing. We should all be thinking seriously about taking our tourism dollars to Canada. Not just to support our Canadian friends, but to totally flip the script on Trump. As an added bonus: Canada is a beautiful and interesting place to visit.
Won't you have to cross the border upon return? And isn't that risky?
See Julia Boyd's "Travelers in the Third Reich."
I listened to the new Prime Minister’s acceptance speech. It was so sad to hear America being booed as the bad guy.
The hot stove will be very hot over time, hopefully timed well to weaken Republicans at the ballot box (assuming we still have them).