Increasing difficulty in visiting America makes people want to stop visiting America.
 

No I mean, who would have guessed?

US is 'worst' in welcoming foreign visitors: survey

More on the same.

It turns out, when you do things like this to people trying to visit America, well... people stop visiting America.

It just seems like there would be some means of protecting ourselves from the terrorists that doesn't involve cutting ourselves off from the rest of the world.

Quoted for accuracy. That whole article is pretty disgusting. Is it bad that I'm so used to stories like this that I can't even bother to be outraged anymore? If I spent all my time getting as mad as I should at the complete idiocy that seems to have infected my home country, I'd never have time to get anything done but feel rage.

All right guys, that's enough of that. Roy made a joke where it was easy enough to take it seriously, ILS took it seriously, and let's just wrap it up there.

Ok, guys, seriously, enough. It is only my good mood that is keeping me from issuing warnings already *coughbellsouthcough*. This is not an off-topic thread. This is not even a general thread. This is a discussion thread. If all you have to say is some half-baked wise-ass comment, that, honestly isn't even funny *coughroy&bellsouthcough*, don't say anything at all.

Edit: Actually, I'm just going to delete all the spam posts, and posts that were directly replying to them, except Fifth's, cause his orders still stand, to avoid more people replying to them, as well as streamlining the thread.

Come on. I mean, Franklin said it best:

"Those who would trade freedom for security deserve neither"

It's a terrible paranoia that's swept America, and now all we can do is sit on our hands until this sympathy based ride to more governmental power(The nice, happy oppressive kind) ends.

Let's just hope the new Congress doesn't soil themselves.

What really amazes me is the intricate detail involved in the total disregard for habeas corpus here. I mean, not only must foreign journalists obtain a special visa to enter the United States, but they must do so without any warning and make sure not to sign the required waiver that states in fine print that you are, in fact, not a journalist. And just what happens if you don't sign that form, hmm?

So, let's see: We're no longer the "Land of the Free" because we stopped being the "Home of the Brave". What's left?

What's even more unbelivable is our willingness to spread our influence, then shut off other countries influencing us.

Its really one-sided and hypocritical, but that sounds like the US in a nutshell anyway.
Which actually brings me to my next question: is this Bush Administration related, or is this just part of the same "woo, look out or the terrorists will get you!" surge that's hit ever since 9/11?
Well, it looks like it's not being completely overlooked. Cross our fingers.

Who cares. Nobody is pounding on the door to get in to Europe, and quite frankly if America is so bad, why do we have such a massive illegal immigration problem our idiot president (on this issue) does not want to solve?

Quite frankly I'll start caring about world opinion when the world decides to take responsibility for the world's problems instead of waiting for the US to act, lambasting us if we fail, or taking the glory if we succeed. NOBODY likes airport security, but business travelers who have experience are smart enough not to get tied up by security.

Boo-freaking-hoo. An isolated incident where someone gets turned away. Big deal. It isn't security's job to be a friendly smile at the door, it is their job to protect America from terrorists and other unwelcome elements.

Yes, it's entirely the security's job to strip away habeus corpus from the Constitution and subject people to terrible treatment.

Wait, no, I stuttered.

It's not security's job to take away constitutional rights.

Well I mean, I did provide the one example for illustrative purposes, but that international travel has dropped off in such a manner, and for the reasons cited in polling, would indicate that this is more than just an isolated issue.

And of course the issue of people entering the country illegally is at some remove from the treatment of businesspeople and tourists trying to legally conduct their affairs within our borders. It's less about anything so remote and airy as 'world opinion' and more about the concrete impact of that opinion on our national well-being. Whatever anyone's opinion of foreigners in general, that they would be so increasingly reluctant to conduct their business here seems like it could hardly be to anything but our economic and political detriment.