May 2004
The Unwelcome American
Ah, globetrotting! What could be more edifying than exploring new lands, experiencing exotic cultures and engaging in social intercourse with people with customs, lifestyles and view points remarkably different from our own?
Yet for Americans living in the mid-point (or waning days, for those inclined towards optimism) of the Bush II junta, traveling the globe freely is becoming increasingly difficult for holders of the once-nearly universally welcomed blue-backed American passport. In many parts of the world, Americans abroad are finding themselves as welcome as a turd in a punch bowl.
Columnists have shed many a sentence recently regarding what's being called "the Israelization of the American military in Iraq" Whether by plan or complete lack thereof, the Pentagon finds itself using the same doomed playbook in Iraq as their Israeli counterparts in the occupied territories. The playbook can be summarized thusly:
As citizens of a nation whose foreign and internal policies are considered odious by a reasonably large chunk of the world's population, traveling Israelis often find themselves subject to discrimination and hostility. Israelis typically face higher visa fees than their European counterparts, and there are a number of countries where they aren't welcome at any price. Increasingly, Americans abroad are being regarded with a similarly unfavorable eye.
The past three years have seen visa fees for American citizens rise to a point where an American can typically expect to pay 30-50% more than a Canadian, Australian or EU citizen in many countries throughout the world. Further restrictions can and do apply. China, in retaliation to the fingerprinting of its own nationals in America as part of the USA-PATRIOT act, recently stopped issuing visas to Americans through their Hong Kong offices. Now Americans wanting to travel to China through Hong Kong are being asked to return home to file their paperwork, or, if they're lucky, being allowed entry after paying huge fees. Many long-term American teachers in Chinese schools are reporting that they're being asked to leave - often with little or no notice - so that they can be replaced by native speakers from less troublesome countries.
Officially, Americans are still welcome (well, tolerated at least) throughout the European Union. But with the US dollar plummeting against the Euro thanks to GWB's tax-cut and spend fiscal policies, not many Americans can afford an extended stay in any of the nations that Dick Cheney likes to refer to as "loyal coalition partners," "cowardly appeasers" or "France". There are, of course, less expensive options. The Rupee is still a good buy, but an Indian Visa, once free for Americans, will now set you back between $60 - $150 US. (Reciprocity after the US raised visa prices for Indian citizens.) Since 2002, Brazil has raised its visa fees for Americans from $45 to $100, also in response to the rise in US visa fees. Even stalwart American ally Taiwan, which for decades offered Americans free passage, now charges Americans $100 for a multiple entry visa.
In the ugly aftermath of the 2000 election, it was fashionable for progressives to openly ruminate about sitting out the worst years of the Bush Junta abroad. If he's given (or steals) another four years, expatriating might not even be an option. With each passing month, the number of countries using collective economic penalization on traveling Americans grows larger.
But for Americans truly determined to see the world, one time honored method is increasingly becoming an option. It's a travel plan that even the xenophobic George W. Bush (who, before becoming president, had never been further than Mexico) approves of. Furthermore, global opinion won't limit your itinerary; in fact, worldwide fear and loathing of America only provides more opportunities for Americans looking for meaningful interaction with citizens of exotic lands. Best of all, in a second Dubya Administration, for Americans lucky enough to fall into a certain age group, these trips won't just be available - they'll be mandatory!
All-expenses are paid, though travelers are responsible for providing their own Kevlar body armor.
So Bon Voyage, intrepid traveler. Or as our Arab friends like to say when someone departs, Fi aman Allah ("go with god")!
This article originally run in The Rocky Mountain Bullhorn (www.rockymountainbullhorn.com).
C 2004 Joshua Samuel Brown