My heart is broken over what has already happened in three weeks. I do not know how we will make it in the times to come. I am concerned that this will not end with the end of his presidency. The fact that he is already ignoring legitimate court orders and his department of justice is not going to do anything to enforce them actually scares me.
We have sold our home in Pennsylvania and are moving to Delaware next month because it seems a more reliable bastion of democracy.
Last week we canceled a European cruise because we are concerned about exactly what you have written in this column.
We talked about becoming nomads but are concerned that my husband‘s health issues would make it more complicated. Also he does not do particularly well with situational stress and having to move every few months would definitely exacerbate that.
I don’t know what’s going to happen but I do very much fear for the future.
I am far less optimistic than I was even three weeks ago. It seems like America is almost certainly going to be a dramatically different country. And the world will respond.
Rehoboth and the surrounding area is very gay friendly. And, in a recent study Delaware ranked third in safety for GLBTQ+ folks. I’ll take it over our current location where 7 out of 10 voted for that abomination. Pennsylvania ranked 36th in safety for the rainbow tribe.
(We’ve begun the retirement visa process for Spain and plan to move the 2nd half of 2025.) I visited Scotland in 2019 and was welcomed with open arms. But…I would say that while Trump is making things worse, resentment/suspicion of Americans has existed for decades. Reading “Lies My Teacher Told Me” now, and it affirms how the U.S. has both covertly and overtly pushed its weight around internationally, and I don’t think the rest of the world is as clueless to this behavior as most Americans.
You are 100% right about most Americans having no clue as to how we've thrown around our weight for many many years. You explain to them how Panama came to be in the first place and they are utterly disbelieving.
I'm a Brit in America, and I've never lost my love for the American people. On the rare occasions my fellow Brits hassle me, I point out that the first permanent English colony in America was established by an early corporation, the Virginia Company OF LONDON. :) Seriously, I have no answers for you, but I do know you two are terrific ambassadors of your country, as I hope I am of Britain in America, and what we do matters.
So timely as usual. Planning for fall, which included Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. The first two are already booked. Although we researched and decided what we were going to do with Jordan (literally this past week) we put a pause on it yesterday while this all plays out. It looks like a beautiful country with very warm people, but we just have to be realistic about what the next few years may mean to our international travels… especially in certain parts of the world, which is heartbreaking.
U.S. American world nomad here. I'm leaving Facebook and moved over here due to your suggestion. I'm currently at an Air BnB in northern Minnesota. There is just too much uncertainty for me to go abroad this year under these circumstances. I have decided to do some farming in Oregon instead. Go safely, Michael, and thank you for the updates.
We have a trans son and in order to get out of the US as fast as possible we are applying for Digital Nomad visas in Portugal which I know has been overrun by American imigrants. I just hope people will understand I am just trying to save my child from the tyrannical orange man's aggressive disdain for trans people, especially children. We are in a blue state and we have already lost all gender affirming care becuase the doctor's are being forced to chose between providing gender affirming care OR serving their madicare and medicaid patients. The money won and the docotor's are all dropping their patients diagnosed with gender disphoria so they can continue to take the Federal Government's money. And yet no one is talking about it1 Capitalism marches on and meanwhile my family is having to move again (we left a red state 4 yers ago for the same reason)! It's deplorable.
I am so very sorry you are having to deal with this and are having your lives upended yet it again. I hope the people responsible eventually end up paying for what they are doing.
"Whatever happens now, it’s easy to see the rising fury transfer to American tourists visiting Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries."
Not just there. Berlin has a significant Palestinian refugee community--around 30,000 to 40,000 people. One of the largest outside the Middle East. My son goes to school with kids of Syrian and Palestinian heritage. Nothing made me more embarassed and fearful to be an American living abroad than Trump's crazy statement about taking over Gaza.
“We are respected all over the world”. Laugh!! I am a dual citizen and one of the countries is the US. I have lived in S America now for 17+ years and my US passport has been hidden for all these years. It will remain that way as I am ashamed of this fact. Became a US citizen years ago so they couldn’t throw me out as a gay man ( many years ago they could
do this). Sounds as though they might start to do this again. Hope not but “He’s in charge”!
Trump is the epitome of the ugly American the Europeans envision and despise. During his first term my partner and I started discussing wearing Canadian lapel pins while out of the U.S.
Can confirm. It used to be a little point of pride for Canadians that Americans would want to pretend to be us when abroad. It made sense, especially around 2003. But now? With the US actively trying to attack Canada? Absolutely not. The feeling towards the US in Canada is absolutely toxic right now, to levels I didn’t think were possible.
It is something that concerns me given we travel full-time and housesit all over also. I fully expect to be denied due to being a US citizen now. And honestly, I support it. The way things are happening here, we need to be treated harshly and swiftly because we appear to be incapable of stopping it ourselves. This administration is actively angering out allies and many nations around the world and they should not stand for pur bullying. I wore the uniform of the USA for nearly a decade. I chose to give up some of my freedoms to uphold the constitution and I will suffer again if that means we get to save our country from a dictator. I just don't know how to plan now. Do I give up on all the plans I have put deposits down on? Do I take a bunch of cash out for fear our payment systems will fail? Do I just hope for a miracle? No one has answers and we are all hurt by these insane actions being taken. And can we talk about the concept being floated that they want to completely revamp the FAA system and what that could mean for teavel within and to/from the US? There are so many unknowns in every aspect of our lives right now.
It seems like insanity to me too, and I have no idea how to respond. We're rebalancing our portfolio this week -- much more conservative, I think. But I worry about "systemic failure." And, of course, outright fascism, which I think is a real possiblity.
You are so right about all of the unknowns. It's deeply concerning and unsettling.
As for punishing all Americans, I hope not. I would never meet a Russian who is traveling and loathes Putin and treat them like they are the Russians who do.
Yes but Russia hasn’t spent the last 300 years forcing countries to do what the US wanted them to do or they faced having their governments overthrown, and thousands of their citizens killed and imprisoned. How many countries in South America did the US trample on? I mean it’s invaded 84 out of the 194 countries recognized by the UN and been involved militarily in 191 of them since your inception in 1776.
In a lot of ways the USA resembles the Roman Empire and it has followed a similar path to acquiring and colonizing land.
Sadly you still resemble the Roman Empire in that you now have your very own Caligula on the throne.
As for outside the country travel…well first off I think flying anywhere into or out of US air has just become far more dangerous and possible deadly. An FAA Chief who’s an idiot and a lay off of more air traffic controllers in a country where there has been a shortage of them for the last 40some years doesn’t make for safe flying.
And wearing a Canadian flag on your stuff this time around isn’t going to help, and could easily backfire if you run into an angry Canadian and trust me when I say, we are INCANDESCENT with anger right now.
Hi Alexis, Thanks for your thoughts. Clearly you aren't a subscriber or haven't read much else that we write or you would know that A) we are Americans who left the U.S. eight years ago and B) have written about the many problems with the U.S. and Trump. You'd also know that we've said repeatedly that wearing a Canadian flag is a terrible and thoughtless act.
As for Russia, you can't be seriously saying that Russia hasn't been forcing its will on other countries? Indeed, Russia has been FAR worse than the U.S. What do you think the Iron Curtain was? How many people do you think died in Stalin's purges?
As for U.S. military intervention around the world, excuse me for saying this, but you sound rather hysterical. And I say this as someone who disapproves of many of America's interventions overseas. But your comment applies to almost any modern nation state or do you think Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Spain, China, Turkey, and many other countries haven't done plenty of intervening themselves?
And I'm sorry, but you can't simply decry every bad thing the U.S. has done without acknowledging the good that the U.S. has done as well.
But I'll stop here because I have a feeling very little of what I say here will matter to you.
There’s Russian aggression in Ukraine right NOW and for the last three years. I know that there has been American imperialism, but I am positive that if trump actually tried to take Greenland, or any other country with military action that there would be an anti war movement ( to use the trumpian phrasing) the likes of which has never been seen.
I am sure people everywhere will (mostly) deal with foreign guests first as human beings, then as reflections of some 'category'. Decent, respectful and curious human beings are welcomed on every doorstep.
DJT and his followers choose to assert their differences over their common humanity. We cant stop them from travelling, but locals will usually spot them and make them useful fools, unbeknownst to them.
I like this optimistic take. It will always be a minority, I think. (At the same time, I do think people can only take so much, and I worry the minority will be bigger than it was the first time.)
Yeah, I think depending on the country you are going to, you may see different and in more cases, a slightly more guarded optimism for the first few minutes. A few minutes into the conversation, the country disappears into the background and the person takes centre stage. But the real change is perhaps not in the external world, but inside the US visitor. Do they feel more emboldened to trash talk other cultures, or do they feel the need to apologise even more?
The converse of what Gandhi said also holds true: the world will reflect the change they have wrought internally within themselves.
One of the first things I said to my Uber driver yesterday morning was "I did not vote for that man and I am so sorry for what he's said about your country." The driver was very chill.
As a Canadian (living in Costa Rica for 20 years), never in my lifetime could I conceive that we might be subject to a hostile takeover by our Southern neighbor. It’s really scary and with tech companies on side, it would be quite easy to do so. Canadian military is hardly in a position to fight back and we could end up like Gaza if we tried.
What is so sad, that while I have struggled with my feelings about the US over my lifetime, in the end just like September 11th, there is no question as to where we would stand. They are our next door neighbor and despite your issues, you don’t let your neighbors house get broken into or burned down.
Thankfully having so many American friends, I am able to separate the good people from their current government. And actually feel really bad for them for both their future and carrying this stigma. Most don’t deserve it.
Your article though really does raise a concern I had been thinking about and that is how people in other countries (like Canada) are going to respond. I have never seen such anti-American sentiment in Canada until now. People initially thought it was a joke and took it in stride. That has drastically changed and Canadians seem really united on this issue.
Where it’s going to all go? Who knows. But I know unless Americans feel the real drastic consequences of their elected government, I do not see anything changing. Will the US and the rest of the world survive these consequences? That’s highly debatable since we have no idea what it would take for the overwhelming majority to turn on their government. I see no other way.
In the meantime, I continue to support my American friends, but at same make it crystal clear if anyone in my sphere supports this current government to loose my number immediately. I have absolutely zero tolerance and am not afraid to tell them to their face. I have had a few people feel I have went a bit too far, but I make it clear there is no room for discussion on this issue.
Ultimately it’s not the way I would prefer to approach the situation, but this trying to “go high when they go low” and “reach across the isle” clearly did not work and I feel emboldened them to steamroll us.
We as non American can help by standing by and supporting our friends who always tried to aspire to stand by a country with higher values and higher levels of conduct. They need us and we need them.
I agree with everything you say. I have no room for Trump supporters in my life at this point. None. And, yup, the only way America changes at this point is by the spoiled child touching the hot stove and getting burned so badly they finally understand the consequences of their actions.
Just too bad the rest of the world has to suffer alongside...
This is all fair and reasonable. I too agree that, sadly, Americans will not turn against their government unless it hits them directly, which is damning about their ethics, frankly.
My heart is broken over what has already happened in three weeks. I do not know how we will make it in the times to come. I am concerned that this will not end with the end of his presidency. The fact that he is already ignoring legitimate court orders and his department of justice is not going to do anything to enforce them actually scares me.
We have sold our home in Pennsylvania and are moving to Delaware next month because it seems a more reliable bastion of democracy.
Last week we canceled a European cruise because we are concerned about exactly what you have written in this column.
We talked about becoming nomads but are concerned that my husband‘s health issues would make it more complicated. Also he does not do particularly well with situational stress and having to move every few months would definitely exacerbate that.
I don’t know what’s going to happen but I do very much fear for the future.
I am far less optimistic than I was even three weeks ago. It seems like America is almost certainly going to be a dramatically different country. And the world will respond.
Good luck with the move.
I'm glad you were able to relocate to a more hospitable state. We will get through this somehow.
You are more optimistic than I am. It's like 1930s Germany...
Sussex county Delaware is very Republican / Trump.
Rehoboth and the surrounding area is very gay friendly. And, in a recent study Delaware ranked third in safety for GLBTQ+ folks. I’ll take it over our current location where 7 out of 10 voted for that abomination. Pennsylvania ranked 36th in safety for the rainbow tribe.
(We’ve begun the retirement visa process for Spain and plan to move the 2nd half of 2025.) I visited Scotland in 2019 and was welcomed with open arms. But…I would say that while Trump is making things worse, resentment/suspicion of Americans has existed for decades. Reading “Lies My Teacher Told Me” now, and it affirms how the U.S. has both covertly and overtly pushed its weight around internationally, and I don’t think the rest of the world is as clueless to this behavior as most Americans.
You are 100% right about most Americans having no clue as to how we've thrown around our weight for many many years. You explain to them how Panama came to be in the first place and they are utterly disbelieving.
Yes, this is true! But I do think Trump is dramatically worse. (The article isn't long enough for all the nuance! LOL)
I'm a Brit in America, and I've never lost my love for the American people. On the rare occasions my fellow Brits hassle me, I point out that the first permanent English colony in America was established by an early corporation, the Virginia Company OF LONDON. :) Seriously, I have no answers for you, but I do know you two are terrific ambassadors of your country, as I hope I am of Britain in America, and what we do matters.
Thank you, Annette. We both feel very strong affection for Britain too.
It will be a dark few years, I fear. But in a way, I'm increasingly thinking this was all inevitable, and the only way out is through.
Thanks, Annette. And it absolutely does matter.
So timely as usual. Planning for fall, which included Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. The first two are already booked. Although we researched and decided what we were going to do with Jordan (literally this past week) we put a pause on it yesterday while this all plays out. It looks like a beautiful country with very warm people, but we just have to be realistic about what the next few years may mean to our international travels… especially in certain parts of the world, which is heartbreaking.
Given what the Idiot-in-Chief said to the King Jordan just a few hours ago, I think a pause is a smart plan. And heartbreaking is right.
Thank you.
Yes, I think that's smart. At this point, wait and see.
And heartbreaking indeed.
U.S. American world nomad here. I'm leaving Facebook and moved over here due to your suggestion. I'm currently at an Air BnB in northern Minnesota. There is just too much uncertainty for me to go abroad this year under these circumstances. I have decided to do some farming in Oregon instead. Go safely, Michael, and thank you for the updates.
That sounds like a very good strategy! I would farm now if I could
I used to be a permaculture designer and gardener. I miss it a lot. I see that you co-authored this article, so thank you, Brent. Very important.
Thank YOU
Welcome, Crystal! Happy to have you here! Keep an eye out for the chat threads I'll have here.
As for not going abroad, we all need to do what makes us feel most secure.
This is all so heartbreaking and unnecessary. This asshole ruins everything. The propaganda doesn't help, either.
When I was traveling in the UK in 2005 I stuck an "I voted" sticker on my guidebook along with a "Kerry for President" sticker.
It is absolutely exhausting (by design, I guess).
As we've traveled, we truly have been shocked by how chill people have been.
The Swedes are just shaking their heads at me with lips compressed, which is what they do when my dog pisses in their rose bed 😬
Let's hope it doesn't get worse! I wonder if there is part of Sweden Trump would like -- apart from Miss Sweden, of course.
Miss Sweden would fix that miscreant good in a matter of minutes.
I would pay to see that happen!
We have a trans son and in order to get out of the US as fast as possible we are applying for Digital Nomad visas in Portugal which I know has been overrun by American imigrants. I just hope people will understand I am just trying to save my child from the tyrannical orange man's aggressive disdain for trans people, especially children. We are in a blue state and we have already lost all gender affirming care becuase the doctor's are being forced to chose between providing gender affirming care OR serving their madicare and medicaid patients. The money won and the docotor's are all dropping their patients diagnosed with gender disphoria so they can continue to take the Federal Government's money. And yet no one is talking about it1 Capitalism marches on and meanwhile my family is having to move again (we left a red state 4 yers ago for the same reason)! It's deplorable.
Incredible and outrageous. So much for states' rights.
I am so very sorry you are having to deal with this and are having your lives upended yet it again. I hope the people responsible eventually end up paying for what they are doing.
I wish you luck with your visa application! Hugs to you & your family!
Gosh this is sobering to read.
Indeed!
I am so ashamed for my country. I can't blame others for their anger against the US but I hope that we will still be welcomed on our travels.
That’s what we’re hoping as well.
We didn't get to this in the article, but yeah. I don't blame others either.
"Whatever happens now, it’s easy to see the rising fury transfer to American tourists visiting Jordan and other Middle Eastern countries."
Not just there. Berlin has a significant Palestinian refugee community--around 30,000 to 40,000 people. One of the largest outside the Middle East. My son goes to school with kids of Syrian and Palestinian heritage. Nothing made me more embarassed and fearful to be an American living abroad than Trump's crazy statement about taking over Gaza.
Good point.
Insane, wasn't it?
“We are respected all over the world”. Laugh!! I am a dual citizen and one of the countries is the US. I have lived in S America now for 17+ years and my US passport has been hidden for all these years. It will remain that way as I am ashamed of this fact. Became a US citizen years ago so they couldn’t throw me out as a gay man ( many years ago they could
do this). Sounds as though they might start to do this again. Hope not but “He’s in charge”!
I hear ya. I'm ashamed of America too. It is simply not the country I thought it was.
Trump is the epitome of the ugly American the Europeans envision and despise. During his first term my partner and I started discussing wearing Canadian lapel pins while out of the U.S.
He really is. BTW, I HIGHLY encourage you not to wear Canadian pins as this is very upsetting to Canadians, especially now.
Can confirm. It used to be a little point of pride for Canadians that Americans would want to pretend to be us when abroad. It made sense, especially around 2003. But now? With the US actively trying to attack Canada? Absolutely not. The feeling towards the US in Canada is absolutely toxic right now, to levels I didn’t think were possible.
Not quite to tire slashing levels, but it’s only been a couple weeks. At least we can help our automotive industry that way 😂
He is indeed.
It is something that concerns me given we travel full-time and housesit all over also. I fully expect to be denied due to being a US citizen now. And honestly, I support it. The way things are happening here, we need to be treated harshly and swiftly because we appear to be incapable of stopping it ourselves. This administration is actively angering out allies and many nations around the world and they should not stand for pur bullying. I wore the uniform of the USA for nearly a decade. I chose to give up some of my freedoms to uphold the constitution and I will suffer again if that means we get to save our country from a dictator. I just don't know how to plan now. Do I give up on all the plans I have put deposits down on? Do I take a bunch of cash out for fear our payment systems will fail? Do I just hope for a miracle? No one has answers and we are all hurt by these insane actions being taken. And can we talk about the concept being floated that they want to completely revamp the FAA system and what that could mean for teavel within and to/from the US? There are so many unknowns in every aspect of our lives right now.
It seems like insanity to me too, and I have no idea how to respond. We're rebalancing our portfolio this week -- much more conservative, I think. But I worry about "systemic failure." And, of course, outright fascism, which I think is a real possiblity.
You are so right about all of the unknowns. It's deeply concerning and unsettling.
As for punishing all Americans, I hope not. I would never meet a Russian who is traveling and loathes Putin and treat them like they are the Russians who do.
Yes but Russia hasn’t spent the last 300 years forcing countries to do what the US wanted them to do or they faced having their governments overthrown, and thousands of their citizens killed and imprisoned. How many countries in South America did the US trample on? I mean it’s invaded 84 out of the 194 countries recognized by the UN and been involved militarily in 191 of them since your inception in 1776.
In a lot of ways the USA resembles the Roman Empire and it has followed a similar path to acquiring and colonizing land.
Sadly you still resemble the Roman Empire in that you now have your very own Caligula on the throne.
As for outside the country travel…well first off I think flying anywhere into or out of US air has just become far more dangerous and possible deadly. An FAA Chief who’s an idiot and a lay off of more air traffic controllers in a country where there has been a shortage of them for the last 40some years doesn’t make for safe flying.
And wearing a Canadian flag on your stuff this time around isn’t going to help, and could easily backfire if you run into an angry Canadian and trust me when I say, we are INCANDESCENT with anger right now.
Hi Alexis, Thanks for your thoughts. Clearly you aren't a subscriber or haven't read much else that we write or you would know that A) we are Americans who left the U.S. eight years ago and B) have written about the many problems with the U.S. and Trump. You'd also know that we've said repeatedly that wearing a Canadian flag is a terrible and thoughtless act.
As for Russia, you can't be seriously saying that Russia hasn't been forcing its will on other countries? Indeed, Russia has been FAR worse than the U.S. What do you think the Iron Curtain was? How many people do you think died in Stalin's purges?
As for U.S. military intervention around the world, excuse me for saying this, but you sound rather hysterical. And I say this as someone who disapproves of many of America's interventions overseas. But your comment applies to almost any modern nation state or do you think Germany, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Spain, China, Turkey, and many other countries haven't done plenty of intervening themselves?
And I'm sorry, but you can't simply decry every bad thing the U.S. has done without acknowledging the good that the U.S. has done as well.
But I'll stop here because I have a feeling very little of what I say here will matter to you.
There’s Russian aggression in Ukraine right NOW and for the last three years. I know that there has been American imperialism, but I am positive that if trump actually tried to take Greenland, or any other country with military action that there would be an anti war movement ( to use the trumpian phrasing) the likes of which has never been seen.
I, too, believe there would be a huge backlash.
I feel the exact same way on all counts.
I am sure people everywhere will (mostly) deal with foreign guests first as human beings, then as reflections of some 'category'. Decent, respectful and curious human beings are welcomed on every doorstep.
DJT and his followers choose to assert their differences over their common humanity. We cant stop them from travelling, but locals will usually spot them and make them useful fools, unbeknownst to them.
I like this optimistic take. It will always be a minority, I think. (At the same time, I do think people can only take so much, and I worry the minority will be bigger than it was the first time.)
Yeah, I think depending on the country you are going to, you may see different and in more cases, a slightly more guarded optimism for the first few minutes. A few minutes into the conversation, the country disappears into the background and the person takes centre stage. But the real change is perhaps not in the external world, but inside the US visitor. Do they feel more emboldened to trash talk other cultures, or do they feel the need to apologise even more?
The converse of what Gandhi said also holds true: the world will reflect the change they have wrought internally within themselves.
One of the first things I said to my Uber driver yesterday morning was "I did not vote for that man and I am so sorry for what he's said about your country." The driver was very chill.
Nice ❤️
As a Canadian (living in Costa Rica for 20 years), never in my lifetime could I conceive that we might be subject to a hostile takeover by our Southern neighbor. It’s really scary and with tech companies on side, it would be quite easy to do so. Canadian military is hardly in a position to fight back and we could end up like Gaza if we tried.
What is so sad, that while I have struggled with my feelings about the US over my lifetime, in the end just like September 11th, there is no question as to where we would stand. They are our next door neighbor and despite your issues, you don’t let your neighbors house get broken into or burned down.
Thankfully having so many American friends, I am able to separate the good people from their current government. And actually feel really bad for them for both their future and carrying this stigma. Most don’t deserve it.
Your article though really does raise a concern I had been thinking about and that is how people in other countries (like Canada) are going to respond. I have never seen such anti-American sentiment in Canada until now. People initially thought it was a joke and took it in stride. That has drastically changed and Canadians seem really united on this issue.
Where it’s going to all go? Who knows. But I know unless Americans feel the real drastic consequences of their elected government, I do not see anything changing. Will the US and the rest of the world survive these consequences? That’s highly debatable since we have no idea what it would take for the overwhelming majority to turn on their government. I see no other way.
In the meantime, I continue to support my American friends, but at same make it crystal clear if anyone in my sphere supports this current government to loose my number immediately. I have absolutely zero tolerance and am not afraid to tell them to their face. I have had a few people feel I have went a bit too far, but I make it clear there is no room for discussion on this issue.
Ultimately it’s not the way I would prefer to approach the situation, but this trying to “go high when they go low” and “reach across the isle” clearly did not work and I feel emboldened them to steamroll us.
We as non American can help by standing by and supporting our friends who always tried to aspire to stand by a country with higher values and higher levels of conduct. They need us and we need them.
I agree with everything you say. I have no room for Trump supporters in my life at this point. None. And, yup, the only way America changes at this point is by the spoiled child touching the hot stove and getting burned so badly they finally understand the consequences of their actions.
Just too bad the rest of the world has to suffer alongside...
This is all fair and reasonable. I too agree that, sadly, Americans will not turn against their government unless it hits them directly, which is damning about their ethics, frankly.