Had a very sad conversation with a waiter in Trieste, Italy tonight.

[Thunderbeast]

He is a very polite, well educated, and friendly man in his twenties. In our brief encounter, he expressed his desire to visit the U.S. He wants to see our natural beauty, and climb some of our mountains.

He and his friends will not visit because they are terrified of ICE, and our nativist government. They fear that they will be picked up on an American street, and dumped in a detention center.

"I see it all on TV, and I can not take the chance".

If we scare off visitors, it will take a generation to repair the damage caused by our MAGA overlords. WE will be the losers.

[Bettie]

1. That is sad and yet

he's right. Which is even sadder.

[Frasier Balzov]

2. This is in counterpoint to all the glowing FIFA visitor stuff.

MAGA is finding international visitors who are attending soccer playoff games in the U.S. who speak favorably about their experiences here.

I hope your Italian waiter becomes aware of some of that positive feedback, decides to visit and has a wonderful time.

[karynnj]

17. I've seen a few Facebook posts mentioning

that the FIFA people liking America means the media lied about their distrust of Trump's America.

I responded that all but one city, Dallas, had a Democratic mayor. And yes, people are enjoying being in these cities. This means Trump lied calling many of them hellholes.

The truth, blue cities, most in blue states that always welcomed tourists and are fun to be in

[NBachers]

23. Whenever I'm traveling, I alway make a point to reveal that I'm from San Francisco so I can give a good impression.

[karynnj]

39. I haven't traveled for the last past year, but I always said I was from Vermont

[harumph]

29. Even in Dallas, the move by a black politician Eric Johnson to switch parties was seen as performative.

Accompanied by much eye-rolling. Dallas is a largely blue leaning city. Johnson basically has fucked his career.

[rictofen]

34. Now that you mention it, I haven't seen a thread about WC attendance lately

There were constant threads about hotel cancellations up until a few weeks ago. Then BAM...



The Earth just opened up and swallowed that topic. Eerie, really eerie.

[Tree Lady]

37. I saw a great comment on FB

About how you can tell by World Cup if we just got rid of the leaders all the people of the world mostly get along and like each other.

[erronis]

3. This is the intention of the isolationists and white-supremacists in the govermnent and corporate world.

But they'll gladly import white afrikaaners from South Africa. I'd imagine that someone from Trieste may be close enough to the old Third Reich to be able to argue for favorable treatment.

[flashman13]

4. Keeping them "fereners" out is a feature, not a bug.

[Wounded Bear]

5. The really sad part is that you can't blame him...nt

[TBF]

6. I don't even want to be in this country anymore -

why in the world would someone from overseas want to come here?

[Nanjeanne]

7. I've been going yearly to Italy since 2014. I've had so many conversations not just with Italians but other

Europeans in my travels. Always when talking about the US I hear fear. Now it’s ICE. Back in 2014/15 it was guns mentioned most often. It is so sad to know this beautiful country is so distrusted by others and so out of reach fo so many.

[dave99]

20. this country is what it is. Divided into fiedoms of civility and harm. That is what REPUBLICANS Want !

[MustLoveBeagles]

8. He's right

I'd love for my stepdaughter and her kids to visit but it's just not safe. And being white wouldn't protect them.

[Deep State Witch]

9. Reminds me of a Convo with our tour guide in Rome

We did a golf cart tour of Rome back in September of 2024. The driver was talking to my husband and I when we were waiting for the other family to come back to the cart. His grandparents moved to Florida, and he was going through the immigration process to join them there. He felt that there were more opportunities here than in Italy. We cautioned him to hold off making the final decision until after the election, because even legal migrants from Europe might have problems. I often wonder what he did.

[fujiyamasan]

10. He'd be smart to wait

It’s not worth the risk visiting right now, and not until republicans are out of power. They have shown that they’re not interested in reigning in ICE. On the contrary they keep giving Trump everything he wants to keep this going.

[Figarosmom]

11. We ARE the losers. He's probably right, except he'd likely be detained

at the airport if there is anything on his phone that ICE doesn't like.

[mgardener]

12. We are already seeing this

We live 20 miles south of Canadian border.
The Canadian are slowly returning, but the numbers are no where near what they were since Trump took office.
It has impacted my community greatly.
A 25 -30% drop in traffic is a big deal to small communities.

[Upthevibe]

13. Thunderbeast........

It's sad but mostly true.

[MLWR]

14. We have relatives in Germany and we have told them not to come now.

There are too many stories of people being turned back at the airport etc. It is hard not to be able to see them and welcome them to our house, but it isn't worth the risk of what might happen.

[dave99]

21. Germany is Beautiful , why come here ?

[electric_blue68]

30. It depends on what they want to see....

For instnce...
The high desert above Sedona on the Coconino Plateau North of Flagstaff & it's nearby Mountains - Navajo & Hopi Nations. Grand Canyon. 1979 & 1980.
It's extroidinary ! If you enjoy that type of landscape. I do, as well *as treasure my green tree-filled* NYC area; as I sit typing in a tree filled backyard.

Some people (not me) may want to visit the very flat Plain States.
The Rockies! (Been there, too)

[dave99]

31. meh

[electric_blue68]

32. Well -Many People- find it Beautiful. No one's -forcing you- to go.

[Just Jerome]

15. A wee bit more

than a generation to repair, I fear, at this point.

[moonscape]

36. To repair govt at least. But not

to repair pent-up tourism. As soon as there is an admin that abolishes ICE, has sane policies, word will get out quickly.

[Skittles]

16. it is RACIST AND UN-AMERICAN

fucking DISGUSTING

[bdamomma]

24. I agree Skittles!!!!

Every dog has its day, and there are plenty of them in this government. No offense to dogs!

[Cha]

18. I think your Italian waiter is wise. Why chance

getting caught up in the horror scene that so many Americans have had to experience, at times with deadly force.

[bdamomma]

19. He's probably

not the only one with those sentiments. We all need to get into "good trouble". We have a very "unstable" what individual or criminal in the WH. He is ruining our country, and our leaders must back their words with ACTIONS!!! July 4th for some will not be a celebration.

[dave99]

22. We have a very "unstable" poitical party REPUBLICANS destroying what was once calm

[bdamomma]

26. Crap!

what's wrong with living in peace with everyone and everyone getting a piece of the pie!!! instead of crumbs. I always say to myself those greedy SOB's can choke on their money basically that comes from us!!!

[GoodRaisin]

25. If the fascists implant themselves in our government for a generation

then foreign visitors surely won’t come. But I think they will be anxious to return once we take our government back. We just have to throw the fascists out first.

[bdamomma]

27. Exactly!!!!

nt

[surfered]

28. His concerns are valid. Trump and Miller have made us to scary to visit.

Last edited Sun Jun 28, 2026, 09:02 PM - Edit history (2)

[Bluestocking]

33. I am a white 3rd generation US citizen

and since last January I will not get on an airplane or travel to a red State. Fortunately I live in Massachusetts which is surrounded by blue States.

A few weeks ago I went to the white mountains to see the lupine bloom. Only bloom for two weeks a year. Plenty of wonderful things to do and see in the blue Northeast.

[cab67]

35. Trieste itself is beautiful.

[RockCreek]

38. The world has been taught through TV, Films, etc to want to come to the US

Cultural colonisation of people's minds and desires

There are so many amazing places to visit and experience throughout the entire world. People are generally just more aware of those in the US.

[oasis]

40. Many would-be visitors are not afraid but

BOYCOTTING

[Initech]

42. As they should.

We don't deserve nice things until we get rid of these sick, demented fuckheads and their billionaire overlords.

[Initech]

41. Ugh it's so disheartening.

And I can place the blame on two particular individuals - Stephen Miller and Elon Musk. Saying they should rot in the hottest of hells is too good for these assholes. But Satan will be waiting for them.