Think of 60,000 people. Fill a stadium with them and their dreams and aspirations. Because our president canceled that many visas, those lives — which were structured around a trip to America — just had their travel dreams scuttled. And that’s just incoming travelers. Many outgoing travel plans have also been halted.
We’re not just talking about vacations. These are academic visits, business trips, and people seeking a better life for their families…tens of thousands of lost opportunities — in education, in commerce, and in understanding.
Why? They claim it’s for “safety.” As a traveler — who has, again and again, experienced the power of people-to-people connection — I believe that, ironically, this action will make us less safe. Understanding and sharing between the USA and seven countries where understanding and sharing is particularly vital, just took a huge hit.
I fear we’ve entered a backward world. Actions “for safety” will make us less safe. Actions “for jobs” will bring fewer jobs. At Rick Steves’ Europe, the value of our mantra to “Keep on travelin’” is growing by the day.
Just awful. I fear that you’re right that we’ve entered a backward world. In addition to the vacations and lost opportunities, there are people whose livelihood relies on tourism with these countries, especially Iran, which has become a hot destination in the last couple years. I’ve been to Iran twice after seeing your show and was blown away by the kindness of the Iranian people (which is very different from their government). I’ve kept in touch with my guides, who will now lose a major part of their income because of this ban. It effects so many people in a negative way and does nothing to keep us safer.
Keep it up, Rick, yours is an encouraging and truthful voice in an increasingly discouraging and discordant world. May peace and understanding spread far and wide.
Keep on preachin’ Rick! Don’t be silenced by the opposition. In the end, the open-minded and caring people of the world will always win. Walls are never the answer – and you don’t need a PhD in history to know that, just a history book. Cheers mate.
Frank
Keep on traveling Rick! We need your perspectives to balance world view!
Thank you for your comment Rick. It is really sad how fearful of foreigners the Trump administration is.
such a dark cloud over what was once such an exciting and bright passion. Thanks for speaking out.
Thanks Rick. It’s people like you who matter so much in helping to heal these possible wounds. We should never give it a rest when we have a voice to express a greater vision. Travel on!!!
I just returned from France. My French friends were planning a family trip to NY with their children but decided it was not worth it. They feel it would be too stressful. So it is not just people in the countries that are on the list. And it is not just those countries who will lose on tourism, it is the US too that are going to lose tourist dollars.
Rick,
Yes, we are now in a backward world, the country has truly gone over to the “dark side”. So much damage has already been done, and it has only been two weeks! I hope and pray we can survive this, but I get more worried every day. I will keep traveling, I have two trips to France planned this year. Might be time to look at real estate there.
Keep on traveling and keep up your good work!
Peace!
Love!
Chianti!
I don’t get the opportunity to travel but enjoy vicariously through you. These are very sad days for our country and for the rest of the world. The creeping hatred that is building is frightening and I entirely agree with your comments of concern.
Walls, bans, torture, intolerance…and it’s only been two weeks. What’s up his sleeve for next week? These tactics are neither an intelligent nor effective way to maintain control of anything. Trump has probably acted in violation of the constitution every day since he took office. I sense an impeachment in the very near future.
Thank goodness we have a democracy and not a dictatorship! Because for now the ban is off! Thank goodness that our judicial system realizes that we do not want to dumb America down to the level that President Trump thinks we should be. This will be a four year fight to not slide back 50 years! For now keep traveling!
Concerning walls, I think we have a lot more to fear from within this country than from outside the country. How many people die every day in this country by guns?
Russia built the iron curtain and we derided them for it. We too will be derided. Have the terrorists have won? Are we really that afraid??
Rick, You have made so many friends for America, along with your guides and those who go on your tours. You have focused on making friends, not enemies, on identifying what we have in common not on what separates us, on acts of kindness, on fostering a feeling of community, seeing one humanity wherever we go. Those are the things that bring peace to the world–crossing borders, not building walls. Thank you.
I have a feeling trips to the US will be down bigly this year, and not just by those from the 7 countries. It’t a shame. We all lose.
All those Jobs people talk about where always available, walk down the street there are always signs in windows for help. But most Americans don’t want what they consider bellow them jobs. And no one is asking you to let refugee’s move into your house, I really do not understand how that relates to any of this. We are trying to help these victims get their own homes where they can feel safe and a not in the middle of a war zone. This is all ridiculous propaganda it is sickening!
America is a nation of immigrants who imposed themselves on an unwilling native culture. Some of them tried to be welcoming–for example, the Cherokee and related tribes. They even tried to ‘assimilate’ to the invading culture. My grandchildren are their descendants, harshly and unfairly relocated to Oklahoma. Now the shoe is a bit on ‘the other foot.’ I sometimes think of it as ‘The Reconquista.’
So, while I can understand the feelings and aspirations of Syrians (and particularly Kurds and Armenians) and I can feel the pain of Palestinians pent up in concentration camps established by Jews who should know better, I also feel that, at some point, a people have to ‘stand and fight’ for their native land and their heritage…not take the hard, but still easier, route to another country. Who will make their native land a better place if not they?
Palestinians in concentration camps established by Jews who should know better? Did you want to clarify that, Jim? If you mean Israeli settlement expansion into Palestinian territory please say so, and don’t put this outrageous spin on things.
Thank you Steve for your insight. We were planning on traveling to Italy for confirmation trips for our son and daughter, but are unsure how other country’s see us when donald trump signs negative orders. I hope that by our traveling we can be ambassadors for America and put a face on Americans that are independent and think for our selves and have the courage to stand up to our elected official who are suppose to work for us. I am neither democratic or republican, but a independent thinking native american who welcomed the pilgrims (immigrants) to our shores.
Give me a break. There has not been one terrorist incident since 9-11-01 on U.S. soil from citizens of any of the 7 countries in the immigration ban. And ones where terrorists came from – especially Saudi Arabia, with 15 of the 19 (!!!) 9-11-01 hijackers – were left off the list! Plus Egypt (home to the most recent terrorist in France), UAE, etc. All countries where our so-called President has business interests. So don’t give me that CRAP about being safer, when the obvious terror homes are left off. And what about CANADA – where a white male Trump supporter carried out that terrorist attack in Quebec City. And what about South Carolina, Sandy Hook, Aurora, Oklahoma City, etc.? All White Male U.S. citizens. Argument to support this UNCONSTITUTIONAL ban is WEAK! And we are now LESS safe, as ISIS and other groups will turn this ban into a Crusade by the West to battle Islam.
Malinda: I would agree with you (about accepting the President’s action) if I felt this immigration ban was justified. The U.S. has a 20-step vetting process that takes approximately two years to complete. As Sen. Chris Murphy (Senate Foreign Relations Committee) is stating right now on CNN as the Justice Department has filed a motion to reinstate the ban, a person intent on committing an act of terror on U.S. soil most likely would not subject himself/herself to such a lengthy process and would seek to enter our country illegally. Trump pledged throughout his campaign that he would institute a Muslim ban. He is simply acting upon this pledge, but in a manner that neither makes sense nor is constitutional. Either way, whatever the Court of Appeals rules, this is going to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. As Americans, we should be grateful that our Founding Fathers had the foresight to create checks and balances in our democracy.
Malinda,I hope you are able to visit Berlin. My husband and I visited Berlin in 2015. We followed Rick Steves’advice and went to Checkpoint Charlie museum, the tour of the Bundestag, and the Berlin wall memorial. We began to understand the devastation and horror of living in East Berlin after the wall was built. East Berlin withered and its inhabitants suffered economically. 139 people died trying to cross the wall. If you were to visit Berlin today or watch Rick Steves wonderful episodes on Berlin, you would see a unified vibrant city growing by leaps and bounds. Historically walls never work.
Robert, my reply to you is too simplistic, I don’t know. Was the ban justified? I can’t answer. I have no idea. The most dangerous time in any presidency is their first months. Were there briefings, alerts, threats or was the ban just a fulfillment of a campaign promise. I only wish this country would stop being so politically correct. Stop being afraid of hurting a country’s feelings. Look what happened after Benghazi. President Obama wouldn’t call what happened a terrorist attack. We heard for days how the attack was a spontaneous protest over a film. We failed to act and we lost people.
I hope our intelligence agencies are working better together. I would also hope the vetting process has improved. Do you remember the man who flew to America from Yemen and it was only dumb luck that kept that plane from going down. The man’s father turned him in to the proper officials advising that his son has turned radical. The son was put on a watch list but still obtained his Visa. The masterminds of 9/11 were patient and methodical. I can see groups of today staying under the radar, waiting out the vetting process to fulfill their goals. I hope we are better prepared today to stop them.
Eileen, my comment about Berlin was made in jest but it would be an interesting experiment to see how this country, split into two, would deal living under a one party government, where democrats and republicans would live totally governed by their party. I know there are independent voters but we haven’t had a president from the independent party. Voters had to pick a party.
Can’t wait for April to arrive…i think that’s when Rick typically leaves for the first of his two annual trips to Europe. I look forward to both his political and non-political posts from abroad!aAt this point I’m really ready for some travel news and hopefully some video clips!
Malinda, I appreciate your explanation about your comment about the Berlin wall, but I did not find your attempt at humor very funny. By the way if you want to see an example of what happens when the Democrats govern a state, come and visit my state, California. We now have the sixth largest economy in the world.
Eileen, could you enlighten us on the standard tax burden to the average tax payer, and city and state deficits run by your ‘successful’ California economy? Most states like mine require a balanced annual budget. Far too many entitlements and guaranteed pensions have been promised to the public sector in California to balance the budget.
Just to ensure we have our numbers straight….
More recently, the state government and media began referring to the state’s billions of dollars of mounting debts as a “Wall of Debt.” Generally, state officials and the media depict that “wall” as $26.2 billion, far smaller than it actually is. California’s actual wall of debt is $443 billion.
Successful Democrat leadership???
Hey Mike. I’m back from watching the Melissa clip. I’m sorry that trying to address an issue using logic and truth gets me scolded for being a bad person and translates into “lalalalala” for you. Well, if that is how you see it, that’s fine. You also are entitled to your opinion. I guess if Rick didn’t want some back and forth from his readers on his blog, he wouldn’t have posted his sentiments. And, since Sara requested a post from Europe, maybe when Rick’s back in Berlin at the Reichstag, he can remind us how Germany ‘moved on’ in the 1930s.
No Robert, Move On is synonymous with the Progressive left, and George Soros. You all already own that one completely, even with the website site.
Tom: The issue is the current immigration ban. Even Kelly said he wouldn’t have let it out of his shop as written. You ask if I have a problem with Obama? Absolutely not. You can feel free to ask me any question you want to about Trump or a President Bannon.
I really have to agree that other than 911 most of the horrific terror in this country has been caused by angry or mentally ill White men. Even some of the terrorist have been from middle eastern countries but were born here in the US and are citizens. We have done a very good job of screening everyone coming in and out of this country, when you look at the millions a day. Really the biggest threat to us are our own people acting the way they do to fellow humans. This is how most civilizations have been destroyed and disappear. That is why history is one of the most important things to learn.
Eileen, the comment really wasn’t meant to be funny.
No thank you to California. I already live in a completely democratic state. We rank 4th in the number of companies and people leaving the state. The highest in taxes paid, high corporate taxes, high in unemployment, poor GDP. Fiscally we are a mess and only getting worse. I will leave just as soon as I can.
Well Rick, these folks are free to “seek a better life” anywhere else they like. Although it apparently makes you feel bad, they no right to entry the US. That even includes Canadians going to Costco. Global World Love does not make for an effective immigration policy. And before you call and “Islamophobe,” note that I’ve visited Turkey four times, including your tour.
Here is a link to a wonderful film about one European woman who runs alone through Iran. It’s beautiful.
https://www.facebook.com/Alone-through-Iran-1144-miles-of-trust …
Well possibly his team is accomplishing the discussion on why are people attacking and insulting each other on this discussion about immigration. Because now this has gone from the question at hand about immigration to why you are all insulted that they deleted what you had to say. We are now a culture with no respect for one another.
How about the thousands of Cubans stranded in Mexico, Costa Rica and Peru? And who is demonstrating in favor of those that were on home made rafts traveling toward Florida when the capricious Mr. Obama signed an executive order eliminating the wet foot, dry foot policy? That restrictive policy was signed by Mr. Clinton which limited the number of Cuban immigrants. John F. Kennedy had said: As long as Communism rules Cuba, Cubans will always be welcome in our country. Do I detect discrimination or ignorance?
Some of those dreams that were dashed may have been the dream to kill Americans. I am very glad we finally have leadership whose first priority is to protect our citizens.
Thank you, Rick – you are one of many voices trying to express hope in this current situation. I am looking forward to my tour to Italy this summer, grateful that I will not face similar problems as visitors coming here from other countries.
So this week alone three major threats were stopped two by white males one in Florida and another on the East Coast, and one White woman in Davis California. And the this week the congress decided to put guns back in the hands of the mentally ill.
How amusing to think that someone with the well documented attributes (detriments) of a trump will somehow “save” us. While I am a liberal Democrat, I understand that occasionally we must let the other side have a turn, no matter how disastrous that turn may be (see”Bush”). However, your choice of trump is simply astounding, unbelievable, mind boggling. I will feel so much “safer” as he rolls back the clock on the environment, personal freedoms, our country’s stature in the world. When you shake things up next time, put a bit more thought into it please. Just remember, if you have a low opinion of President Obama’s performance, you are in the minority, just as you are with the popular vote in the last election.
The disparaging remarks by Trump supporter are really amazing to me. The anger is such a very bad example to children and to the mental health of the future of America. It really is disgusting! Calling Democrats names, it just shows the ignorance that is in Trumps camp. I really wish Trump would look back at what he says and should be embarrassed by the vial talk. We wonder now why there are so many threats to Jewish temples and to Mosques, it is not a wonder when you see the bad example and hate that is going on now. There is no way that I can support and ever be in this camp, this is not who I am and I cannot become a disrespectful person. And among everything this will be the problem with this country coming together.
Tom, seriously this is exactly what I am talking about. This total denial of what I am saying. Trump supporters don’t want to take any responsibility for what they say by putting back on the liberals, snowflakes what ever you want to call us. You don’t realize we are not these laying around lazy liberals that want to give it all away. But you listen to your news that tells you these are not real people out there protesting. I don’t think a young mom with her baby is hired, I don’t think all these worried seniors that are showing up at town halls are fake. Because Donald Trump can get on Twitter and tell the country that everything he doesn’t want to hear or believe is fake, phony, agitators. This is why this will never get resolved, you don’t want to listen to any other opinion and we don’t want to be talked over and believe that many of the things being (not everything, believe it or not) done are not healthy for our country.
Tom: Both Trump supporters and anti-Trump supporters are maligned every day by each other. Sadly, that is where we are at as a country right now. I have friends and close colleagues who are passionate Trump supporters – they are decent people who wanted a change (and/or truly despised HRC). I certainly don’t consider them “deplorables”. I personally had a difficult time voting for HRC, but in the end I felt that she was clearly a better choice for America. Obviously, 63 million other voters agreed but the Electoral College did not. Well, that is how our democracy works. I have other friends and colleagues who feel that Trump was unqualified for the office and is a horrible human being, based on the multitude of comments of candidate Trump that were hateful (against Mexicans and Muslims), cruel (mocking the disabled reporter), misogynistic (Access Hollywood video), outright lies (in the end, he didn’t “drain the swamp” and he embraced Wall Street by including at least 7 former Goldman Sachs employees as advisors/cabinet members, etc.). Trump selected perhaps the most unqualified Secretary of Education (DeVoss) in the history of the country, as well as choosing Rick Perry and Scott Pruitt to head the Departments of Energy and EPA, respectively, which they each said they would like to dismantle. (I thought that a Cabinet Secretary would at least support the agency he/she was chosen to head, not want to shut it down.) So, we now have seen an Executive Order allowing coal companies to dump their waste into our streams. Are you okay with that? I am not. Is it a coincidence that with a new Secretary of State, who is a former CEO of Exxon, that another Executive Order was recently issued in which oil companies no longer have to disclose payments to foreign governments? Are you comfortable with that? I am not. Finally, Trump has as his closest advisors, two men who are associated with the Alt-Right (Bannon and Miller). This fact, as well as the White House’s omitting mention of the Jewish people in the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day statement was in concert with Trump’s failure to answer the questions of two Jewish reporters who asked him at recent press conferences to address the sharp rise in Anti-Semitism in the U.S. He basically ignored both. This was very troubling to me. Trump’s statement yesterday finally addressed this issue, but was considered by the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, as well as other organizations, to be “condescending” and “too little too late”. So, the reason that I oppose this President is basically because Trump does not represent my values and I feel that he is further dividing – not uniting – the American people. Tom, you like what he stands for, so it is your right to support him. And you may not agree with anything I have said. But you wanted a dialogue and I have explained in detail my feelings about this President and his administration. The only way things in Washington will change is (1) if “Kremlingate” is real and Trump is impeached; or (2) if the Democrats make major gains in the 2018 elections and win back the House or Senate. Until then, we will just have to agree to disagree on a number of issues and you can enjoy – while I will detest – this President and his policies.
Tom: My talking points are my own. You don’t agree with them, and that Is fine. Of course I consider opposing views., I don’t accept them. That’s why they are “opposite” from what I believe. Many of the facts I cited don’t require a “test”; a video is a video; an Executive Order is an Executive Order. Great that Trump’s son-in-law is Jewish and Ivanka converted, but you missed the point I was making. You view all my of claims as “equally false”. So, it doesn’t seem like there’s much room for any real dialogue. So, we can agree to disagree on just about everything. Well, in America that’s okay. Take care.