Anyone cancelling their trips/holidays to USA

[Petuniaspetal]

Have to be honest since trump won i wasn't going anyway. But anyone cancelling or going elsewhere?
I have a big birthday this year, I would go to the garbage dump rather than support America,/musk in any way. I know therwmis at least half of America that doesn't.support this shxt and for them I am sorry but for the republicans too spineless and self interested to resist their dictator.trump...not one iota of sympathy for the rising prices loss of Medicaid or medicare.

YABU ..to cancel/Not go
YANBU...wouldn't touch it with a bargepole

Doug Ford is threatening to cut off electricity flowing from Ontario to several American states if the U.S. moves ahead with tariffs. As the tariffs are due to start tomorrow, it will be interesting to see if he goes ahead with this.
( Ontario is a major electricity exporter to New York, Michigan and Minnesota).

The comments saying Zelenskyy should have played this better, knowing how instable Trump is; I think this diminishes that whatever he'd done, it would have been the wrong thing.
Trump badly wants to be the peace mediator, and being the one who ends the war in "24 hours" (from the election campaign). Previous attempts by Zelenskyy to invite him for a visit and Ukraine saying, please tell us about your 24h solution have come to nothing.

Trumps and Vance's solution is like from the latest SNL clip: "You wanna say a few words, perhaps tell Putin how much you love him and that you're sorry you invaded Russia?"

Trump saying Zelenskyy is a dictator and making it seem like both parties are equally to blame make it clear that the USA don't want an actual solution or peace.

And Zelenskyy does not need to only look at the optics within the US. That's such an isolated thinking by the US government. He has of course to be aware of the optics for his own country and for Europe. By rolling over and not correcting the obvious madness and signing deals that mean nothing but a huge disadvantage for Ukraine, he would endanger his own country, too, by lowering the resistance.
Yes, it's a lose/lose situation, but what the US presidents set up here was impossible to avoid. If he had just nodded and smiled, they would have blasted him for that, too, saying he was so weak he'd sign everything and patted themselves on the back.

That's why Trump is now so enraged Zelenskyy said peace could be a long way to go yet. He wants to finish the chapter so badly, he's obsessed with being the peace dealer, no matter if it's haphazardly done and ready to crumble in months.
There are NO goodwill signs from Russia, either, it seems even Putin disagrees with Trump, which severely undercuts his "Vladimir is my best friend" serenade. And because he can't bully Putin, he tries it with Zelenskyy.

As for the money given to Ukraine, (not for you, Parker, but the ones talking about endlessly paying):
The USA signed treaties, not that they apparently mean anything, to back up Ukraine in exchange for giving up nuclear weapons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_Memorandum

Of course Russia broke the memorandum, too, several times, but it seems politics is done at a whim and according to mercurial moods, instead of treaties, laws, and diplomacy.

Nope, still going because not literally every single American citizen and American business owner is aligned with Trump and Musk. Get a grip!

It's about standing up for our countries and their allies, and not supporting the economy of an emerging enemy. Doesn't matter who voted for Trump and who didn't.

The unpredictability of the man in charge totally puts me off booking anything there. Absolutely anything can happen with him at the helm. I can’t be doing with worrying about potentials when I’m trying to book a relaxing holiday. There are plenty of other nice places to go.

My daughter is studying the history of American politics and civil rights over the 20th century for A level. She says (having never been there) that she doesn't understand why there is a two-party political system in a vast country with so much diversity both in the heritage sense and of opinion. I agreed, it's bonkers!

I also have never been to America but the ones I meet through work are pleasant, friendly and have a brain. I am not enormously drawn to the USA as a holiday destination but I do not count any political reason as I why I shouldn't go. The people are subject to a regressive political machine which, obviously, Trump & Vance are now taking full advantage of. But the people remain the same. Tnere is plenty of the USA far away from the White House, and I think that's a good thing.

So where exactly is acceptable for travel? I assume France, Germany, Italy, Poland are out due to the far right, but they aren’t really comparable because anyone (certainly from the UK) is looking at the US as a “big ticket” holiday, not a “popping over the channel” trip. Muslim countries are out because of their treatment of women and girls; China is out because, well, the environment, treatment of the Uyghur, slavery etc; Australia because of their treatment of migrants; where exactly would you recommend?

Oh behave with your whataboutery. Much of Europe has applied sanctions to Russia without having a conversation about other places being just as bad. We've booked Slovenia this year. We live in a big world. I said before in this thread that we refused to go to the states when Bush was in power. We went 3 times under Obama. Total time was about 7 weeks and probably spent over £30K. It does matter if consumers turn their backs on America.

So you’re okay with Slovenia being right-leaning, and buying most of its oil and gas from Russia, but Trump’s still the bad guy? Applying sanctions whilst still funding the Russian invasion, sounds like such a great strategy for supporting Ukraine 🙄

Brilliant! My heart is breaking for the trees to be felled in the National Parks. I don’t wish a lack of essential on the people (who aren’t MAGA, but it would lift my heart a little if Trump had to see some real consequences for his actions.

You really are absolutely determined to persist with the whataboutery. Slovenia is a tiny little country with a population of about 2 million. When Putin invaded Ukraine many European countries had to address their energy without letting their people freeze. It isn't like switching from Eon to British Gas. Slovenia has publicly supported Ukraine and is addressing energy supplies like others. It is a democracy and has had some of the destabilisation that the right has caused in Europe.
Lake Bled is stunningly beautiful and Slovenia will be getting my £5K tourist money this year. I doubt they can inflict much harm on the world with it.
I have no problem whatsoever with identifying Trump as the bad guy here. You really are sounding desperate now.

The 'whataboutery' absolutely does matter though, unfortunately. If people stand up and want to let everyone know how they are somehow morally better than others because they have decided not to holiday in a country because of their president and politics then they should surely hold those morals for other governments and places, not just when and where it suits them?

For me this is missing the point altogether. Anyone who isn't taking extra precautions, getting extra insurance, carefully checking the laws around health care, making sure any visa/passport requirements are 100% correct, considering if flying is safe or if national parks will be a safe place to be is incredibly naive.

Just like many other places I've visited where I had to consider if I needed extra vaccines or extra security precautions or any number of other safety issues it is important to make these same considerations for a trip to the states now and too many people seem entirely unaware.

The politics are a massive issue of course but I'm just bewildered at the number of people who aren't aware of the actual physical risks right now.

So where exactly is acceptable for travel? I assume France, Germany, Italy, Poland are out due to the far right, but they aren’t really comparable because anyone (certainly from the UK) is looking at the US as a “big ticket” holiday, not a “popping over the channel” trip. Muslim countries are out because of their treatment of women and girls; China is out because, well, the environment, treatment of the Uyghur, slavery etc; Australia because of their treatment of migrants; where exactly would you recommend?

Blackpool.

Poland has had elections and the government is back to being pro-European and not arch-conservative anymore. The president is a remnant from the previous administration but otherwise things changed. France and Germany have the far-right as part of parliament but they are not in Government.
Austria just formed a new government without the conservative right.

Plenty of European countries left which are interesting and not politically tainted.
Far away destinations will need more research, but that's normal for any big trip.

It's not called Measels anymore. It's Freedom Spots now.

I wonder if this would prompt Trump to declare war with Canada? The way things are a the moment, this isn't even a total joke.

If someone doesn't want to travel somewhere because they are worried about their safety going there that's fair enough. If people are saying that they aren't travelling to the states or buying goods from there because of Trumps political views and him being right wing yet are happy to travel to other countries and use products from places that also have some pretty dubious politics and governments it just doesn't make sense.
I often wonder if people have any idea what goes on in other countries in the world.

I think if someone is not going because they think they are morally better than others then you might have a point.
But it is also ok to make a stand against Trump, who is doing so much to make things difficult for so many, both within the USA and outside of it. His actions might also affect the quality of people's holiday, so it could be avoidance for selfish reasons too.
There's a lot of places I wouldn't go for human rights reasons, but I admit that I am not perfectly consistent. Hungary have a very dodgy government and I was browsing flights there the other day (I chose somewhere else but not for just for moral reasons!).
if people want to visit the US then fine, I wouldn't judge that. But I do judge people who support Trump and all he stands for.

My last comment was in response to purplethistle7

Are people saying that though?

I wouldn’t go to the USA now, I would have been willing to go during his first term. I don’t have a problem going to places with right wing governments, but I won’t visit places where the government doesn’t follow democratic process and the rule of law.

I apply that same standard to any destination. If it’s not a democracy, I’m not going. It applies to left wing governments like Cuba or Vietnam and right wing governments like the Russia or the UAE. It’s not about approving of their governments’ policies, it’s about democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law. Trump may have been elected but in this term he has made it very clear that he has no intention of being constrained by normal checks and balances.

The difference is that it would be a direct response to something very major that is affecting all of us right now. Voting and consuming is our only power right now as regular cititzens of the world. What you are saying is that there is no point or hypocritical to openly show disgust for trump's America because we are not simultaneously as active showing it towards countries that have been run the same way for centuries and aren't actually threating our freedom.

Years ago regardless of Democrat or Republican I would go America didn't think twice about it. But watching the America shitshow over the years that trump has been on the political landscape has really made me feel like I am watching the world develop as Nazi Germany developed.

The racism, the nazi salutes, the favouring of the proud boys, loose references to the KKK, the people who trump has surrounded himself with, January 6th, laying the groundwork for a third/fourth term, his rhetoric, his narcissistic behaviour, inability to show empathy to anyone, total self interest, which if you think about it is isolationist thinking , thinking only of oneself and noone else, now like America the country we will look after ourselves and no-one else...... until a 9/11 comes along.

I used to wonder how the world sat back while the Holocaust transpired and here we are living it now....it may not be gas Chambers but reading Project 2025 it is like a bible for 'Aryan' like ideals and cleansing. (Eugenics)

Some posters on here were talking about going to other cultures in Europe while the American poster talked about why bother going anywhere else when they have sun sand and snow to go to in the USA. Well as a European I went to Auswitz and as dramatic as this sounds I audibly gasped as I saw the room full of people's glasses, it was one of the most shocking moments of my life. The overriding message of this experience is to never forget...but we are forgetting or ignoring. This is why , despite my sympathy for those who did not vote for trump, I will not be going to the USA while he or his sidekicks are in charge.

Good, that's exactly what people should do. As you said, you don't want to go there now because of your beliefs and you feel the same about other places. Unfortunately many people don't do that, they follow what's in the latest news but don't give a damn about travelling and spending money in other places with terrible human rights and dodgy governments.

I'm not saying it's pointless at all, I'm all for standing up for what you believe in but it is hypocritical to say you won't go somewhere on holiday because of their government, human rights etc whilst happily travelling to other countries or buying products from them who have equally bad and often worse laws.
There are posters on here saying they've got holidays booked to the states so will go this time but won't go after that...so clearly they aren't really that bothered or they'd cancel the trip and take the hit on the money.

I also don't think that saying because something has been run for centuries in the same way means its OK.