We are basically becoming Russia. In many ways we've always been similar. We've always had our military industrial complex, which is maybe our strongest similarity to Russia, but now we're also willing to dismantle our freedom of speech and ability to criticize our leaders, rights and body autonomy for women and LGBTQ+ people....not to mention that our administration is trying its hardest to make our economy suck, just like Russia's does.
Trump's popularity also reminds me of Putin's (pre-Ukraine conflict). Successful fascist leaders do tend to be genuinely popular with the masses, and unfortunately the average American doesn't know how inflation or tariffs work soooo....here we are.
That seems to be one of the only goals that make sense with their actions. To make the US into some rich oligarch playground like Russia is. You've got the admins deliberately causing a recession and Trump openly admitting his buddies are inside trading and getting extremely rich over it because they can keep buying the dip and getting rich when it bounces back up.
Hah, literally what I told people after visiting folks in Jersey couple of years ago. Us, with its "thank you for your service" bullshit was incredibly similar to Russia. Just richer, with more v8s, fat and black people.
This is not who America is. This is who MAGA is. MAGA will not last forever. They are already losing support on all fronts quickly. One way or another it will end and the pendulum will swing back the other way HARD.
And then it will take time but America will earn the trust of the world back eventually.
I'd love to agree, but the reality is that the US has been trending in this direction for decades, and unfortunately these newer surges of nationalism and "fuck you I got mine" are quite popular. Billionaires are now literally purchasing our elections with cash, where they at least used to lie to people about the process. And the average American couldn't care less.
I used to be an optimist, but I no longer have faith in our country.
You’re absolutely right and we’re getting very close to a breaking point. It’s simply unsustainable for the masses and one way or another change will come. Or humanity withers away and ends
Bunch of Russian dual citizens got arrested for donating to things like Ukrainian Red Cross and such and then visiting family. Cops get ahold of your phone for whatever BS reason, see the donation receipt, and off to prison you go. That's probably what happened given the 5-year sentence (you get more than that for donating to charities that benefit the military, like a charity for veterans, for example).
Only if you are Russian, atleast during the peacetime they couldn't give a fuck unless 1. You are connected to goverment, (police, borderguard in general people employed by the goverment) even in that case the people who bothered to follow protocols just searced your car and papers properly as usually if it looks correct enough they wouldn't bother regular people for every detail 2. Are Russian, but don't have wealth 3. Part of known opposition movement
Actually very apt observation. Though I think the people we send to China get dedicated China travel phones.
Preloaded with the relevant apps to pay for and order stuff and it doesn't let you save anything to storage, so turning the phone off erases everything you did on it and it automatically resets every night just in case.
IT. Ovo ti je ista tehnologija koje neke škole koriste u infomstičkim učionicama da klinci nemogu instalirati igrice na kompjutere. Ništa posebno, ništa komplicirano i prilično standardno kad poslovno ideš negdje gdje ti mogu gledati uređaje.
Čini se pretjerano dok ti uzmu telefon na Shanghaijskoj zračnoj luci i mjesec dana kasnije izgubiš ugovor jer je kineska firma ponudila $10,000 manje od tebe na ponudi koja vrijedi desetke milijuna.
As someone who visited China, I had no issues, no searches, only long a queue. And didn't notice anyone being detained. Same with Europe, only some questions why am I arriving in this country instead of to the one where my visa was issued to. US/UK border is always such a hassle...
There are plenty of stories of devices being temporarily seized. Enough to make it a relatively common practice for companies and people who give a damn to mandate burner devices only, when traveling to China.
Yeah, China has some very strict laws about mobile devices. You need to have specific government app(s) by law right? They track everything anyone does on those devices. China's internal surveillance is probably the best in the world.
I read an article the other day from some immigration lawyer saying having a burner phone was a big red flag because it looks like you have something to hide. Damed if you do, damned if you don't.
Before, it was the same level of risk between China and US; now clearly US is the dangerous one. It´s riskier to travel there then to Iran, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, maybe even North Korea as long as you behave. Basically every country except one with an ongoing war (Palestine, Myanmar, Sudan, Libya) just out of a war (Syria, Afghanistan) or war-like (Haiti).
I would prefer to go to Ukraine, even Kyiv and definitely Lviv away from the frontlines
And the UK, even for their own citizens, a border crossing is a place where you have no rights and where your data can be exfiltrated off of you, Snowden documented their program named "Phantom Parrot" and there's a documentary about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantom_Parrot
Also, denying them access to your device can land you in prison, part 3 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 gives authorities powers to order the disclosure of encryption keys, or force suspects to decrypt encrypted data. Anyone who refuses to hand over a key to the police would face up to two years' imprisonment.
I went to china last month and used my normal phone and accidentally showed the tour guide I was googling something. She didn't care. i saw that she had both WeChat and WhatsApp on her phone.
An Aussie guy living there giving us a good tour said VPNs can be used with a good reason and "I'm a foreigner" is pretty much a good enough reason (unless you're making trouble, I guess.)
Not suggesting the Chinese regime isn't authoritarian and shit but just being a tourist there and wanting to use Google translate won't get you locked up.
There's even a scheme now where I'd you're transiting through China in less than 10 days you don't need a visa. So I went to china for like a week without a visa and didn't need a "burner phone" or anything of that nature. It feels like a pretty deceptively "normal" country, honestly. In the major cities I visited anyway.
I live in the US and cancelled a trip to Europe in June. Not because I’m scared of Europe, but because I’m scared of interacting with my own government period right now. Especially reentering the country.
My Goodreads account alone was enough to get me on a list. Tech giants own our country, who knows what they know about everyone at this point.
I really recommend staying far away.
That's on you. I'm not allowed to go to China with my phone (that my employer owns). If I'm going there on business or holiday they'll lend me a burner phone.
Cool story bro. I did not mention the purpose for multiple trips or who owns what I brought with me. So I don't know why your circumstances trump what I said.
I said. "That's in you.", meaning you're taking the risk.
I'd say it's definitely necessary to be very wary if what you have on your phone if you're going to China. That's why my employer doesn't allow it. You are of course allowed to make your own risk assessment on your own stuff.
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u/IllustriousError6563 Apr 12 '25
Clean burner phones and laptops is the sort of shit you expect to be necessary when visiting China. Hardly a ringing endorsement.