Saturday, January 28, 2017

Really Never Alarmist Enough

Back during the worst of the Bush days I'd occasionally get genuinely well-meaning people telling me that something I had posted was wrong, and that the alarmism was dangerous. Even when I'd point to the source of whatever it was - not the liberal version of infowars, but, say, the New York Times (an imperfect publication but the beef should be with them, not me), or the clear text of an order or law, they wouldn't back down. The point is not that I was always right about everything, but that some people were always trying to say "no, no, it's not that bad, and you're being alarmist which is also super bad." Anyway, I think it's probably helpful, not harmful, to be extra alarmist. Not that I'd do it deliberately, but I don't really see the point in searching for the more charitable view of things, especially when it's so often the wrong one.

In that spirit, I'm not smart lawyer type, but I wouldn't recommend that any noncitizen resident of the country (visa/green card, whatever) travel outside the country at the moment if you're planning to try to come back. Whatever the specific intention of the regulations (or wording), throwing this shit out there on a Friday night with no explanations means that multiple agencies, individuals, and private entities (airlines) have to figure out on their own just how they're supposed to carry out President Pig Fucker's instructions.