Since this wasn’t apparent the last time I asked… no, I’m actually not a US citizen or green card holder (permanent resident). Just happened to be in this country for a long time due to career reasons.

  • atlasraven31@lemm.ee
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    7 days ago

    Borrow a lot of money and then declare bankruptcy. If you’re feeling generous, buy up people’s medical debt for pennies on the dollar.

  • TimewornTraveler@lemm.ee
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    6 days ago

    Make sure your last permanent address is where you wanna be voting. Absentee ballots will all be for whichever district you lived in last.

  • karpintero@lemmy.world
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    8 days ago

    Visit some of the National Parks, aka America’s best idea.

    Some amazing ones (they’re all amazing, tbh) in no particular order:

    • Yosemite
    • Arches / Canyonlands (close to each other)
    • Yellowstone
    • Grand Tetons
    • Glacier
    • Denali
    • Olympic
    • neo2478@sh.itjust.works
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      8 days ago

      Plenty of countries have national parks btw. Many of them had them before America. While the American ones are indeed geographically amazing, I am tired of thinUS exceptionalism that the US is the only country that has national parks.

      • ylph@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        Plenty of countries have national parks btw. Many of them had them before America.

        Well not really though ? Yellowstone established in 1872 is generally considered the first national park, in the modern sense of the term*, and inspired others to follow in the next couple of decades in Canada, New Zealand and Australia. It wasn’t until the 1900s that the first national park was established in Europe.

        * there are a couple of other places that also claim this distinction, depending on how exactly you define what a national park is, but not many

        Calling national parks “America’s best idea” is a quote from historian and environmentalist Wallace Stegner - I think the point of it is not to toot some US exceptionalism horn - in context it’s more of an acknowledgment that America deserves a lot of criticism - saying that national parks are America’s best idea is actually putting a bit of shade on other American exceptionalism claims, especially during the Reagan “shining city upon a hill” era.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        7 days ago

        Perhaps I’m illiterate, but I saw nothing in their comment suggesting that the US is the only country with National Parks.

        I don’t think they even implied that they’re better than any other National Parks.

        They said it was our best idea… I don’t think that implies we were first, just that it was a good idea for us to do it.

        • Dragonstaff@leminal.space
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          7 days ago

          I don’t think the person above meant anything by it, but if we’re just discussing grammar: if I say something is “my idea” that does suggest that I thought of it. It is reasonable to read the sentence that way, and Americans do have a tendency to reflexively think we are exceptional.

          Both readings are perfectly cromulent.

        • neo2478@sh.itjust.works
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          7 days ago

          I acknowledge your point. Maybe I came across too harshly due to some baggage about it. Especially an episode from the podcast 99% invisible about the US national parks.

      • PieMePlenty@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        While many (if not most) countries have national parks, the policies surrounding them are different. A simple thing like camping is often restricted in European parks, mixed land use is allowed so you are more removed from pure non human nature. As a result, the experience of visiting one may be vastly different - depending on what you are doing. American national parks are exceptional not because they are the only country that has them - which isnt true as you pointed out, they are exceptional because of the governing policies surrounding them.

        I’d surely visit one, before I left, because the experience isnt going to be the same in any other.

        • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          7 days ago

          I’d surely visit one, before I left, because the experience isnt going to be the same in any other.

          You might want to visit them soon anyway, as I believe they will be significantly reduced over the next 4 years as our Kakistocratic government continues to dismantle everything good about this country.

  • hit_the_rails@reddthat.com
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    8 days ago

    Buy some non US-based cloud storage and copy all your sensitive data to it, and delete said data from personal devices before leaving the country, so you can safely allow customs access to devices if required.

    Retrieve data from the cloud when you arrive in the destination country.

    • COASTER1921@lemmy.ml
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      7 days ago

      Has anyone seen customs ever actually search an electronic device before? I travel internationally nearly every month and have never seen this before, even in China.

      • ylph@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        According to CBP’s own stats they conducted 42725 basic and 4322 advanced searches of electronic devices at US ports of entry last year (so before any new policies of the current administration took effect)

        “Under a basic search, a border agent physically inspects your phone and reviews what they can, while an advanced search means the agent can potentially download all of your files using an external device.”

      • ylph@lemmy.world
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        7 days ago

        This is true, however you can still be targeted for extra checks by both customs and immigration if they have a reason to suspect you, even when departing the US. Both CBP and ICE have access to departing passenger lists.

        For example you are required to declare larger sums of cash being carried out of the country (over $10k). You are supposed to go to customs and fill out a form, but many people do not know this, often legal immigrant workers taking cash back to their home countries. CBP uses dogs trained to smell cash and patrols departure lounges in airports, and if they pick you out, you can be searched, and any undeclared cash will simply be seized if found.

        It’s easy to imagine with the current administration they could start targeting people based on social media posts or some kind of previously compiled political profile or “enemies” list or whatever, if they aren’t already.