Here Are 10 of Trump's Biggest Foreign Policy Idiocies So Far

[moonshaz]

Trump will deliver the first in a series of policy addresses this week [Note: Actually he just did; this article is a few days old.], and some fans are hopeful that Trump can clear up his conflicting messages. Most of his policies range from illogical to illegal. To celebrate this speech, here are 10 of the most astounding.

Comments

[shahar]

I just wanted to point out that Trump's banning of all Muslims travelling to the U.S. isn't that different than the recently passed Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act which requires people who are nationals of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Sundan to apply for a visa to travel to the U.S. Nationals status for a lot of the above countries include children of parents who were born in them (this status is not easily renounced). This means a lot of friendly Muslims are being alienated.

I just find it ironic that people express outrage for Trump's plan, but not for the one that was recently passed, which actually alienates a lot more friendly Muslims that are citizens of other countries and may feel more allegiance to them, but now have been classed in a way that makes their citizenship less than everyone else's. The way the law is written Iraq and Syria are specifically named and the other countries are included in a list by DHS, which can easily change (since it already has).

[belleweather]

Oh My God, no. Your misunderstanding of how visas work is epic.

Nationals of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan have always had to apply for visas to visit the United States, because none of those countries are members of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. What changed was that people from those countries who also have dual-nationality with a country that is a part of the Visa Waiver Program and hold two passports will now need to get a visa to travel to the US, rather than being able to use the online ESTA application for Visa Waiver Countries. It also means that anyone who IS from a Visa Waiver Country who has recent travel to one of those countries will also need to get a visa

[shahar]

You actually misunderstood me. Yes, if you are a citizen of any of those countries you always had to apply for a visa. This law has extended the requirement to people who are citizens of other countries that had the misfortune of being born in those countries or are nationals of those countries (who are children of people who may have been born in an entirely different country.)

This law has impacted me, so I am very familiar.

For example, a French citizen who was born in Iran now has to apply for a visa to enter the U.S., as do their kids who may be French born.

This creates a second class citizenship and alienates a lot of Muslims that identify witb the West.

[shahar]

Agreed. Yes, it completely ignores Non-Muslims who fled those countries because of persecution and likely consider the country they are a citizen of as "their country."

A few bills have been proposed to amend the law, but the House won't even bring them to the floor. I was using this as an example of how we are not that far off from what Trump is proposing, and no one seems to find it offensive since it doesn't really affect them.

Foreign policy in the U.S. has always been really shortsighted.

[shahar]

http://m.state.gov/md251577.htm

Initially, when it was enacted at the beginning of this year they denied everyone and pissed the EU off to the point they were debating whether or not to do something similar to the U.S.

I am on my phone, but a few cases are a Swedish mathematician was denied to attend a conference he was presenting at, and a BBC reporter was denied to attend her brother's wedding.