4 ms·

It's not just tourism. Economically, the US does not depend on the rest of the world nearly as much as any other developed country. Trade (exports and imports)

It's not just tourism. Economically, the US does not depend on the rest of the world nearly as much as any other developed country. Trade (exports and imports) as percentage of GDP is the lowest of all major economies, by far. This is not up for discussion it's a fact you must ground everything else in. Having established that, you know the firm upper bound on economic (not cultural or political or podcast-topic-generating) impact that international tourism boycott will have on the US. Same for putting tariffs on US goods. If you ignore this, you'll be surprised by how little this matters in the end, economically. Conversely, if you keep yourself firmly grounded in reality you can still in fact be against these policies on different grounds - on the fact that over time their cumulative economic and non-economic effect will hurt, on the fact that a lot of the reasons for these policies are fanciful nationalist bullshit (no, manufacturing jobs aren't and won't be coming back). But don't expect us staying away from your country, or putting a tariff on your shitty cars or cucumbers or whatever, to make a difference. Why is that controversial?

_DeadFred_ 7mo ago
The foreign tourism segment is 20% of the size of the US ag industry. Saying this is a rounding error is ridiculous. 10% of US tourism employment would be 1.5 million people employed as a result of foreign tourism (total tourism employment is 15 million). To say this a tiny unimportant segment that isn't worth talking about is ridiculous. Again especially considering the consideration the Republicans give tiny industries like coal which employs 40,000. It's worth talking about a segment that employs 1.5 million in a discussion about 92k job loses.
- irishcoffee 7mo ago
  It’s not a big deal that you think this, but it isn’t nearly as important or poignant for the US economy as you’re wanting it to be.
  - _DeadFred_ 7mo ago
    My bad talking about employment on a thread about job cuts and giving background that a rounding error that doesn't matter is still 1.5 million US jobs. The US isn't 'too big to fail'. Death by a thousand cuts is still death. Ignoring each cut because they aren't important enough (only 1.5 million out of the 15 million travel workers) or poignant is dumb.
    - irishcoffee 7mo ago
      Nobody claimed the US was too big to fail. Now that I understand your goal, I can fully grasp your frustration. I suggest not dying on this hill, it isn’t worth the emotional turmoil.

_DeadFred_ 7mo ago

The foreign tourism segment is 20% of the size of the US ag industry. Saying this is a rounding error is ridiculous. 10% of US tourism employment would be 1.5 million people employed as a result of foreign tourism (total tourism employment is 15 million). To say this a tiny unimportant segment that isn't worth talking about is ridiculous. Again especially considering the consideration the Republicans give tiny industries like coal which employs 40,000. It's worth talking about a segment that employs 1.5 million in a discussion about 92k job loses.

irishcoffee 7mo ago
It’s not a big deal that you think this, but it isn’t nearly as important or poignant for the US economy as you’re wanting it to be.
- _DeadFred_ 7mo ago
  My bad talking about employment on a thread about job cuts and giving background that a rounding error that doesn't matter is still 1.5 million US jobs. The US isn't 'too big to fail'. Death by a thousand cuts is still death. Ignoring each cut because they aren't important enough (only 1.5 million out of the 15 million travel workers) or poignant is dumb.
  - irishcoffee 7mo ago
    Nobody claimed the US was too big to fail. Now that I understand your goal, I can fully grasp your frustration. I suggest not dying on this hill, it isn’t worth the emotional turmoil.