ta201301

That is a shitty attitude. Just because an organization is badly run does not mean bad behavior and laziness are excusable. In particular not when the organization in question represents a nation. Just because it is a shitty job does not make it okay to do a shitty job. And it sure as fuck does not make it okay to behave like an asshole to other people.

If you worked for me with that attitide I would make a point of ruining your day every day until you quit.

Look at it this way: at least they get to spend money and resources on you every single time. So they are practically shooting themselves in the foot every time you enter the country.

This is precisely the sort of nonsense that made me decide to leave my job a few years ago. I used to work for <household name Internet technology company>. After some re-structuring I would have had to travel to the US a lot more often, or possibly even move to the US. For me it wasn't really worth it. The dehumanizing experience of subjecting myself to dangerously stupid, underpaid, over-empowered, assholes on a bi-weekly basis made the decision easy.

While I do love California, and the Bay Area in particular, it is still inside the US. And I do not enjoy travelling to the US. To get to the US you have to go through the twilight zone that is immigration and customs. Not to mention the TSA.

I can remember travelling to germany as a kid during the Baader-Meinhof terrorist era. I can remember that I felt it was somewhat unpleasant being pointed at by germans with sub-machine guns. But you know what: they were not even half as frightening as the sort of personel you encounter when travelling to, from or within the US. Because with the germans you at least have the sense that the people holding the gungs are not the lowest life-forms of their society.

But I am not complaining. Taking this choice meant that I had to figure out what to do. And now, some years later, over 100 people have jobs because I don't want to travel to the US ever again.