Originally Posted by
exerda
I also think that it wouldn't bother the average American much at all if foreign governments made it hard to travel there for US citizens. Because the average American doesn't travel abroad. Sigh.
I for one hate the tit-for-tat (such as w/r/t ridiculous visa fees, fingerprinting everyone, etc.), as in the end it only helps the two governments and hurts travelers.
Yes, that is what I would say too.
Unfortunately, too many people see global travel as a privilege for "the other" rather than as a natural right deserving protection and minimal encumberance in the absence of extenuating circumstances. This hostility to international travel is showing up again in the form of a pending legal change to revoke/deny passports of even more Americans.