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US consulates flooded with visa requests from Brazilian tourists: 90.000 in October

Wednesday, November 9th 2011 - 06:59 UTC
Full article 5 comments

The US is struggling to keep up with surging demand for visas in Brazil and China, as the growing middle class in the world’s two biggest emerging markets flock to US shopping malls and tourist resorts. Read full article

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  • GeoffWard2

    A million visas means lots of money being made by lots of people.

    Processing the visas more humanely would be good.
    So would a less robust Homeland Security 'gruppen-kommand'.

    Brasilian Customs needs to be vigilant, however,
    because a million people can bring back billions of $worth of goods bought much cheaper in the US.
    This can pay for the holiday and still leave the yearly visitor with a handsome 'black' annual income.

    Nov 09th, 2011 - 02:54 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Fido Dido

    “because a million people can bring back billions of $worth of goods bought much cheaper in the US. ”

    Geoff, that will soon end. clock is ticking. with a sinking dollar imports from cheap china are getting more expensive. Stores have now more super sales than ever but are loosing money. You would think like..“ohh, that means the manufacturing base in the US would do well”. Guess what, it doesn't. Because of raising taxes, healthcare costs that are rising faster, and other import costs to create the products here + bureaucracy what also exist here. you would think it's much better here in the US to open a business, but in reality it is worse than people assume. Yes there is still being outsourced (cheap dollar doesn't work and it also kills the purchasing power of the consumers who earn in dollars) and now stronger in the IT sector or they hire foreigners for temporary and hire new ones again..a cycle. That is the reality here you won't hear outside the US. The sinking dollar has big consequences for the US (not only financially, but also culturaly and security) and other dollar based nations, though those nations can change it anytime. You hear from those loud mouths “Dollar is the world reserve currency”. Guess what, only on paper, since many nations already do business outside the dollar (with their own currencies) plus it can always be replaced. No big deal, though it will be a big deal for the USA that isn't the nation anymore as we use to know it.

    A reason the US needs the consumers from China and Brazil is simple.
    the US consumer is broke and heavily in debt.

    ”So would a less robust Homeland Security 'gruppen-kommand'.

    If you don't want to get harassed by the buffoons they hire for airport security, go to the US.

    Nov 09th, 2011 - 05:43 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • stick up your junta

    If you don't want to get harassed by the buffoons they hire for airport security, go to the US.

    That dont make sense Dildo,medication wearing off?

    Nov 09th, 2011 - 06:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • GeoffWard2

    Fido, what you have described above does not just pertain in the US, it is the way things are across the developed world.

    You may call the US consumer 'broke' and needing the consumers from China and Brazil, but 'broke' is relative.

    Even with the debt burden US families (and the families of other developed nations) carry, the average US citizen still has *massively* more disposable income than the average Chinese or Brasilian.

    It's just that billions of tiny disposable incomes add up to a lot of buying power.

    It's time we stopped thinking in terms of China, Brasil, the USA, etc in terms of GDP - the scale is too vast to apply it to real people;

    at the 'human scale' a better indicator might be 'The number of eg. burgers, Mars Bars, etc that a person can buy at the 'national price' from their residual income' in each province of each country.

    This should tell us how people are hurting . . . . and 'hurt' itself is relative -
    how do you compare a Brasilian favela family with one bed, a table and chairs, a TV, a laptop, two mobile phones, poor sanitation and a 'gato' electricity connection . . .
    with a lower middle class US family dropped into negative equity and needing to 'downsize';
    the Brasilians think they are doing well and are aspirant, the US family bemoan their plight as the underprivilaged 99%.
    In reality the 'poor US citizen' is much more affluent though declaring much more 'hurt'.

    Complex, or what!

    Nov 09th, 2011 - 07:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Fido Dido

    That dont make sense Dildo,medication wearing off?

    You're an idiot, and I made a mistake. what I meant is..if you want to get harrased by security officers at the airport, go to the US.

    ”Even with the debt burden US families (and the families of other developed nations) carry, the average US citizen still has *massively* more disposable income than the average Chinese or Brasilian.“

    Not for long geoff and it has already began the US families see their ”massively” disposable income shrinking and paying more for the basic then ever in the lifetime of the US.

    A big difference between the poor in the US and Brazil is:
    The Brazilian in the favela knows he's poor and have seen and still see the worse of poverty. The poor in the US that lives in subsidized slums believe and still believe they are rich with all the help (what soon will end..imagine what will happen) though they know it can get worse but have in their head that it cannot happen, because it's the “USA”.

    Nov 09th, 2011 - 10:11 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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