We live in a world engulfed by chaos. Political upheavals, wars and a constant media firestorm of what could happen next. This often leaves a lot of people on the tenterhooks. This often causes a massive impediment, especially while planning travel internationally. I’ve traveled to six continents over the last few years, often during such turbulent times as the ones we see right now. It has barely been five years since were in the throes of a major global pandemic, remember that one? So, the question I really want to ask is, does politics ever interfere with how you plan your travel? Has your political view of a country ever made you strike if off your list?
The Perception Game
Let’s say you’re born in country A. You’ve gone through its education system. During your formative years, the media you’ve consumed, the people you’ve met, the form of government you’ve seen has largely shaped your world view, be it about politics in general or about media, free speech and elections. You want to travel to country X, but don’t like its form of government or the fact that they’re repressing a group of people in their country, as per the media reports you read in your country.
The Illusion of Moral Purity
Every now and then, you’ll see someone take a “moral’ stand, saying they didn’t travel to country X because of any of the reasons stated earlier, only to see them hanging around in in country Y, which has a form of government so repressive that it actually makes country X look good. The reason I’m saying this is not to throw shade but to emphasize the fact that these moral purity tests are purely subjective and are often really difficult to apply, given how diverse our world is.
Turning the Tables
Let’s come back to the first argument. You’ve been born and raised in country A and aren’t sure about going to country X. Ever thought about it the other way round? The people in country X have grown up in a certain way, they have their own world view which is 180 degrees apart from yours and have a drastically different media diet. They think that the government of country A is repressive and doesn’t support the rights of people worldwide. How would you square that?
The reason I’m sayin this is to state the fact that the argument is endless. Out of the 190+ countries in the world, you’ll find a ton of diversity, when it comes to language, forms of government, culture, food, political setups and more. There’s no way you’ll be able to fit it into a box and say yes or no based on certain parameters. Why? Because, if you’ve lived and worked in just one country, you’re essentially making a judgment based on your experience growing up in country A.
The Pundit’s Mantra
So, to address the elephant in the room, how do you decide? I’ve lived 95% of my life either growing up, living and working in stable democracies, so I do have my point of view. However, I’ve traveled around the world to many countries, which have had drastically different forms of governments compared to my lived experience. If you ask me, I usually draw the line when it comes personal physical safety. Am I or my family going to have safety issues while traveling there? That’s the first question I usually think about.
Secondly, are there restrictions on certain practices that I take for granted in my home country? For example, some countries may not allow the consumption of liquor or let you practice a non-majority faith. Some countries have very strict restrictions on how women can dress or venture out. So, I usually take these things into account before I plan my travel.
Overall, other than the threat to physical safety or any legal issues cropping up due to infringement of local laws that may be out of whack, I usually stop there.
What’s your yardstick when it comes to going to a country? Do politics or new event impact your travel plans? Tell us in the comments section.
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