Paul Hopkins: Going to an America where Trump's threats thrive

A week may well be a long time in politics but my recent week went far too fast. The week my son and his American wife and my two granddaughters came to visit – the first time I had seen them in almost two years. Madeleine (6) and Mariele (3) had a great time, such is the wonderment of being a child. As did all their extended family here but, like I say, it just went in so quickly, memorable as it was. And as they waved back at me, when they went airside, there wasn't a dry eye in my house.

"I'll see you in September, in America," I whispered at them.

Student travel body USIT has warned intending JI visa students travelling for summer jobs in the US – as my own three children did in their day – to delete social media apps where they have criticised Trump, as there are fears Homeland security at Dublin Airport could legally demand you hand over your smart device.

Where might I stand, come September and I am at US security clearance at the airport? Could my opinion pieces on Trump – none flattering by any means – be accessed? Yes, unfortunately, a quick search on the old Google will throw them up. We've much to be wary about with Trump, I wrote – and worse than that, much worse. Could I be refused entry or even detained, given that area at Dublin Airport is a US confine? Is it all hype and hysteria? Is America worth the effort, given its current dystopian disposition?

An investor who predicted the 2008 financial crisis says he’s “worried about something worse than the recession of 2008”. Ray Dalio, the founder of the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, warned the other day of his concerns about tariffs and growing US debt. He says the Great Depression comes to mind.

Also, a new analysis from Goldman Sachs reveals that Donald Trump’s disastrous policies could cost the US a staggering $90 billion in lost tourism and export revenue. Last month, tourism plummeted 10% from the prior year with a 27% dip from Ireland, 14% from the UK, 28% from Germany, and 34% from Denmark. Tourism has been cratering as Trump shreds America’s global reputation and his border agents continue to detain, "terrorise", and deport innocent people. The 100,000 plus "illegal" Irish people in the US, who stayed on after their 90 day ETA visas expired and settled down to jobs and family, await with dread the knock on the door.

Before Trump came back to power – and his jackboot firmly on education, with threats to Harvard, Yale and Columbia, medical care and migration – researchers at the University of Washington created an index showing the levels of prosperity in education and healthcare for every country in the world in the last 35 years.

The US fell 21 places over the years to 27th, placing it in the company of Germany (24), Greece (25), Australia (26), and the Czech Republic (28). The top spots are dominated by Western European and Nordic countries, with Finland topping the list, and South Korea and China the only non-European representatives in the Top 10.

America's scores declined in one significant category, educational attainment, most likely caused by the decrease in education spending in the last two decades. It's not, as my son reminds me, that Americans don't spend a lot of money on their children's education — quite the contrary, as the US spends more per student on education than almost any other country and, surprise, surprise, way more than anybody else on healthcare.

Part of the the problem is that much of this money is spent inefficiently. For example, last year half a billion dollars was spent on lobbying on behalf of healthcare providers, pharma and insurance companies — a ton of money which could have been spent on actual healthcare. Could Elon Musk be somewhat right? Do drastic times call for drastic measures?

In a country where the average industrial wage is $66,662, there are still around 30 million Americans without any kind of health cover, with the number jumping in the last couple of years due to dramatic cuts in Medicare. And now Trump vows there's more to come, despite the pace-quickening revolt among those alligned to him.

So, will I go to America in September? I sincerely hope to visit, to have a beer with my son and to, once again, hold tight my beautiful granddaughters.

Besides, I live in hope that a week is a long time in politics...