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submitted 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) by CmdrGraves@lemmy.zip to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

For example, according to the Henley Passport Index the weakest passport is from Afghanistan (not a surprise) as cizitens there can only visit 24 destinations visa free meaning they require a visa just to travel anywhere while for instance a Japanese passport holder can visit up to 187 destinations visa free making their passport strong.

Why is it that passport holders from "third world" (i.e. Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, etc.). nations are weak, meaning they need to constantly apply for visas just to visit countries that citizens of "first world" countries can enter without a visa. (Like an American can enter Poland without a visa while a Iranian needs a visa before entering).

As in if they saw someone from a "third world" country via immigration, they either get profiled more or face discrimination at border crossings due to suspicion of overstaying or violating the terms of their visa (i.e. entering under a tourist visa but finds employment), is that why it's difficult for immigrants from those countries to travel?

What determines passport strength? Does it relate to a nation's diplomatic relations and political stability? Since people from the "first world" can travel to a lot more destinations (is it more on mutual trust? That nations have biases towards certain regions of the world & their reputation, like they consider Middle East as an unstable region).

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submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by CmdrGraves@lemmy.zip to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

According to Google maps: there's no definite border (indicated by dashed lines) between the Kashmir region (located near both India & Pakistan) in which India considers the entire region as theirs but both China & Pakistan argue against India's claim.

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I know nowadays that doesn't matter as much due to most DVD players or disc drives being region free, but I recall the time when I was younger in the late 90's to early 2000's most discs were region locked based on where you bought a copy (basically the same as buying a Japanese N64 cartridge versus an US one) meaning they won't work when in another country.

For instance: I've purchased the first 2 home alone movies in Japan during my trip back then when they're re-released on DVD (encoded as NTSC) while I come from a country where most discs by default are PAL so they didn't work on my normal DVD player, having to purchase a multi region DVD player just to watch them. (This was before streaming sites).

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submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by CmdrGraves@lemmy.zip to c/games@lemmy.world

If you are subscribed to Starlink (internet), what is it like when relying on satellite connection for both online live service play (as in multiplayer) and casual gaming? I've heard that star link internet sucks, is the subscription even worth the money? How well does satellite connection hold up in comparison to oceanic fiber optic cable internet? (Which is the most common form of connecting for the majority as it's been around longer).

[-] CmdrGraves@lemmy.zip 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Australian dollar is a weak currency for international travel I've heard, as the exchange rates are always lower than referencing from USD (like for example, A$1 = 0,60€ making it expensive). Like not all countries accept AUD at face value while USD is literally recognized everywhere.

Basically, they would have to pay more. Don't even talk about currency exchange with AUD, as you will get less than USD holders, for instance: A$100 = 60€ while $100 = 87,20€ (A$146), which is why refrain using Australian Dollar for international travel (just bring US Dollars instead).

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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by CmdrGraves@lemmy.zip to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world

Despite them being a EU member state, they don't use Euro as their official currency. Since they have their own currency being the Zloty which is considered stable, but even if you have Euros or US Dollars for converting to Zloty: does purchasing power hold up since both Euro & US Dollar possesses a higher rate? I figure that Warsaw will be expensive due to it being the capital, so that is expected.

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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by CmdrGraves@lemmy.zip to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.world

Apparently in Japan, their Apple Stores just display all their devices without any security tags on them since it’s built within a trust system where an individual is expected to not shoplift (due to shaming culture) as public face and reputation matters to them along with heaps of CCTV and stricter laws. However, try doing the same thing in New York or Seattle and see what happens…

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submitted 1 week ago by CmdrGraves@lemmy.zip to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

I know that Euro is the second most traded currency but it doesn't have the #1 spot because of the US Dollar (which is printed on top of piling debt by the way) since oil is priced in USD per barrel instead of quoting it in EUR per barrel (since the US has monopoly on oil).

Money printers for the USD are running constantly, going "BRRR" and have a high national debt. They're putting themselves further into that hole whilst printing more cash. What about the Euro? Is it even printed that often 24/7 or controlled to print a capped amount?

The only way to really Euro become superior is to incentivize it on a international scale (more than the US Dollar) on getting countries to accept & trust it more (but USD accounts for 60% of global commerce) so the Euro has A LOT of catching up to do on that.

Does the EU really have power or control over OPEC (Oil)? If they can grasp monopoly over the Gulf states by convincing them to price every barrel in Euros: would that strengthen the currency? The British Pound is the former global reserve currency before the US Dollar.

If European travelers stopped converting EUR to USD, only using EUR for international travel towards currency exchanges: would that increase the demand for it since US Dollar is literally the default for A LOT of countries (even "third world" ones) in terms of payment.

Arbitrary numbers regarding forex aren't an indicator: so what if 1€ is worth more than $1? It's more on PPP and trust, so with a stronger Euro traveling abroad (including the Americas): does that make it cheap for you to visit as you're able to buy more than they can?

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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by CmdrGraves@lemmy.zip to c/canada@lemmy.ca

I may travel to Canada in the future, but these are the currencies I have:

  • Kuwaiti Dinar (1 KD = C$4.50)
  • Omani Rial (1 RO = C$3.60)

So, they are worth more in face value. The question is: will money changers in Canada accept or recognize them on directly converting to CAD despite these currencies being uncommon? Also will I really be allowed to bring either 5000 RO (C$18,100) or 2000 KD (C$9,025) in cash?

CmdrGraves

joined 1 week ago