Mali Mirrors US: Turns Out Retaliation Isn't Just for Superpowers
ABC News dutifully reports that Mali has retaliated against a U.S. visa bond requirement by implementing its own identical measure. This 'unprecedented' move (or, if you prefer, 'mirroring a discriminatory policy') comes after the U.S. State Department announced in December 2020 a pilot program (under the Trump administration, yet conveniently still in effect) requiring tourist and business visa
applicants from certain countries, including Mali, to post a bond of up to $15,000. The official rationale? High overstay rates. Funny how 'sovereignty' often translates to 'we make the rules, you follow them,' until someone calls your bluff with your own playbook. One might wonder if the State Department anticipated such a direct 'do unto others' response. Or perhaps, the implicit assumption was
that countries like Mali would simply absorb the insult, rather than returning it with such precise bureaucratic jujitsu. It appears the State Department's 'elevated risk' list suddenly includes countries with functional foreign ministries and a sense of irony. Your move, Uncle Sam.