Vagabond to Vagabond: Brazil Complains!

I don’t want to be too cruel, or harsh on this subject, or debasing, for some may think I have a slanted opinion perhaps on this matter, which I really call an up-front opinion, and it has to do with American travelers in South America; and I spend a lot of time in South America. This does not pertain to Peru, Colombia or Argentina, and a few other countries. But countries like Brazil and Paraguay, and a few others, I will not mention their names, they know who they are. The premise is Visas. So what’s my beef! Just this, they are greedy. Let me explain.
Six years ago I went to Brazil for eight-days that is all, the visa cost me $60-dollars. Now in 2007 I go back to Brazil it cost me $100-dollars (in Paraguay, it cost $45-dollars even if you only want to stay a day, and there isn’t one thing worth seeing there, even in the big city called Asuncion ((which is really not too big)), not one thing worth $45-dollars to see; the only thing you get for your money is a cheap hotel for the dollar, yes, once you look out the window, you will agree with me most likely, except if you were born there. Yet on the other hand, it doesn’t cost the South American a dime for their Visas (I know because my wife has never had to pay), only Americans, yes, just North Americans; why they charge Americans, is perhaps because they know they don't want to live in Brazil, except if retired, there are no jobs, and little hope one would pay equal to America. The normal premise of a Visa, is to insure the person receiving it, does not stay in your country and take jobs away from citizens, and can pay his or her way while visiting; in most cases the Brazilian cannot meet these standards going to America, where everyone knows, Americans can afford to stay longer in a foreign country, and would not want to leave good old America, especially for most South American Countries, unless retiring, as I said before).
Anyhow, let me get on with my complaint, or better put, dismay at this situation. Mostly Brazil: I know they say ‘But we have a reciprocal Visa plan, monkey see, monkey do.’ Meaning, America makes it difficult for a person living in Brazil to get a visa to get into America. This is true, but if America did not have a policy like that, there would be no one left in Brazil, they’d all be in America (one must remember America is giving them aid, they are not giving it to us; if indeed it was reversed, I could understand their postion in this matter); like the Mexicans are doing, and the Asians in South East Asia are doing, and Cuba would like to do, and started to do, until we put a stop to it. It is no different than the West Africans (as they were doing) trying to invade Malta and Europe recently, trying to get on their shores, leaving their battered countries to start a new life, and they put a stop to it: the EU.
But here is my logic. They hurt themselves in the process, out of pride you could say, and to a neighbor that gives them between $800-million to $1.6-billion dollars a year--every year, and they slap the tax payer in America twice in the face. They grab the money and run like an elephant to the bank with it, and say, ‘…throw another $40-dollars on top of the already $60-dollars for the visa, it is simply part of the visa reciprocal program; thus, they get more money.’ It is a cheap way of slapping your neighbor in the face (as I just said, twice), who has just signed a billion dollar check for you (for nothing). If I had, but I don’t have of course, the power to stop these gift payments to South American Countries that slap our face, I would. Anyhow, the rhetoric we get back from them is this: ‘…you give more free money to Egypt, than us, your neighbor.’ They even say it as if they are hurt, so the beggar is complaining about the other beggar getting more; I can’t believe it.