Get a passport card. It is legally the same as a passport book within the US (it can also be used for international land and sea travel within North America). It's only $30 to apply and a $35 issuance fee. $65 in total for a piece of RealID-compliant identification valid worldwide for ten years.

The UK is a small country that doesn't have nearly the geopolitical sway that the US does. If the UK withdraws to itself, that sucks for Britons but the rest of the world will carry on. If the US withdraws to itself, it will suck for the rest of the world but the Americans will carry on.

I want to be clear here that this is dangerous messaging. While any individual vote likely has little effect on the outcome of an election, it's people's collective vote that does ultimately decide the outcome. And when the electorate is disengaged, disinterested, and apathetic, that is the environment in which fascism and authoritarianism thrives. Voting is not and should not be the end of a citizen's political participation, but it is still vitally important. Voting should only be the foundation of citizen political participation. It's also important to campaign, to discuss important political issues with others, and to protest and take direct action against the injustice of the political class. But if you don't vote and spread the idea that voting is meaningless, your efforts will change nothing.

This line in particular comes a lot of young people, and it is an absolutely understandable and reasonable conclusion for them to come from seeing as they are the most politically neglected group, and politicians almost never pay more than lip service to the concerns of the young. Youth turnout in elections is historically rubbish, so why would any rational politician pay heed to the demands of a voting bloc that won't influence the outcome of an election? Politicians who pander to youth voters will lose to politicians who pander to old voters simply because youth voters will stay home while old voters will show up at the polls and vote their guy into office.

It costs almost nothing to vote and to encourage others to vote as well. So do it. It is irresponsible to spread the idea that voting is meaningless without also attaching the context that if you don't vote, you have no power at all.

I'm pretty sure Cuba is a bad choice for... other reasons

The passport card is valid for sea travel as well.

This is a proceeding in federal court, but the president's pardon power doesn't extend to civil cases anyway. Or at least until the Supreme Court rules that it does.

There is currently no exit border control in the US and the border with Canada is thousands of kilometres long, most of it unpatrolled. There are lots of tiny towns which are split in twain by the border. It is just not feasible from a manpower perspective to guard the entire border like the Iron Curtain.

Even if Trump says he's unilaterally abrogating the treaty on the validity of passport cards with Canada, who gives a shit when you need to flee because it's only a question of whether Canadian authorities will recognise the validity of a passport card.

Home countries cancelling refugees' travel documents has never been a successful strategy to prevent them from going to other countries. Other countries know what physical attributes an otherwise-valid travel document would have and it's not like they can physically take the card away from everyone.

European and American banks won't lend a single penny to Trump. He's a notorious deadbeat who never pays what he owes. But Russian banks will happily lend him as much money as he wants. All they ask is that he kindly direct all repayment payable to the order of the Kremlin. The repayment doesn't need to be money, they're flexible.

I believe EU leaders have already made this calculation. If you prove willing to bribe him this year, why wouldn't he ask for double the amount next year? You can never buy a corrupt politician. You can only rent him.

At that point, why not just take that money and invest in your own country's defence instead? Defence spending increases your own country's GDP and makes it so that you don't have to rely on whether Trump remembered that you paid him off just last week before asking for more.

I think a big reason why people were not excited to vote for Harris is because she really doesn't have any unique policies other than a general handwave in the direction of Joe Biden.

I'm not saying she's bad by any means, and she's definitely a lot better than Trump, but elections in the US are won and lost almost entirely on turnout rather than the quality of the candidate's proposed agenda. And people really just weren't interested in waiting in line to vote for a candidate who promises only good vibes, while being bombarded with attack adverts reminding them that a dozen eggs now costs a dollar more than it did last year.

EU countries have laws that prohibit its leaders from bribing foreign heads of government. Russia doesn't.

Another tip: A passport card is considered as valid as a passport book within the US, but it is much cheaper to obtain. It is conclusive proof of citizenship and an authoritative RealID-compliant identity card, just like a passport book. Passport cards are valid for land and sea travel within North America and the Caribbean. They're not valid for international air travel (but they can be used for domestic flights).

Edit: Upgrading from a passport card to a passport book is considered a renewal rather than a new application. You can still keep the card if you later want to "renew" it for a book.