There are plenty of reciprocal visa policies; I understand that China charges US visitors a fee equal to the fee the US charges Chinese, and Brazil's horrific bureaucracy is also just trying to match what they feel Brazilians have to go through if they want to enter the US.
The concept sort of makes sense; I can envision a situation where tourists are appalled by visa procedures (especially if they're going to Brazil) and pressure their politicians to lighten up. The major flaw there is that most americans will never want a visa anyway, so it ends up being a largely invisible protest on the part of the other countries.
>The major flaw there is that most americans will never want a visa anyway, so it ends up being a largely invisible protest on the part of the other countries.
Most Americans don't even have passports! [1]
By punishing the tiny fraction of Americans visiting Brazil or China, these countries are simply shooting themselves in the foot.
It's a mostly invisible protest - and the only people witnessing said protest are the ones who already like you.
The concept sort of makes sense; I can envision a situation where tourists are appalled by visa procedures (especially if they're going to Brazil) and pressure their politicians to lighten up. The major flaw there is that most americans will never want a visa anyway, so it ends up being a largely invisible protest on the part of the other countries.