> they're doing joint military exercises

Some of them to protect against us! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Arctic_Endurance (Which, for the record, is pretty new, at least for NATO.)

> they're visiting the US

Staggering dip in US tourism is a troubling sign for the future: https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/25/travel/analysis-tourism-fewer...

> they're sending their kids to school here

https://time.com/article/2026/05/12/us-university-higher-edu...

"Foreign student enrollment at U.S. universities for the 2026 spring semester fell by 20% from last spring, according to a new report by organizations including U.S.-based international education nonprofit NAFSA."

> they're buying real estate here

https://www.newsweek.com/foreign-buyers-flee-u-s-housing-but...

"Foreign buyers continue fleeing the U.S. housing market, with their activity falling 14 percent between April 2025 and March 2026 to the second-lowest level since the National Association of Realtors (NAR) started tracking purchases in 2009."

> Honestly, these discussions usually look more to me like what people wish was true…

Indeed! See above.