The specifics of your argument are a little off, but let me correct your question.
"Consider this... how would you feel if he'd said the actions of the Israeli government in regards to their treatment of Palestinians were unconscionable and so all citizens of Israel should be barred from Europe?"
(Keep in mind that you cannot enter the UAE and some other Arab countries on an Israeli passport.)
I admit that would be a more accurate way to frame it, I probably should have been a bit more precise. Although doing so wouldn't really illustrate how irrational and offensive I found the idea of unilaterally barring Americans from Europe (which I assume means forcibly removing any already living and working there), and banning all American network traffic. It's bigotry plain and simple.
I'm not arguing we're entitled to travel to Europe. But I also don't see the logic in banning Americans wholesale. This is why it seems like bigotry to me. If this were in effect and I got on a plane to go some EU nation, what have I done that makes me a direct threat to that country's population? Is it assumed that I'm going to go around stealing people's mail and shooting people in the streets? How am I, personally, a greater threat to a European citizen's freedom than their own government, or even the government next door? HSO's comment pretty clearly (at least to me) seemed to presume malice on the part of Americans in general:
you think you can spy on us, torture people, kill innocents, trample over longstanding diplomatic conventions to ground a president of a country, put the full might of your police state to hunt down your own freedom fighters, and then come here and have a good time or do business?
See, i've never spied on anyone, tortured anyone, or killed anyone and I couldn't care less about Europe's secrets. Yet as far as HSO seems to be concerned, I'm best kept off the streets of innocent and civilized Europe because of my bloodthirsty and fascist nature. How would this be anything other than a bigoted policy? Particularly since other "Europeans" would apparently get a free pass in regards to anything their own governments happen to have done?
> But I also don't see the logic in banning Americans wholesale.
Let me quote myself from above, perhaps it becomes clearer in isolation: "The point is: The US electorate and businesses are either pro surveilling the whole world, even their own allies, or they are lethargic and indifferent. If the former, we should draw the consequence and stop having contact and exchanges with them. If the latter, we should increase the cost of doing nothing."
(My guess, by the way, is on "lethargic and indifferent".)
> If this were in effect and I got on a plane to go some EU nation, what have I done that makes me a direct threat to that country's population? Is it assumed that I'm going to go around stealing people's mail and shooting people in the streets? How am I, personally, a greater threat to a European citizen's freedom than their own government, or even the government next door?
Now this just illustrates beautifully my point! Exactly this is the question I am asking myself: Why are you (i.e. your government) treating me as an enemy? Reading my emails? Listening to my phone calls? Who knows what else? And LOGGING IT for the future?! what have I done that makes me a direct threat to the US population? [...] See, i've never spied on anyone, tortured anyone, or killed anyone and I couldn't care less about US secrets.
My guess, by the way, is on "lethargic and indifferent"
Indifferent, probably. So I'd suggest this... focus on the companies and not the people. Because the American government doesn't listen to the voters, but it most certainly will listen to a multinational corporation willing to pull a billion dollars out of a Congressman's district because they no longer trust or are able to do business with the United States. Europeans should get out and protest around wherever the Google offices are in their country. Raise (a reasonable and non-lethal amount of) hell whenever the American president or some dignitary shows up. European governments can annoy us with regulations. There are a hundred different things that Europeans and their governments could be doing but aren't, that would get the point across.
> i've never spied on anyone, tortured anyone, or killed anyone
You voted for a government that spied, tortured and killed people for you. Note that it doesn’t matter whether you voted for the current president or not, neither does it matter whether you’re even registered as a voter. What does matter is that you are allowed to vote (as a US citizen, I presume) and hence bear full responsibility for the actions of your government[0]. Which routinely spies on and at least tortures Europeans.
> Particularly since other "Europeans" would apparently get a free pass in regards to anything their own governments happen to have done?
I do feel solidarity towards other members of the EU, being the naive pan-European that I feel like being, and do not mind accepting some flaws in return for them accepting mine. The difference is that there is some common government/council and even a common and generally accepted court of law which can resolve differences, whereas there is no such thing for ‘divergencies’ with neither the USG, nor the people of the US.
[0] The argument goes roughly like this: If we assume you to only bear responsibility if you are part of this government, someone can elect a fascist leader and avoid any responsibility. If we assume you to only be responsible if you voted for the current government, we violate the secrecy of the vote. If we assume you to only be responsible if you voted at all (something that is often publicly known), then we offer you yet another get-out-of-jail-free card, furthermore, you could have voted against the current incumbent and hence possibly change the outcome of the election. Hence established that everyone allowed to vote is responsible for the actions of the government, we can then conclude that you bear full responsibility for said actions (at the very least towards third-country citizens, I don’t care how you manage that internally) by the simple fact that people don’t get discounts if they commit crimes with their friends.
You voted for a government that spied, tortured and killed people for you.
No, I voted for a government that would bring equity to the financial system and nationalize health insurance, create a jobs program, pull us out of Iraq and Afghanistan and close Guantanamo. I got a government that spies, tortures and kills for me, whether I liked it or not.
"Consider this... how would you feel if he'd said the actions of the Israeli government in regards to their treatment of Palestinians were unconscionable and so all citizens of Israel should be barred from Europe?"
(Keep in mind that you cannot enter the UAE and some other Arab countries on an Israeli passport.)