.com is only valuable because it is a default that is perceived to be valuable, so it could loose value really quickly if it becomes perceived as a risky place to do business, much in the same way as a currency can fall like a stone if it loses trust.
Also, when people access a site, they either type in a domain from a physical source, or more often they search or follow links. Which TLD is used in the domain doesn't really affect this process very much, except in situations of 'passing off'. So perhaps it is a good idea to register the .com, but just not do anything with it.
"so it could loose value really quickly if it becomes perceived as a risky place to do business"
How in touch are you with everyday users of .com domains?
Do you think the majority of the individuals and businesses in this country or in foreign countries are doing things that will make them fear loosing their domains because the US might seize their domain? (These are people that in many cases support racial profiling.)
They won't. I've been dealing with these people since 1995. They don't care.
They use passwords like "football". Then don't read FAQ's.
"Also, when people access a site, they either type in a domain from a physical source, or more often they search or follow links."
Quoting a post on daringfireball (about a story on readwriteweb) that has confused some foreigners hardly proves that "more often they search or follow links".
Dismissal of an argument by laughing at foreigners doesn't do wonders for your point either.
My observations of usage come from working in IT at a wide variety of companies, from corporates to small businesses, including doing customer support at an ISP. I also have been coding HTML since December '93, so am no novice when it comes to the habits of people online. Personally I would say that people use the location bar as rarely as possible, and usually navigate by remembering a path to something, so once they are used to finding a login page through google, they tend to go through the same process again and again rather than typing in the URL, as even though that would be much quicker, it requires more actual thought.
In regards to your post, when it is part of a derisive comment and the aspect of 'foreignness' is used in an attempt to belittle the point you are arguing against, despite not being particularly relevant.
As in; 'X is not really an issue, because in example Y it was mainly happening to foreigners', is very rarely a good argument for the vast majority of values of X and Y.
Also, when people access a site, they either type in a domain from a physical source, or more often they search or follow links. Which TLD is used in the domain doesn't really affect this process very much, except in situations of 'passing off'. So perhaps it is a good idea to register the .com, but just not do anything with it.