Free will

I have been on the phone with my brother Golden talking about whether he should leave the country. He talks about Bush, and a promise made years ago to leave if Bush is re-elected.

We argue back and forth, me trying to understand his decision, him trying to explain to me it's better to 'wash my hands of the situation'. I ask him to blog, he says no, so I hope that this will help share his opinions with others.

He doesn't want to picket in front of the White House, he will express his disappointment with 58 million Americans who voted for Bush.

"It's maybe naive and childish, but I can't take it". "I can't believe he was re-elected after seeing the debates, and all the lying, and the horrible situations we're in". To me it's not a bad thing, it's something I've always wanted to do, but this puts a sense of urgency on it. It's not a drastic thing for me.'

The cover of the London Mirror.

I sent him a link to http://decisionaid.ohri.ca/decguide.html, asking him to send me his pro/con list that the site so excellently elicits from its users.

"I want to learn a language fluently, ... to become fluent in Spanish, French, and German". I applaud Golden's self-improving goals, and I worry that they are only used as an excuse to justify the less-noble goal.

I tell him he can learn just as easily in an immersion course here. "I believe a few thousand dollars for 30 days" is not good enough.

I wish I had done more in my first few decades. I could buy Golden an immersion course.

I wish there were more time.
"With my business, I have a more vested interest in Bush staying in office."

"Do you want to buy any shirts?" Yes, I'll take one of each of 'em.

What about a way to profit off of Bush in office? "I've got it paid for over the next year"

What about other new, fresh ideas? "I'm very well aware of all the [cultural events]..., and I can slap it on a T-shirt"

"Other than blogging or selling T-shirts or protest material, maybe I could develop a 'protest headquarters' of sorts, where continual protests are organized from, and just make it a long, constant, one-stop place to continually protest against Bush? He's already had the most people in the world protest against him"

What about getting people with moveon.org

"If the last four years didn't open their eyes, nothing will." I hope Golden's cynicism doesn't last forever.