President Obama plans to return five percent of his salary to Treasury.

[Ben Kenobi]

Do you know how hard it is to document something that doesn't exist?

It must be incredibly hard for you.

[Aeson]

You're assuming I get up in the morning and say to myself, "gee I wish I were more like Aeson". Nope, can't say I do. What I do think is, gee. That could have been me. I'm happy it's you and not me, let me put it that way.

I am not assuming anything. You claimed you were me in an alternate reality. I stated it would have to be very alternate. You wanted to try to convince me we really weren't that different.

It's obvious you want me to view you as if you were more similar to me than you actually are.

[Ben Kenobi]

It's obvious you want me to view you as if you were more similar to me than you actually are.

And that would be a bad thing?

[Aeson]

And that would be a bad thing?

It would be a wildly incorrect assessment.

[Ben Kenobi]

It would be a wildly incorrect assessment.

I see. Well, I hope you take solace that it is our differences that hooked you up with Lancer et al.

[Aeson]

I will also say I am also glad it was me, not you ... Here it's possible dramatically alter the lives of people with relatively little capital/effort. In the US it is much more difficult to have any real effect on people. The harm you do in the US is thus much less than the harm you could achieve if you were here. The good I do here is much greater than anything I could achieve in the US. We are both where we should be.

[Ben Kenobi]

I will also say I am also glad it was me, not you ... Here it's possible dramatically alter the lives of people with relatively little capital/effort. In the US it is much more difficult to have any real effect on people. The harm you do in the US is thus much less than the harm you could achieve if you were here. The good I do here is much greater than anything I could achieve in the US. We are both where we should be.

Ah, well. I suppose you would be among the best of our breed, eh?

I hope they've expressed their gratitude for you uplifting them to a new and better life.

[Aeson]

Ah, well. I suppose you would be among the best of our breed, eh?

It has nothing to do with "breed".

The capital I have access to here represents relatively greater ability to do (just about anything) than it does the US.

I hope they've expressed their gratitude for you uplifting them to a new and better life.

I don't lift people up. I do try to remove some barriers put in their way. They can better lift themselves up then. Whether or not there is gratitude involved is irrelevant to me.

[Ben Kenobi]

It would be much more correct to say it's our differences that lead to Lancer and I really not being part of each other's lives.

I would say likewise. The differences were striking between me and him, and between you and I, I guess.

I wanted to go because I wanted to leave western culture rather than bring it along with all the baggage.

I have no regrets about being here in the Philippines, or what I have been trying to do here. To some extent I will always be thankful to Lance for having introduced me to this possibility, regardless of difficulties that came after.

I guess my question to you and I'll raise this point now - what do we have to offer to them? I know you mean well - but I would be very careful in changing things. I see that too much down here now. Here in Texas - the same points and the same arguments.

I like Texas for what it is. I do not want to make it more like Canada. I want Texas to stay Texas, and I feel it is my duty to adapt to Texas rather than adapting Texas to myself.

I am not certain we can really change people, and even if the change that we do for people, whether it will be helpful to them in the long run. I also don't see why it would be 'easier' to change people there than here. Money is money - it amplifies what was underneath.

[Ben Kenobi]

True or not, your expression is the same as Kipling's White man's burden, Aeson. Are you comfortable with how you come off?

[giblets]

I think Ben may be approaching new depths of insanity here....

[Aeson]

I guess my question to you and I'll raise this point now - what do we have to offer to them?

Jobs. Food. Potable water. Medicine. Choice.

I also don't see why it would be 'easier' to change people there than here. Money is money - it amplifies what was underneath.

I said "change people's lives" not "change people".

[Ben Kenobi]

Jobs. Food. Potable water. Medicine. Choice.

Would that include providing contraception and abortion?

I said "change people's lives" not "change people".

There's no dichotomy between the two.

[Aeson]

True or not, your expression is the same as Kipling's White man's burden, Aeson. Are you comfortable with how you come off?

I am perfectly comfortable with what I am doing here. I was born in between some lines on a map. Almost entirely because of this I can do some things I want to do. So I do them. (And what I want to do is mitigate the negative effects many of those lines on a map have on people's lives.)

I don't care what you want to associate it with, or how you want to try to paint it. You're an ignorant person, and nothing you say is of any consequence to me outside being a source of laughter on this forum.

[Ben Kenobi]

You're an ignorant person

It is no different, the motivation is precisely the same. You are bringing civilization to the natives and helping them throw off the trappings of superstition and bringing them into the modern age. To leave the past behind into a glorious future. You believe this, do you not?