Accepting the Role of Cowardice

I apologize for the infrequent nature of my updates. I make no excuses for my actions, but hope you will accept that they are born of sloth, and a lack of noteworthy material. Classes continue well, and I'm enjoying every moment of my time here.

Tonight there was a protest.

I knew about it right away. A student posted about the event in our exchange student facebook group. I had ample time to get to the area in question, and support a just cause.

Let me elaborate on my statement, so there's no confusion. The Umbrella Revolution is a pro-democracy, non-violent organisation seeking justice in their political system. Every single free nation should be backing them. They protest injustice, and I support their message without question.

I had the opportunity to support a just cause, and I chose cowardice.

My decision is born of promises made to my friends and family back home, and to the consulate of the United States, who requests I do not participate in any such gatherings. The risks could be that I become imprisoned, get sent home to the United States (I need to take a moment to thank my parents for supplying the not-insignificant costs it took to get here), and causing an international incident.

I still should have been there. Our country should be here. Our country should be funding this revolution, risking open war with China, because these are a people protesting the very thing our country stands for.

But that would, of course, disrupt trade. And trade keeps the country going.

It's a very sad day when financial interests come before values. But then again, I just faced the same sad day. I just set my values aside to sit in my room, play video games, go shopping, and have bread and cheese for dinner. My only revolution was smuggling a beer into the dorm. I simply can't afford to lose this semester.

It's very hard to accept that I am, at heart, a coward. But it's a fact.

Dearest reader, if you've come here to read the diary of a revolutionary, a firebrand, a person of character, you've come to the right place. But that part of me is temporarily indisposed, replaced with an academic, a student, someone who bears the financial burden that my homeland places on a young man of promise.

A small word of self-shilling, to combat the self-pity you're reading. You may notice a button that says "Fuel the Diary!" on the page. I'm trying out Flattr. The idea is that you have a monthly internet budget, and you can "flattr" things with the ease of a Facebook like button. At the end of the month, your budget is distributed, one-time, to each thing you flattr'd. Your budget can be as high or as low as you want to distribute for small internet things. Even if you choose to give me fifty cents, I'll be thrilled, because that's halfway to buying a Tim Tam here.

Till next time, my friends.