[Mail Call/Blog?] 2017/11/08 – Generic Controversial Question #1

Our site has been experiencing frequent outages in the last couple of days. So, instead of getting posts out regularly, we’ll try to figure out what’s wrong.

Since I haven’t actually posted mail calls in a while (I still on average a couple of questions from long to semi-long term readers at day in my inbox…), and today’s the election day’s anniversary, I figure I’ll probably answer some of the more loaded questions that I’ve gotten, just so you know where I stand.

As usual, these questions tend to represent how I think as a person. It does not in any way reflect upon the team’s viewpoints at large. In 2017 we’re still very diverse on every axis – a bit like the actual world of Pacific, heh.

Generally they tend to address some of our more partisan reader’s queries. Since it doesn’t fall under the typical Pacific design notes, it goes under mail call instead.

Why haven’t you made any more 2016-related posts?

I have. Just not here. Don’t think I’ve been sitting still in real life or in the virtual space. The internet offers a degree of anonymity that is tremendously valuable. It allows people to be judged solely on the merits of the argument.

Though, of course, some of our dual-language readers know exactly where to find me. However, that’s beside the point. 😉

Part of this is because there’s not much that needs to be said. I’m a Trump supporter. Still is. If anything I’ve only became more appreciative of how corrupt our government is. That alone is enough to get me banned on some parts of the internet and ostracized or worse at work. The woman card only goes so far as a saving throw, you know.

While politics and the ethical values that lies underneath play a big part in our daily lives, it’s really not quite the central piece of what we’re about. We’re really more on the “do” rather than “preach” side.

Part of this is because I work in a specific way. One year later after the election, I still read the assorted ultra-liberal press for my daily dose of news. The bias is becoming increasingly self-evident, and I believe – given that we are a democracy – that in the end we deserve the country that we get.

So if something as simple as Abe and Trump throwing fish bait can be twisted into an attack piece…

I’ve attached the original footage in gif form. Look at it and decide for yourself if he’s really so dumb as he can’t feed fish.

See. This is how I believe things should be done. You get the evidence for what it is. Obviously there will be biases and perspectives, but so long as you’re aware of the rationale and reasoning behind it, I believe you are more than capable of examining the evidence.

In other words, I am inherently wary of anyone telling you exactly what, when, and how to think. With graduation on the horizon, I don’t need that MD next to my name to tell you that it is far more effective for someone to reach a conclusion on their own based on what evidence is present. After all, we shouldn’t just walk up to a patient and tell them BECAUSE OF MY AUTHORITY you should believe in this diagnosis. Rather, the better way to do things is to explain, in as simple terms as possible, why the diagnosis occurs. Our credentials play a big part of it, sure. It’s what we’ve earned. However, the credentials come with an actual set of skills. To put it another way. I’m a doctor because I learned a set of skills in medical school. If need be, I can prove my credentials in a case of emergency. I am therefore a doctor not because of the letters by themselves, but the letters symbolize a set of things that I am qualified to do.

Here’s the kicker. I think pretty much anyone can do the things we do, so long as they’re willing to put time and effort into it. If even something as complex as medicine can be accomplished, I think the ballpark for journalists (just as an example) is even lower.

Does the journalist report the whole truth? That’s easy to find out. Head to your red and your blue sites and figure out which bits ended up getting omitted. If you can’t see it and decide for yourself (and I’ve also had this asked as a curious question – mostly from our East Asian readers), consider this.

What politics ultimately boils down to is a set of values. Anyone has the ability to formulate those. People just have to be asking themselves a lot of questions. Good ones to ask would be: who is he/she getting paid by? What is his/her personal opinion on a number of simple to measure yardstick issues? Given the culture of each publication, what is the overall atmosphere/tone of the publication? The Federalist is pretty different from say, FOX. CNN is pretty different from say, Bloomberg.

I follow contemporary events and politics because it’s my duty as an American citizen to be in the know. I think it was a great privilege to be able to document the election last year – you’ve got the entire 2016 timeline that Zero’s organized to see how I’ve reached where I am today.

In fact, for what sort of an America I want? You’ve got our circle’s track record that speaks for itself. You’ve got the values embedded in Pacific, which speaks for itself. You’ve got all my commentary over there on WW2, which speaks for itself.

But that’s me. That’s who I am. I’m not asking you to become me. Not asking you to have the same conclusions as me. I’m not going to go out of my way to make any further arguments on behalf of my “side.” I merely seek for my readers to understand what my “side” is.

Therein lies the third part.

I don’t need you to hear my “side” or my arguments from Morgane. The argument itself is sufficient and you can hear that from anyone.

Look at the strength of the argument and the quality of the argument, not the person. The truth speaks for itself. The messenger in this case doesn’t matter.

I hate internet celebritism with a passion you probably won’t believe. I hate the cults of personalities that inevitably springs up, and I hate how – in matters of things pertaining to moral or ethical value – people invoke personal authority or charisma. This personal attitude is actually reflected in how I do things.

Ever wonder why I don’t show my face on the internet? Why I don’t jump onto the e-celebrity “political commentary” bandwagon?

I play a ton of RTS and other grand strategy type games. You don’t think there’s a market for some kinda “gamer gurl” streaming type thing in Asia, which is a big part of our audience, much less the US here?

Why don’t I monetize Pacific and (in our perspective) beg for donations at every turn?

Because I want people to listen to my words, and not listen because I’m another generic pretty face.

Because that’s not how I do things. We, as a whole, believe in hard work and set out to prove it. These are things I work on out of love. We aren’t averse to monetary compensation, but if that’s what we’re after we’d have shuttered down and sold our stuff to the wandering Mobo gaming companies years ago.

Because I’m not after personal fame or internet points. Enterprise-chan is basically a bot that automatically mirrors our site updates. She occasionally tweets random cute stuff but that’s it. I value personal interactions where there could be meaningful interaction.

Because I want people to think for themselves. I still do, even in the current year. *laugh*

Lastly, it’s because of how we run things. I’ve said it before. The way we run things is really more like a really big house party. The site’s our house. The readers are our house guests. The contents you get – articles, art, etc – is our hospitality. Some days it’s a feast. Some days it’s what I scrounge up in the kitchen.

All of it is what we made. The art’s homegrown. The words are coming from straight from the heart. The books are assembly locally (I mean, a lot of the team are Chinese nations) and made with local ingredients.

We’re pretty comfy in terms of how we do things. Sure, the house is undergoing renovations and clean-ups right now, but if we’re happy with what we’re doing, why would we do things differently?

When I feel like I need to make a particularly pertinent point politically, I’ll do so. I’ll do it with personal honesty and rigor. Otherwise, just sit back and enjoy the ride. 🙂

(2016) A New Era Dawns!

(2016) A New Era Dawns!

Donald J. Trump was sworn in as President of the United States on Jan. 20th, 2016.

今天特朗普当了美国总统。

Unfortunately, I was not able to watch it live – I’ve got a job to do, after all, though the other members of our team did stay up and watch. Heard it was fine.

可惜我今天因为工作的缘故,不能看直播。不过呢,我听说我们队伍的其他人看了。听他们说也不错。

Just fine.

是啊,一切都不错呢。

For what it’s worth, our little mini-series now come to a close. It’s been an amazing year, and you can just flip through this site’s archives or visit Sima’s Pixiv site to see how much we’ve done.

我们的2016系列今天也算是正式收笔了。今年真的是不错的一年呢,看看司马的P站或者我们的网站你就能看到我们画了多少呢。

(Of course, I’ve spent a lot of time fixing my own writing, and Sima’s polishing his art too. Believe me, we’ll give you guys something even better than what you’ve seen out of us before.)

(莫根正在认真的修理文字,司马也在修理画中。相信我,我们的书肯定会比我们现在有的更好的)

We’ve been working on this piece feverishly since last December, and well, let’s just say, the little book we’re working on, it’s finally getting there, too. In fact, this last piece has gotten so large, that we’re having trouble compressing it. So what you see here on the site is only a preview, but I hope you can feel what we’re feeling now. We’re excited. We want to show you what we’ve made, too.

我们自从十二月份就开始画这个了。不过啊,这次这个图大到压缩他有点难度,所以我就把压缩版贴出来了。我们很兴奋哦,想让你看看我们的作品。

(2016) A New Era Dawns!

Excitement. Inspiration. Hope.

开心。激励。希望。

Believe me, we span five different countries, each with very different social, political, and life experiences. But the one thing that we’re all encouraged by? You could say 2016.

我们这小组啊,五个不同国家,五个不同的背景,角度,政治观点,生活经验。但2016可以说给我们都带来了很多的鼓励。

And so, Mr. Trump? Mr. President. This one’s to you. Congratulations on your new job, and – for those of our readers who want to know why, simply read the man’s own words below. You don’t have to agree with everything, but remember that there are those that take his ideas seriously over his words, and those that take his words seriously over his ideas.

所以,特朗普先生?总统先生?This one’s to you. 祝贺你顺利赢得新的工作。我想,大家看看他的话,你就知道我为什么兴奋了。你不需要与他所有观点达成一致,但,别忘了。有些人很认真的对待他的概念以及意念,而有些人则只认真对待他的用词或者用语。

You decide which is for you.

你自己来选择到底你是属于哪个角度吧。

As for me? We’ll do things as we’ve always have. I’ve got one last promise to fulfill on my end. I promised you all a book. I intend to make good on that promise.

至于我们啊?我们会一直继续做我们所作的。我有最后的一个承诺,就是我说好了要给你们一本书。我想,这个承诺我还是会实现的。

Let’s all do our best in the coming year.

各位,咱在这新的一年里,尽力吧。


From Donald Trump’s Inauguration, 2017.

…Today’s ceremony, however, has very special meaning. Because today we are not merely transferring power from one Administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.

今天的仪式有很特别的意义。因为,今天我们不仅仅是一党把权利交给了另外一党,或者是仅仅政府的变换。我们今天要把权利从华盛顿DC交换给美国人民。

For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.

我们国家首都中,有一小组人,他们从政府中得利,而人们们负担这个代价,已经太久了。

Washington flourished – but the people did not share in its wealth. Politicians prospered – but the jobs left, and the factories closed.

华盛顿得了很大的利益,但人们们却没有变得更富有。政治家们成功了,但工厂们随着他们的成功,关了。而那些工作,则走了。

The establishment protected itself, but not the citizens of our country. Their victories have not been your victories; their triumphs have not been your triumphs; and while they celebrated in our nation’s Capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families all across our land.

老牌政治家们保护了自己,却没有保护我国的人民。他们的胜利不是你们的胜利。他们的得胜不是你们的得胜。当他们在我国首都庆祝时,我们国家有无数的家庭,根本没有什么好庆祝的。

That all changes – starting right here, and right now, because this moment is your moment: it belongs to you! It belongs to everyone gathered here today and everyone watching all across America. This is your day. This is your celebration. And this, the United States of America, is your country.

今天这里,这刻,一切都要变了。这是你的时刻,这是属于你的时候!今天是属于所有的那些在这里或者在全美国观看的人。今天是你的日子。是你的庆祝。今天,这个美利坚共和国,是你的国家。

What truly matters is not which party controls our government, but whether our government is controlled by the people. January 20th 2017, will be remembered as the day the people became the rulers of this nation again.

真正重要的不是哪个党派在控制我们政府,而是我们的政府是否真的由人民而控制的。2017年1月20日,今天,是美国人民再次成为这个国家领导人的那一天。

The forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no longer.

今天,这个国家里被遗弃的男人们,女人们,再也不会被遗弃了。

Everyone is listening to you now. You came by the tens of millions to become part of a historic movement the likes of which the world has never seen before. At the center of this movement is a crucial conviction: that a nation exists to serve its citizens.

现在,大家都在听你。成百上千万的你们成为了历史的一部分,一个世界从来没有看到过的运动。这中间有一个根本的意义:国家存在,是为民而服务。

Americans want great schools for their children, safe neighborhoods for their families, and good jobs for themselves.

美国人民想要的,是给孩子们一个优秀的学校,家庭们一个安全的小区,自己们,好的工作。

These are the just and reasonable demands of a righteous public. But for too many of our citizens, a different reality exists: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities; rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and the crime and gangs and drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential.

这本当是正义的大众一个公平合理的要求,但对我们太多的人民,现实是不同的。母亲和孩子被迫陷入在我们的城市中。我们的国家,如同墓碑一样,到处都是生锈的工厂。我们的教育系统的口袋里塞满了钱,但我们的年轻的美丽学生们却没有任何知识。而我们街上的囚犯,罪犯,黑帮,以及毒品偷走了太多的年轻生命,夺走了我国太多的潜力。

This American carnage stops RIGHT HERE and stops RIGHT NOW. We are one nation – and their pain is our pain. Their dreams are our dreams; and their success will be our success. We share one heart, one home, and one glorious destiny.

这个美国大屠杀现在,这里,停止了。我们是一个国家,大家的痛苦就是我们的痛苦。大家的梦是我们的梦。大家的胜利是我们的胜利。我们拥有一个心,一个家,一个荣誉的命运。

The oath of office I take today is an oath of allegiance to all Americans. For many decades, we’ve enriched foreign industry at the expense of American industry. We’ve subsidized the armies of other countries while allowing for the very sad depletion of our military; We’ve defended other nation’s borders while refusing to defend our own, and spent trillions of dollars overseas while America’s infrastructure has fallen into disrepair and decay.

我今天上任宣誓,是为了所有美国人民而宣誓的。我们这几十年来,他国的工业因为我们的工业而变的更富有。他国的军队因为我们的赞助而强大,而我们却允许了我们部队的衰败。我们保护了其他国家的边疆,但我们自己的却没有好好保护。我们在海外的亿万消费中的同时,美国本地的基础设施却变的破烂不堪。

We’ve made other countries rich while the wealth, strength, and confidence of our country has disappeared over the horizon.

在我们让别的国家富裕的同时,我们国家的财富,力量,以及信心,却消失了。

One by one, the factories shuttered and left our shores, with not even a thought about the millions upon millions of American workers left behind.

我们的工厂一个接着一个的消失,关闭,离开了美国。而它们却一点也没有考虑那些被遗弃的上百万的美国工人。

The wealth of our middle class has been ripped from their homes and then redistributed across the entire world.

我们的中产阶级的财产,已经被这些人从他们家中盗窃,然后分配给了整个世界。

But that is the past. And now we are looking only to the future.

但是,那些只是过去。我们今天只会面对将来。

We assembled here today are issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power.

我们今天,要向所有的城市,所有的外国首都,以及所有的权利来发出新的一条规则。

From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land.

从今天起,美国将被新的理念来引导。

From this moment on, it’s going to be America First. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families. We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength.

从今天起,我们要把美国放在最先。每一个贸易,税务,移民,外交的政策都会从如何给美国人民以及美国家庭带来利益的角度而考虑。我们必须要保护我们的边疆,尤其是从那些造我们的物品,偷我们的公司,以及毁灭我们工作的角度来说。保护自己国家会导致国民富裕以及国家的力量。

I will fight for you with every breath in my body – and I will never, ever let you down.
America will start winning again, winning like never before. We will bring back our jobs. We will bring back our borders. We will bring back our wealth. And we will bring back our dreams.

而我,会替你奋斗,直到我的最后一口气。我永远不会让你失望的。美国会再次赢起来。美国会得到从来没有得过的胜利。我们会把我们的工作带回来。我们会把我们的边境带回来。我们会把我们的财富带回来。而我们也会把我们的梦想带回来。

We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.

我们会在我们这个优秀的国家造新的路,高速公路,桥,机场,山洞,火车道。

We will get our people off of welfare and back to work – rebuilding our country with American hands and American labor.

我们会让我们的人民放弃福利,回到工作岗位上,用美国人的双手以及劳动来重建这个国家。

We will follow two simple rules: Buy American and Hire American.

我们会跟随两个简单的规矩。买美国货,雇美国人。

We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world – but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.

我们会对所有的国家以友好的态度来面对,但我们这样做,是认可一个基本观点。每一个国家都有为自己国家得利的基本权利。

We do not seek to impose our way of life on anyone, but rather to let it shine as an example for everyone to follow.

我们不会把我们的生存方式强加给任何人,但我们会让它闪烁,作为例子,来引导大家来跟随。

We will reinforce old alliances and form new ones – and unite the civilized world against Radical Islamic Terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth.

我们会巩固老的盟友,创造新的盟友。我们会把文明世界统一起来,从地球上抹掉极端伊斯兰恐怖主义。

At the bedrock of our politics will be a total allegiance to the United States of America, and through our loyalty to our country, we will rediscover our loyalty to each other.

我们的政治会完全对美国效忠。当我们为国家献出忠诚时,我们也会再次发现如何对彼此忠诚。

When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice.

当你对爱国主义开放你的心境的时候,你也就不会歧视他人了。

The Bible tells us, “how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”

圣经说,上帝的子民们一起齐心生活是好的。

We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. When America is united, America is totally unstoppable. There should be no fear – we are protected, and we will always be protected.

我们需要坦诚的说出我们的思想,诚实的讨论我们的区别,但一直追求齐心。美国齐心的时候是战无不胜的。我们不应该有任何惧怕 – 我们被保护,并且我们永远都会被保护。

We will be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement and, most importantly, we are protected by God.

我们不但被我们军队以及执法部门伟大的人们保护,并且更重要的是我们被上帝保护。

Finally, we must think big and dream even bigger. In America, we understand that a nation is only living as long as it is striving.

最后,我们不但要在思想上胆大,并且我们要做更大的梦。只有一个努力的国家它才是真正的活着的国家。

We will no longer accept politicians who are all talk and no action – constantly complaining but never doing anything about it.

我们再也不会接受那些光说,光抱怨,但什么也不做的政治家了。

The time for empty talk is over. Now arrives the hour of action.

说空话的时候已经结束了。现在是行动的时刻。

Do not let anyone tell you it cannot be done. No challenge can match the heart and fight and spirit of America.

不要让任何人告诉你,这个不行。没有任何的挑战能难倒美国的意志。

We will not fail. Our country will thrive and prosper again. We stand at the birth of a new millennium, ready to unlock the mysteries of space, to free the Earth from the miseries of disease, and to harness the energies, industries and technologies of tomorrow.

我们不会失败。我们的国家会再次富裕起来。我们现在是一个新时代的开始,即将发现宇宙的秘密,疾病的秘密,以及使用明天的科技,工业,和能源。

A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions. It is time to remember that old wisdom our soldiers will never forget: that whether we are black or brown or white, we all bleed the same red blood of patriots, we all enjoy the same glorious freedoms, and we all salute the same great American Flag. And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.

一个新的国家自豪会让我们的灵魂觉醒,抬起我们的眼光,医治我们的分离。别忘了我们士兵们的那句老话:不管我们是什么肤色什么种族,我们都流着同样颜色的血。我们都拥有同样的自由。我们都向同样的旗敬礼。无论这个孩子是在什么地方出生,他们都抬头看同样的夜空,拥有同样的梦想,被同样的创造者而赐予的生命。

So to all Americans, in every city near and far, small and large, from mountain to mountain, and from ocean to ocean, hear these words: You will never be ignored again. Your voice, your hopes, and your dreams, will define our American destiny. And your courage and goodness and love will forever guide us along the way.

所以啊,分布在美国四角的美国人民们,无论你在大城市还是小城市,听好。你再也不会被无视了。你的声音,你的希望,你的梦想,会定义美国的未来。你的勇气,善良,和爱心会永远指导我们走正路。

Together, We Will Make America Strong Again.

我们会一起让美国更强大起来。

We Will Make America Wealthy Again.

我们会让美国再次富裕起来。

We Will Make America Proud Again.

我们会让美国再次的自豪。

We Will Make America Safe Again….

我们会让美国再次的安全。

and Yes, Together, We Will Make America Great Again.

是的,我们也会再次一起让美国伟大起来。

Thank you, God Bless You, And God Bless America.

感谢你。上帝祝福你。上帝保佑美国。

Donald J. Trump
45th President of the United States


Sima’s Pixiv Site, for those that want to leave comments publicly. 🙂

(2016) A New Era Dawns!


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