March 17th, 2024
I am struggling with a difficult decision that has haunted me for over a month now.
The object of the decision
Weeks ago, I came up with a great idea: why not use Slubberdegullion to build a storyworld presenting the next 50 years of America under two scenarios: 1) Mr. Biden wins the November election; and 2) Mr. Trump wins the election. The clear message of the storyworld would be that America faces a difficult future requiring painful decisions.
It would boil our current problems down to three primary issues:
1. The rise of China. The key question it would ask would be whether China would establish hegemony over East Asia and force countries to bow to its suzerainty. This would also mean the collapse of the Western world order and a more fragmented world with many more wars. It would include actions by the other anti-Western powers: Russia, North Korea, and Iran.
2. Climate change. We have allowed the situation to go so far as to insure that we will suffer huge losses due to climate change. It is likely that the geopolitical stresses generated by climate change will incite additional political conflicts with would contribute to the likelihood of war. I suspect that the sequence of events would eventually lead to the US initiating a nuclear war.
3. The disintegration of the American polity. Already bipartisanship has disappeared and American politics is a highly polarized battle in Congress, the courts, and the streets.
My plan would be to build this storyworld in time for release at the Democratic convention in mid-August. I would ask Democratic website to host the storyworld in order to spread its message.
Arguments against building this storyworld
My primary problem is that I just don’t have the creative fire to do it. If I needed money (which I don’t) and I could get a nice payment for building it, then I would have no difficulty doing so. I know exactly how to build it and see no significant obstacles to its completition. If I plunged into it with the eagerness I had for Le Morte D’Arthur, then this would be a slam dunk, a piece of cake, a walk in the park, and a variety of other cliches. I know this stuff inside and out; I wouldn’t have to do any research to write the whole thing.
But I just can’t feel the fire to build it. Why not? One reason is that this project is dependent upon the recruitment of other people. I built Le Morte D’Arthur knowing that it would not have any patrons to do the marketing. That was fine with me; LMD is a work of art and I don’t care if nobody ever plays it. But if this storyworld simply sat on my website with a trickle of players, I would feel that I wasted precious time. Its sole purpose is to influence the election in Mr. Biden’s favor. In order for that to happen, I’ll need a number of Democratic organizations to decide to popularize it. I have lost confidence in the wisdom of the world. Over and over, I have made worthy efforts and gotten very little reaction other than the plaudits of a handful of eager supporters. It’s great to know that some people really believe in what I’m doing, but the unconcern of most of the world leads me to the conclusion that, in all probability, after having poured my heart into yet another effort, nobody will be interested.
There’s another consideration: if Mr. Biden wins the election, I think it likely that Mr. Trump’s supporters will initiate a low-temperature terrorism campaign, mostly assassinating prominent supporters of Mr. Biden. They will have no hope of changing the government, but this will permit them to get revenge upon those they consider to be “The Enemy”. I would be one of them. I have no fear of such a death, but I refuse to put my wife in danger, and I would never forgive myself if, as is most likely by such cowards, they shoot my dogs.
Arguments for building this storyworld
The obvious argument is that it just might help save the country. All the polls predict that this will be a close election. Forty years ago, Balance of Power reached something like 100,000 people and seemed to have a big impact upon them. If this storyworld changes 10,000 votes, and the election is very tight, it could be enough to put Mr. Biden over the top. I would never forgive myself if I did not build the storyworld and Mr. Trump won by a few thousand votes.
Opportunity costs
There are so many other projects on my plate; this storyworld would require a full-time commitment from me, and all these projects would suffer. Here’s the current list of projects I’d like to finish this summer:
Get Kimtanktics operational
Correct alignment of gate gargoyle
Build gargoyle tree
Fix water monitor system
Host GeezerGanza
Work on the forest
Organize reconstruction of electrical panels
Build final third of the deck
Conclusion
I have no conclusion; I’m torn.
Addendum, March 20th, 2024
I decided to kill the project. The overriding consideration was the danger that this project might pose to my family. I realize that this consideration is far and away the most important.