I just look at history and see that we got FDR right after Hoover. Nixon won every single state but Massachusetts, and the next President to be elected was Jimmy Carter. Bush Jr. got us into Iraq and let us fall into the Great Financial Crisis, but then we had Obama.

We had two world wars back-to-back, but learned the lesson the second time around, turning enemies into allies, and investing in their prosperity--ushering in the longest chunk of time without large-scale war in modern history. We've moved forward an incredible amount in terms of individual rights and equality in that time as well.

All I'm saying is that none of this moves in a straight line, and it's hardly too late to make the right decision.

Fair question about my decision to expatriate. It's really not about leaving the US, so much as it is about seeing the world. I just didn't feel I should live my whole life in one place, and following a series of mishaps, I found myself in a pretty rough and isolated situation in my life.

Well, I thought the one positive in being alone is the freedom to do whatever without worrying about attachments, so I felt it was a good time to go see the world. Moreover, it makes practical sense, as I'm currently making what little I can by writing, and it goes a lot further in Japan--and I'm going back to school which will be cheaper here as well.