RA Transcripts 9 & 16 March 08 posted to the wiki

[Patroklus Murakami]

The transcripts of the last two RA meetings on 9 and 16 March have been posted to the wiki here.

Just to be really clear, I'm posting them because I think it's important that government is transparent and that the citizens can see their government in action. I could see that Brian did not have the time to do this so I offered to do it for him. I'm not interested in returning to the RA or taking on the role of RA Archivist. I hope that someone else will come forward to take on the important task of ensuring that our record of meetings and decisions taken is kept up to date.

[Desmond Shang]

*meanwhile... far across many leagues of vast seas, forgotten isles and barbarian tribes, in twee, proper Caledon...*

...Desmond looks out from the balcony of the Guvnah's mansion upon a peaceful Victoria City, breathing deep from the air...

"Mmmm, what a lovely morning! Time for a governmental meeting, I think. Yes. Quite so!"

"Let's see. I think I need a bit of tea, first. Meeting postponed? Roight. Postponed!"

"And some biscuits too. And those little jams in the individual jars that are ridiculously too small. Delightful!"

"Ah, that's better."

*Desmond goes downstairs, pulls up a single chair to a table-for-one made by Burnham LTD*

"I hereby declare this meeting to have begun!"

"...hmm."

"What shall we do today, I wonder?"

*Desmond lays out a big map of Caledon on the floor, studying it intently*

"Hmm. peaceful here, peaceful there... economic expansion over there... good relations on that border, and that one..."

"Just what shall I do today? I've got to do... something officious!"

*Desmond takes out a bigger map*

"Ah, my, look at the world today! There's that area where the gorean region owner was so terribly snippy to my friend..."

"Mental note: Caledon fundraiser, buy the gorean... they do that, right?... gift her to FurNation via ambassador. Mischief managed."

*quiet reflection*

"What else have we got. Oh, look, there's Neufightstadt... hee! Mental note: don't slip up and say that! How... embarrassing!"

*smiles*

"Neufreistadt. Neuuu-fhhrrreeeeeiiiii-shhhhdaddddT! Ja! Neu.... ... ... FRISTAT!"

*grins gleefully*

"Hmm... Caaaaledon Neufriestadt?... oh my! Now now now, I'd best not be overheard... the people would roar with approval and I'd have to appease them... might get messy."

*looks around furtively*

"Alright, enough levity. Time to get to the first order of business."

*Desmond straightens his cravat and withdraws a crumpled paper from his pocket*

"Note.. One. On the Matter of Foreign Colonies, Provincial Guvnahships and Rampant Grid Imperialism."

"Yes, yes, let's do that. Passed."

*sips tea*

"Note Two. Forestation of Southern Caledon."

"Oh yes! Why, I had thought of that one myself! I shall see to it. Such lovely pines!"

"Note the Third: Something about Another Nation Enquiring to Enter our Sphere of Influence Geographically"

"Now that's a topic, isn't it? Well. Let's be a proper gentleman about that - I won't do *one tiny thing* until I hear what the Lady of Winterfell, the Duchess of Primverness and the Lady of Brythony have to say. Pish tosh, who says I don't take suggestion?"

"Note the Fourth. Clearing the Ban List."

"Mmm, indeed, those fellows have rotted long enough in exile. Besides, we haven't had a good griefer hunt lately, should any of these fellows not have mended their ways. Time for a Tallyho! Who is to say we are not merciful... releasing him... and him... and her, and... oh, there is a particularly nasty bugger! He can rot another week or two... aye, justice is time consuming is it not?"

"Note the Fifth: On the Matter of Democracy coming to Caledon."

"I grow tired..."

"I think I need a nap. Self: I hereby declare this meeting adjourned until.. until... oh, later."

*Desmond curls up with some light reading as he begins to doze off on a posh Victorian couch...*

"Ah Babar, you are such a remarkable elephant, are you not? Such an incredible influence on my childhood..."

*Desmond sleeps, while in the corner a music box plays... on top, a tiny crowned elephant couple slowly turn hand in hand...*

[Beathan]

LOL --

Ah yes, the bliss and joy of a benevolent autocracy lead by a competent and kind ruler (even if he is on the ethically suspect side of trade in Goreans). Isn't it a pity most would-be autocrats are more like W. Bush than the noble, kind and generally humorous Desmond Shang?

However, I do fear the truism in this quote by my favorite founding father, John Adams (who was as obnoxious and disliked as I am) --

“Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either [aristocracy or monarchy]. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide.”

To this, I can only add the counterpoint quote from Jefferson (another of my favorites) -- "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." Thus, when we backslide from our democratic purpose -- or find that we have outgrown our processes and need something new and revolutionary to continue with our project -- we need a reform on the same order of the original Revolution. The United States has lasted for more than two centuries because we have had such radical reforms (even if they generally occurred within -- rather than to -- our Constitutional framework). Other longstanding democracies have similar histories.

That is where we are. We are on a crossroads in the history of the CDS. We have outgrown our old skin -- and we need to shed it and continue on with a new skin. Such moulting is always painful and ugly to see, but the creature that comes out of the process is a better creature for having undergone such a crucible.

Beathan

[Jamie Palisades]

Beathan mentions significant reform. As an alternative to watering the Tree of CDS with the blood of former RA members ... or selling the sims to a benevolent if slightly giggle-prone despot ... (see prior posts in this thread) ... has anyone considered Jon Seattle's comments about Cedar Island? More or less the "town meeting" model. I see he posted them in the Forums; I don't see that anyone has evaluated it yet. Any organizational structure that induces *less* pomposity and less complex rulemongering sounds worth a thought to me. Cheers Jamie

[Beathan]

Jamie --

I would like to try Jon's idea -- but not at the expense of our current system. I have proposed instituting local sim-by-sim government on Jon's model. To do this, we will need to define areas of exclusive jurisdiction between the Sim level and the Federal level. This should be part of our "strategic planning" discussion -- which (per Salzie's recommendation) I would like to have at the next regular RA meeting.

If Jon's method works exceptionally well, we can later implement it upward.

By the way -- congratulations -- and welcome on board as the newest SP RA member.

Beathan

[Jon Seattle]

Beathan mentions significant reform. As an alternative to watering the Tree of CDS with the blood of former RA members ... or selling the sims to a benevolent if slightly giggle-prone despot ... (see prior posts in this thread) ... has anyone considered Jon Seattle's comments about Cedar Island? More or less the "town meeting" model. I see he posted them in the Forums; I don't see that anyone has evaluated it yet. Any organizational structure that induces *less* pomposity and less complex rulemongering sounds worth a thought to me. Cheers Jamie

I am very glad to see this getting some attention. About 50% of my RL work involves contributing to University supported open-source software development projects. At a conference on one of these I recently heard the term "do-ocracy": that is a system were things are run by the method: if you have a new idea, go do it.

We have a system, in my opinion, that is designed around a model borrowed from RL. A fixed bucket of expensive resources that factions compete to use for their projects. That is a kind of political zero-sum game. This is a mistake in an environment where there are no real limits on what can be done. A better approach is to transition to a system where common resources are used to empower individuals and groups to try new things (within the limits of our fundamental rights). Let evolution shape our futures (notice the plural) rather than political conflict.

A town meeting approach would be far from perfect, but I think it would take us an important step in becoming a more empowering and kinder society. For a start, we would insure that everyone knows they have a equal voice in what we define as common standards and resources and how those are used.

Referenda is not a good substitute for participation. Citizen involvement in deliberation and research is really critical. It tends to educate the people who do participate, and they usually come up with better solutions and are more able to question old assumptions. The history of referenda, more of a mass system that does not ask for citizens to invest their own time and effort, is far bleaker.

[Jamie Palisades]

Just blue sky here, Jon. But to continue the thread: I want to think some more about Beathan's idea of layering in town meetings at the sim level, below the CDS-wide layer. To use Beathan's approach, we'd need agreement on the devolution of powers -- tagging which topics on which the CDS government will defer to the "locals". Hmm. Interesting thread .. almost certainly worthwhile .. but not a short one. (On that topic Des' life truly is simpler -- "Autonomy? I will if I feel like it.") Other possibilities for a "beta" use of town hall metholodogy? Maybe the RA can delegate other one-off discrete CDS-wide issues to such a method ... such as receiving the report of a key commission; Feedback to Guild on fourth sim; etc. Shrug -- haven't through fully through that though.

For now, let's just assume that this device may prove to be useful at some level at some time. My experience with political caucus meetings of that kind was that they work well if -- and *only* if -- really really well moderated. Note how well Sudane wields a *lot* of power in CDS (as Danton points out) without seeming to arrogate it, or use it to force a viewpoint. That's the kind of calm, evenhanded, relatively selfless approach needed in a town hall moderator too. So: good moderators = key resource.

Thus my question: Assuming we have a few people who could do that well, how procedurally do we get them *into* that role? Must town meetings elect their moderators? Must they be appointed? Or picked from the ranks of other Titled Personages of Note? (I hope not, on that last. Better to spread power & responsibility around.) Do we have some flexibility about how to recruit and select moderators from among likely talented citizens?

This is all speculative, of course, but let's see what we can do to refine the concept. By the way, we also should follow the other process lead you've mentioned -- methods from open-source collaborative code work. I know that community fairly well, and see it pointing us pretty clearly to some additional reforms -- topic for another time.

[cleopatraxigalia]

im confused

[Jamie Palisades]

Sorry, ThePrincess: in case I am the cause of the confusion, here's how I understand it. We are talking theoretically about Jon Seattle's way-different examples of governance, in other SL sims, as something to study and learn from. There are no plans on the table at this time to change anything in CDS. But we *are* talking about how some radical change like that would be different, roughly, and whether CDS has the kind of citizens, issues and government needs that would fit that style. It's healthy to ask questions like that ... but this is all early-stage, pie-in-the-sky brainstorming. If we ever actually wanted to move in that direction, it would take a lot of drafting, legislation and maybe constitutional overhaul. Regards Jamie

[Jon Seattle]

Hi Jamie, I would love to expand on and continue this discussion. Right now I have some RL work to catch up on, but certainly lets continue this.