If a new group is created and engages the participation of previously non or under represented groups, is that not a good thing in a democracy?
Bjerkel,
I entirely agree with you that it would indeed be worthwhile to do so. There are, however, two other questions to be answered:
1. To what ends are such individuals or groups engaged? and
2. What will the ultimate consequence of such new parties be on the overall dynamics of the current political system?
As to the first question, both you and Danton were CSDF members who for one reason or another decided to give up your membership in that faction and found your own. Both of you argue in favor of greater civility, community building, participation, and careful expansion suited to the community's needs, using our own resources first before opening up the sim development process to non-CDS entrepreneurs.
This s fundamentally the position AND practice of the DPU. I truly do not see a substantive difference between your procedural AND substantive goals and those of the DPU. It is exactly because I believe in these principles and values that I decided, after some reflection time, to join the DPU, who has the significant advantages of having a good number of experienced citizens as members (Claude -3 time RA LRA and member of the SC, Pelanor - current SC member, Flyingroc - former RA member, Dnate - former Chancellor, and Sonja - current RA member) and having led for 3 terms the RA during some of its most difficult times (the Ulrika Trial, the Judiciary Debate) as well as its greatest successes (the development of Colonia Nova).
so, while I understand why you may be reluctant, after leaving the CSDF, to join either Beathan's SP faction of ThePrincess' NuCARE faction, I truly do not see any substantive policy difference between what both of you propose separately and the DPU platform. The only answer I can come up with is that you each wish yo have your own faction. And this brings us to the second question.
The second question focuses on the effects on our community's politics on going from 4 to 6 parties.
Let us assume that 2 new factions are indeed created, each with approximately 10 members each - and that these members would all rank their new faction first. The inevitable result, in a system such as ours, would be twofold:
1. Given our current voting system, each faction is liable to elect one RA Member, with one party bound to have 2 such members. Since the differences in the platforms of the DPU and the newly formed factions will be virtually non-existent, voting will take place not as a result of a contest of ideas, but as consequence of friendships, group memberships, and personality issues. This individualisation and clientelisation of the CDS political system is, it seems to me, quite the opposite of the debate of principles and ideas the CDS was attempting to base its political system on.
2. Once elected, no party would have a clear popular mandate to govern - not even the party having secured two seats out of seven and the LRA position. We would be back where we started this term, with coalitions, reversals, frustrations, and dramas. Only now, instead of having three parties with 2 RA members each and 1 with one Member, we would end up with 5 parties with 1 member each and one with two Members. Far from improving the situation, the creation of 2 new factions would only lead to a further fragmentation of our community and political discourse. The RA will become eve more, as Saltzie rightly points out, an institution whose members serve "Communities of One".
So what do i proposed instead? Well, you will all laugh and say I'm biased but... Join the DPU! What do you have to lose? Become members, take place in our meetings, discussions, policy decisions. Contribute your ideas and points of view and enrich our perspectives with yours. You may well find the DPU is exactly the kind of party you were looking for in the first place. What is the worst that can happen? you won't like it. You can then resign your DPU membership and resume your efforts to set up a new party.
Assume, however, that you like the DPU and help attract more inactive citizens to the CDS political process. We will have a truly revitalised party, combining older and newer citizens, experience and enthusiasm, due care and dynamism, which would stand a realistic chance to gain three or even four seats at the next election and hence, win a truly wide mandate to govern our community in accordance with the values and principles we all espouse.
The only reason you wouldn't wish to join the DPU is, well... because each of you wish to set up your own factions.
That is, of course, your right.
But is it in the best long-term interest of our community?
Just something to think about before you expend a lot of time, energy and effort in setting up two new factions...
PS. And you could join us too, Symo, and help us implement your own suggestions and ideas! As I said, what do you have to lose by trying us out for a month or two? 