Setting the Record Straight

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michelmanen
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Buying my own sim...

Post by michelmanen »

[quote:3cl1x5yl]You do not run a country on tradition. You run a country on LAW.
If you wish to have a sim that is run on tradition, I suggest you buy your own sim.[/quote:3cl1x5yl]

I will not reply to your gratuitous second comment, nor will I take the time to explain to you the role of unwritten constitutions and constitutional traditions in common law systems. I simply do not believe that any reasoned and informed argument can swing some individuals' opinions, sometimes...

Claude Desmoulins
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Post by Claude Desmoulins »

Michel.

You wrote:

[quote:z28jmdjd]-when the RA violates the customs of this community not to meet during the two-week period preceding any elections not once but twice[/quote:z28jmdjd]

Article I Section 4 of the constitution states in part:

[quote:z28jmdjd]The RA will convene at least once per fortnight.[/quote:z28jmdjd]

Clearly it is impossible for the RA to not meet during the campaign and election without violating the aforementioned bit of the constitution. Those of us in government chose to follow the written constitution when it came into conflict with unwritten traditions. I believe most governments would choose to do the same. Fortunately, since meetings must only be fortnightly, there is the option which we will take, not to meet while the polls are open.

In fact, the constitution used to mandate weekly meetings. Near election times these were, unfortunately not held, though I believe this often had much to do with the difficulty of assembling a quorum during the holidays and mid summer

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Dianne
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Post by Dianne »

What follows is my own personal comments and opinions only. :)
[quote="Michel Manen":2s9oxckv]We will present six specific policies during this term: Michel Manen: Leadership ? forward not back: We will propose a Bill setting up a new Legislative Advisory Body, made up of all heads of the CDS branches of government, to discuss Bill introduced by Representatives or citizens and to ensure that the final text will be professional, precise, and acceptable to all [/quote:2s9oxckv]
IMO this sounds mostly like it duplicates the existing duties of the SC except it adds some grammatical checking that is basically useless. It indicates to me that you are just not really aware of the current structure of the government you are fighting to overthrow.
[quote="Michel Manen":2s9oxckv]Democracy ?the many not the few: we will introduce a Bill setting up citizens? study groups to actively involve as many of our citizens as possible in the legislative process, and not just once every six months, during elections. [/quote:2s9oxckv]
Again, you don't seem to be aware of how things already are. There are already study groups set up on some projects and issues and already the percentage of citizens that participate in the government is very high indeed relative to other governed sims or even RL governments. You constantly talk about the need to "include everyone" but give no real examples of anyone being specifically excluded. Who is actually being excluded here? I would like an answer on that before I even *consider* voting for your party.
[quote="Michel Manen":2s9oxckv]Prosperity ? we will introduce a Bill to establish strategic marketing and advertising ?Emassies such as the Anzeri Info point in strategic sims in 2L to imake the CDS a hub of trade, tourism and commerce [/quote:2s9oxckv]
This is almost your first (semi) substantive policy even though it seems very vaguely described. The CDS certainly could use more of a high profile image, but your take on this sounds suspiciously like a standard business 101 marketing plan. Something you do for a product, not a country. In fact, almost every term you use in your literature absolutely *reeks* of standard 1st year business class lingo and marketing propaganda. Terms like [i:2s9oxckv]"single day, in/out decision making,"[/i:2s9oxckv] might go over well in the boardroom, but sound utterly ridiculous in the political context you put them in.
[quote="Michel Manen":2s9oxckv]Diversity ? celebrating difference : enabling a creative community: we will introduce a Bill to enable th CDS to acquire and run its own radio station, open its waves to all our linguistic and cultural communities (Esperanto and French come to mind here), and raise funds by selling on-air advertisements [/quote:2s9oxckv]
Again, this is one of the more substantive policies (a radio station) and not a bad idea at that, but lamely and irresponsibly tacked onto your "diversity" section. The idea of a radio station really has nothing to do with "diversity" per se does it? This is what happens when you think of six buzz-words first and then try to fit some small policies into them.
[quote="Michel Manen":2s9oxckv]Fairness ? a just, stable, professional judiciary and a publicly-owned information meda...[/quote:2s9oxckv]
Well here you are really grasping at straws again IMO. Is there anyone in the entire CDS that disagrees with the idea of having a judiciary? Even people like me that opposed the Judiciary bill from the first time they heard it are still in favour of *some* judiciary. do you really think everyone else somehow wants a *unprofessional* and *unstable* judiciary?? As for the CDS "media" (sic) I think that since it doesn't actually exist I don't really know what you are talking about. The various websites we currently have are all operated by representatives of the CDS government and other than the strictly utilitarian or informational sites all there is is the forums which are completely public and "diverse."
[quote="Michel Manen":2s9oxckv]Sustsainability ? we will introduce a bill requiring that our new sim be designed specifically to attract creative, knowledge workers and creatives and give them the space, incentives and time to con tribute the the development our community in 2L [/quote:2s9oxckv]
This is a policy I guess (although not very well fleshed out), but it seems to amount to having a giant sandbox for people to visit. I would agree that when we have a few more sims, using one as a giant sandbox and attracting creative people to the CDS in that way would be a good idea, but is it really financially feasible at this time? Likely not.

In summation, IMO you would have done substantially better to forget about all the glitz and marketing, the buzz-words, and the corporate approach with the numbered agendas, and merely present yourself as a new party with the three actual proposals you have put forward. (more marketing, internet radio station, and giant sandbox). A bit of discussion on those proposals, fleshing them out with more concrete ideas and plans for paying for these items would also help a lot.

Instead, your platform reads more like a slick business or marketing plan for a new type of soap and nothing like a political platform at all. A government is not a business, nor can it be run like one without running roughshod over the very people you purport to govern. If I didn't know better, I would guess that you are in fact engaged in some kind of term paper project to see if you can "take over" a virtual country through the exclusive use of business terms and procedures. And interesting experiment perhaps, but hardly anything I want to vote for.

Additionally, like many "business minded" proposals for government in RL and in SL, the few policies you have seem to be expensive. All three of your ideas would entail an [i:2s9oxckv]expense[/i:2s9oxckv] on the part of the CDS and yet you give little indication of where the money would come from. Does CARE envision a poll tax?

I must say that the fact it took me an hour to derive any kind of sense or content out of your platform is not a good sign of political maturity on your part. While I generally agree with the substance of the three proposals I was able to tweak out of the mix, IMO they are items that we should be thinking of "down the road," and not in our present financial state.

I am not interested in electing anyone that wants to spend money they don't actually [i:2s9oxckv]have[/i:2s9oxckv], on a few shiny ideas that haven't really been thought out.

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michelmanen
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Thank you for your comments

Post by michelmanen »

Dianne,

Thank you for your detailed analysis of our ideas, proposals, policies and election strategy.

I guess CARE will not be first on your voting ballot :lol:

We shall soon see whether the 70-odd citizens of CDS share your "personal opinions".

Regards,

Michel Manen

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The RA's choices

Post by michelmanen »

Claude,

[quote:2v5nb57p]Clearly it is impossible for the RA to not meet during the campaign and election without violating the aforementioned bit of the constitution.[/quote:2v5nb57p]

The RA could have met once exactly 14 days before the polls opened and conform to both constitutional requirements and its own unbroken customs and traditions. Instead, it chose to meet twice (the last time minutes before polls opened and hours before the 4-faction debate-) and pass major pieces of legislation. No written constitutional rule compellled it to do so.

Whatever the reasons for this custom and unbroken tradition, its existence (until recently) was confirmed by the SC Dean. One would hope the reasons it had not been breached until know had to do with principled requirements of any civilised and legitimate democratic structure of governance, respectful of basic principles of accountability, fairness, and the rule of law.

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Re: The RA's choices

Post by Flyingroc Chung »

[quote="michelmanen":ldy57yzp]The RA could have met once exactly 14 days before the polls opened...[/quote:ldy57yzp]

Actually, if they did that, they'd be required to meet on the day the polls opened. If the RA has to meet every fortnight, the earliest day it could push back is 7 days from the start of the poll; and then meet on the day the poll ends. Thus the claim:

[quote="Claude":ldy57yzp]
Clearly it is impossible for the RA to not meet during the campaign and election without violating the aforementioned bit of the constitution.
[/quote:ldy57yzp]

BTW, for those who need to look it up (like me) a fortnight is 14 days.

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Post by michelmanen »

Once the polling starts this legislature is dissolved. Hence your argument doesn't hold. In any case, we all can quibble about specific dates - but the substantive principles I outlined justifying this are not affected.

Last edited by michelmanen on Sun Jan 14, 2007 6:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Publius Crabgrass
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Post by Publius Crabgrass »

The CARE persective on the debate is at [url=http://www.care-cds.com/successes.html:36j9booz]http://www.care-cds.com/successes.html[/url:36j9booz].

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Post by Publius Crabgrass »

The CARE persective on the debate is at [url=http://www.care-cds.com/successes.html:9um8sr1r]http://www.care-cds.com/successes.html[/url:9um8sr1r].

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Post by Jon Seattle »

Michel,

Our constitution is very clear about this:

Article I, Section 2:
The Representative Assembly shall serve for a term of six months. New RAs shall take office on 1 February and 1 August.

The RA is not dissolved when the polling starts.

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On Constitutional interpretation

Post by michelmanen »

This is your interpretation of what it says. I interpret it differently -since no legislature in a civilised country could possibly be in session during the time polls are open for its own re-election.

That being said, I acknowledge that here, as in other places, our constitution may be open to differing interpretations. Since CDS is based on a common law, parliamentary form of goverment, CARE will ensure, if elected, that such unfortunate situations will not arise again.

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Perspectives on debates

Post by michelmanen »

Publius,

CARE does indeed have its own perspective on how the debate went - and supports it with lengthy quotations from the various participants to justify its view. It has also published it for all to see on its website.

I suspect the other factions' perspectives on the debate might differ somewhat from ours ... :lol:

Michel

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Re: On Constitutional interpretation

Post by Jon Seattle »

[quote="michelmanen":1pqe3016]no legislature in a civilized country could possibly be in session during the time polls are open for its own re-election.[/quote:1pqe3016]
Oh my. But the legislature is in session in the USA. So, do you mean to imply that the US is not a civilized country?

If CARE does win seats in the RA and do not win three or more you will have to work with other parties to get anything done. Even if you somehow manage to elect three members your party will not be able to pass any constitutional amendment on its own. Burning all your bridges and alienating the members of the other three parties may not be the most effective strategy.

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On US legislatures and election results

Post by michelmanen »

Actually, it is not. It reconvenes after the elections. And this, for historical and geographic reasons having to do with the time it used to take new members of the legislature to arrive in DC from all corners of the US in the XVIIIth century. The fact that such archaic rules have not been changed in the US (and clearly do not apply in Westminster-style legislatures, where they are dissolved by the executive before the election campaign starts) does not mean we should blindly follow them even if we think they are wrong in principle and unnecessary in practice in our information age where time and space have entirely been transformed by an information and communications revolution which has made our own community, CDS, conceivable and possible in the first place.

As to your second comment, I have refrained from making any personal attacks or comments about individual candidates; my criticism hasa been directed solely at the RA as a legislative body and the actual or perceived behavior of its members [i:dba6vmdq]qua[/i:dba6vmdq] public officials representing all CDS citizens.

Finally, as to how many seats CARE may or may not get, that is not something for me - or anyone else- to presume. It is the sole prerogative of our citizens and I shall not anticipate or speculate on their individual decisions six days before the polls close.

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Re: On US legislatures and election results

Post by Diderot Mirabeau »

[quote="michelmanen":36ef1wq8]It is the sole prerogative of our citizens and I shall not anticipate or speculate on their individual decisions six days before the polls close.[/quote:36ef1wq8]
It seems to me to be something of that sort you do when you prominently declare [url=http://www.care-cds.com/successes.html:36ef1wq8]on your website[/url:36ef1wq8] that CARE "won the debate" yesterday. In fact I would consider such a statement somewhat of an insult of the intelligence of the voters considering that most of CARE's submission consisted of a [url=http://www.care-cds.com/candidates.html:36ef1wq8]copy and paste operation from their website[/url:36ef1wq8] and that anyone can freely peruse the publicly available [url=http://forums.neufreistadt.info/viewtop ... 8:36ef1wq8]transcript of the debate[/url:36ef1wq8] in order to make up their own informed decision on the matter.

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