Hi Michael,
Thanks for the email.
I have the book in word format and will complete it over the
holidays.
Please search for xx for my comments.
Regards
Jim Powell
From: Doug Everingham
[dnevrghm(at)powerup.com.au]
Sent: 19 Dec 2007 10:05 AM
To: wddm@world-wide-democracy.net
Cc: mochelle(at)acenet.net.au; rossin(at)tin.it
Subject: Re: [WDDM] Book Review
Michael,
I've copied extracts from the text of your attachment and inserted comments
marked DE: ... – DE.
Sorry that I had time for only the first few pages, so have erased most of your
message.
– Doug
====
Chapter I: Democracy Fundamentals.................................................................................
5
Chapter II: Direct Democracy and the need for national
law............................................ 43
Chapter III: Economic Infrastructure and the evolution of the modern
state.................... 89
Chapter IV: Law Enforcement and the National
Military............................................... 132
Chapter V: World Peace and the preservation of cultural
identity.................................. 167
The Starting line…. Ready, Get Set,
Go….....................................................................
214
Chapter I
Democracy Fundamentals
...
... Democracy in its elemental form relies on the common people, to affect the
minds of the many individuals, expecting them to make the right, correct
decisions for their society. When you understand this, then
you know that voting is a privilege, not a right. That is, it is
not a privilege based on land ownership, wealth, or power, but rather it is
based on maturity and character. As we look at the first of these
elements, maturity, we understand that there are individuals that are not yet
ready for this responsibility, because they have not reached an age of more
mature understanding. Xx I view voting as a right,
not a privilege. The only criteria should be age and citizenship. Anything else
is open to manipulation.
A young child can be taught many things, but until he has reached an age of
mental maturity, it may be difficult for him to understand theoretical concepts
about policies of government. Similarly, in much the same way, a child
needs its parents in order to survive, learn, and grow to a certain age when it
is ready to move out into this world on its Think of it in these
terms: if one were to remove a six-year-old from his or her home--its
nest, so to speak, known from its earliest childhood, then the child most
assuredly would not survive on his own.
We also understand that different individuals mature at different rates.
Therefore the freedom to alter or make alterations to one’s society
depends on a person’s maturity to leave the nest and fly on one’s
own. Yet as foundations of any government are developed, one cannot say
with certainty, when, exactly, some particular person has reached a general
state of maturity. Thus, we need some standard, practical form of
measurement that will show when and if an individual has reached a general
level of maturity, a point at which that person will be responsible and fully
accountable for the decisions that will change, alter, and guide society.
After all, if you ask a six-year-old boy if he is ready to be a man, if he is
anything like the children I have known, he will always say that he is totally
ready and eager to do just that, but the reality is a different story. So
then, for every goal we want to achieve, we need to develop practical
application guidelines including whatever is necessary in order to achieve that
goal.
... n has reached this stage of development at the point of gaining
full-time employment, attending college, or moving out of the parental
nest. We can say this because each one of these achievements in its own
way promotes responsibility, courage, and self-reliance ... . People with
drug and other addictions or certain abnormal mental conditions (depending on
there severity), may definitely need help from their society ... the hope is
that with time and the right treatment they will one day be able to leave ..
drawing a distinction between those in society that have been forced to deal
with their dependency issues through government law enforcement, such as,
drinking and driving apart from those people who voluntarily, courageously seek
self-help. Xx Should not be a criteria to
deny a vote. This would skew the poorer being less able to defend themselves against
accusations
... At the age of eighteen, in most cases, a person is no longer tried in court
as a child, ... can now join the military, attend jury service, or even
vote. Also, a parent is no longer required by law to provide food and
shelter to a person eighteen years of age or older. .... Maturity,
by definition, should be determined by an action, or a series of actions, or
other character-driven events. ... an earned privilege rather than an
automatic entitlement, as proven historically, creates a powerful incentive for
good behavior, which is then manifested by positive practical results.
Unfortunately, there are persons in society that have proven by their criminal
acts that they have not earned the privilege of being a part of society’s
decision making processes. This is not to say that they are
unintelligent, but often their energy and purposes are not aimed at bettering
our society, but rather, through deceptive manipulations to build a lesser
subculture that they imagine will further their own selfish endeavors and
ends. Instead of being straight, positive contributors, their parasitic
distortions turn aside the general good.... On the other hand, people can
be--and sometimes are--imprisoned for intentionally violating laws they see as
unjust.... xx Society is partly judged by the way
in which they treat their prisoners. It is right that their freedom should be
taken away, not their right to effectively express their dissatisfaction. Give
them the right to vote so that they have access to political representatives.
Due to the essential significance of this exception, and others as well, any
failures, even to a small extent, in how matters are set up for law-creation in
this better system of government—law-creation being the core element in
any attempt for direct democracy--could undermine or erode, dissolve the whole
system. Therefore, the essential freedoms and civil liberties of
the average person, the “man on the street,” should be the cornerstone
of any attempt at direct democracy as a form of government. All we have
presently done is to set in place the natural boundaries in society on who
should participate in the law-creation process. The first of these
boundaries, then, is maturity, such that for a person to be able to fly, he or
she must have the maturity to leave the nest. The second, after this
“bird” has left the nest, it can spread its wings and fly on its
own, while at the same not abuse anyone someone else’s right to life on
the wing.
...
DE: You seem to have omitted the definition of the second boundary. DE.
...
For practical reasons there must also be a third boundary. To participate
in any democratic form of government, people must be citizens, either through
birth or immigration, ...
A republic as a form of government, unlike a direct democracy, produces a
fourth boundary ... it relies on elected persons known as representatives
to represent the will of the people from the city or town where they were
elected. But when the elected representative fails to see his or her
constituents as persons, each with different needs and values, and starts
seeing them instead as a whole body of people to be represented, then the core
uniqueness and creativity inherent within each and every one of us--at least in
practical political terms--is lost. ... a person has to communicate by
going to the representative and telling that person one’s opinions
... hoping that the elected representative acts, sometime soon, on those
concerns ...
Does the core dream and passion in your representative’s heart have the
same scope, uniqueness, and creativity as your own? ... it is a
representative’s soul responsibility is to represent these people.
... Democracies of ancient Greece, ... citizens had the ability to totally
alter the government’s design and structure, ... options could be chosen
at any given meeting, decisions often were made rashly, ... Quiet,
physically weak, or shy people would feel intimidated, ... Madison once
said:
Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have
ever been found incompatible with personal security, or the rights of property;
and have in general, been as short in their lives as they have been violent in
their deaths.
... The issue with direct democracy from the republicans
(i.e., those who favor instead the republic form of government), is the notion
that direct democracy means rule by the mob. ...
We could all agree, I think, that good decisions are based on sound data and
research, which is then considered carefully, with all the time necessary, in a
safe, unthreatening environment. ...
... democratic institutions of government began to form that to some degree
addressed the challenges faced by those first democracies. ...to place
state and local propositions on the ballot. ... town hall meetings, to
peaceably assemble, and to petition ... freedom of religion, freedom of speech,
freedom of the press
... . Propositions, by their design and structure, place more emphasis
upon the individual and less emphasis on the group decision-making
process. This meant ... the monumental task of collecting enough
ratifying signatures from the people in his county, city, or state. Then
there are the months of decision-making time and debate within the electorate
before the vote...: (1) the writing of proposals, (2) the prioritizing of
proposals, and (3) the passage of law. ... analyze each element by itself
and also in that way better able to amplify the goals that they are attempting
to achieve. Also, we can understand better why the failure of the first
democracies to separate these processes into their separate, constituent parts
lead to their downfall.
... we must begin by narrowing a single person’s focus. ...s.
The first kind of research is that conducted by one person. The second kind of
research is that conducted by a group. The third involves learning from
the wisdom of others. ...
... let’s consider ..., after collecting a thousand (or many
thousands of) signatures, a challenge with, or much-needed improvement to, the
proposition for the ballot is discovered. At this point it is too late
... the person or persons who develop proposals must reach what we may refer to
as completion of thought, before the signature- gathering process needed
to place the proposal on the ballot. To do this, we can further divide
the proposal-writing element into its constituent subcomponents. The
first subcomponent is the original idea or the spark of insight in which the
proposal has its beginning. The second subcomponent is the research done
on an individual level or though a group to develop and completely cultivate
the original idea. After everyone in the group—which is to be made
up of at least five cosponsors--believes that they have reached a conclusion,
or the individual studying on his own has successfully petitioned (for
example) a hundred individuals in favor of a proposal, either the group
or the individual may then take their idea to the governing body, such as city
hall.
...
DE: This panel of 5 seems to me too arbitrary. Less fixed numbers are typically
developed by nested networks of stakeholders in management and representation
as documented by www.sociocracy,biz, Shann Turnbull etc. – DE. Xx This would help with the quality of the proposal, but
should not be a hindrance.
...
... it is important that a nonpartisan individual or group look over the
proposals submitted to note areas of concern or areas of the proposal that need
clarification. It is also important that these nonpartisan (xx open to manipulation) individuals have some
background knowledge about the issues under discussion.... A natural
choice might often be the college and university system.
... . We started with an idea. We conducted research on that idea
by ourselves, individually, or we did so as a part of a group. Then we
had an independent observer (xx who decides who is
independent?) critique the idea presented, and offer advice, until we
had refined the proposal to the point that we were prepared to defend it in
debate. In society at large the most professionally polished individuals
for debate are generally lawyers, and their usual forum is the courtroom.
Historically trials are designed around the supposed guilt or presumed
innocence of an individual, business, or government entity. The type of
“trial” that I now propose is a trial of ideas, and it takes place
between the individual or group who developed the proposal, the District
Attorney, and twelve “jurors” selected at random from the
community1. This final element I call Causa Enim Novo, which is a
Latin term meaning Case for Change, but the phrase could also be
translated as Cause for Invention. Xx Do
not agree with this. Let the voters decide
...
DE: Part of this process or something similar emerges with
"ombudsman" or administrative review tribunals, but like the 5-member
panel I think more internal and external checks and balances along the lines of
sociocracy, ESOPs and the MCC (Mondragon Corporacion Cooperativa) are more
flexible and 'organically' integrated with rule-making and implementing groups.
– DE.
...
The signature-gathering process as it stands has a second real challenge.
...
.
In the first element, the writing of proposals, we set about to find and
establish ways to amplify the effectiveness of the way the proposals are to the
general public. In so doing we limited the number of proposals in
circulation while not limiting anyone that was really committed to the
law-creating process. At the end of the process we left the
signature-gather requirement needed to a jury of twelve individuals.
Using the jury option also allows us to winnow out proposals with merit that
show potential or promise and will most likely be supported by the community.
(xx The only criteria should be number of votes on
the petition) Using the Internet, it is possible to let the general
public submit their signature to any proposal that received an equal or
majority vote from the “Causa Enim Novo” trial.
Remember, this is different from the final voting, which is the last element we
have yet to discuss. Effectively through this online forum any person can
look at the proposals that are available in their community and place their
signature next to the ones they wish to see on the ballot. There is no
need to be online all the time, and yet this method has the same strengths of
the Internet in that one may look at the proposals available and submit
one’s signature to the proposals that look good. This brings
a democratic system of government right into your life, right where you
live. In some small but significant way it also puts the responsibility
of government into each person’s hands but without the feeling of being
compelled to stay online all the time to participate. Beyond that, it
provides each one with the ability to review, study, and research each
proposal, according to the need. Finally, there is something else this method
does as well. For those who are shy and introverted, they have the power
to submit their own proposal, provided that their proposal received a majority
vote from a jury of their peers. Then their idea will be placed online
and they can let the idea speak for itself.
...
DE: The internet is developing a method of collating, merging, sifting,
modifying and feedback of proposals.
[In my case if 60 emails arrive today I an likely to erase 10 due to lack of
time or lack of sympathy with the listed sender or subject, then read in some
detail statements circulated to discussion or action groups which include me as
a communicator or member, then relay or revise material for relaying to groups
that I hope will be interested, Eventually I may include among these specialist
addresses gathering petitions, updating specialized news topics etc.] –
DE.
...
...t we must also provide ways for allowing the law to be expanded beyond these
bounds ... perhaps nationwide.
...
DE: And world wide for justice and environmental issues straddling borders.
– DE.
...
... allowing other communities to place the proposal on the ballot for their
different communities with only a small fraction of the number of required
signatures
...
=================
I'm sorry,
Xx How do these proposals compare with the Swiss system?
Regards
Jim Powell