| From: | "M. Kolar" <wddm(at)mkolar.org> |
|---|---|
| Date: | Fri, 15 Oct 2010 04:03:34 -0700 |
| Subject: | Re: Thoughts on WDDM rebirth! |
I waited for the answer of Mirek and I wonder why he
has not answered yet ( or maybe he answered only to you Lee?). In
any way we continue to exist thanks to his excellent efforts
to make _www.world-wide-democracy.net _
happen, after our 4^th WDDM Conference in Prague (2005). I I hope
all is ok Mirek with you!
I also agree with Lee’s remarks and I hope that we
will actually make a progress in Prague, as Jiri says!
In the meantime I propose Lee Gottlieb ( having been
impressed by his two books , that he offered me this summer in Las
Vegas) to be nominated as Coordinator of a contemporary WDDM
Coordinating Committee, consisting of the recipients of this
post and every other interested volunteerly , (including Ted Becker
and Senator Mike Gravel ) trying to implement a bottom up
structure in our Organisation, TEN YEARS AFTER OUR
ESTABLISHMENT IN Greece that failed to celebrate this jubilaeum
otherwise than our participation in the Global Forum of Direct
Democracy in San Fransisco! ( By the way have a look at my
speech there about Constitutions of Direct democracy that can
be watched in our site : www.dimopolis.gr <http://www.dimopolis.gr/> )
Let’s wait for the interest and ideas of everybody
in the wdddm list, as I take the Initiative to make this
dialogue known to everybody!
Best regards
*George L. Kokkas*
*N.G.O Forum for Citizens’ Democracy*
*Ippokratous str. 42 – GR-10680 Athens*
*Greece***
*Tel.: +30 21036**483**00 - Fax: +30 2103610882*
e-mail : geoko(at)otenet.gr
web: www.dimopolis.gr
<skype:geokolaw>
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*From:* Jiri Polak
*Sent:* Friday, October 08, 2010 8:08 PM
*To:* Lee Gottlieb; Miraslav Kolar
*Cc:* George Kokkas
*Subject:* Re: Thoughts
Lee,
I agree with your proposals. In practice, solutions to the problems
engendered by current systemss are awfully difficult to implement,
even if unassailable in theory. I hope that we can take a step in the
right direction in the Conference planned for 2011. This conference
has a better chance to succeed than the previous ones because of the
participation of Prof.Becker and the fact that it is meant to be
organized by the University of Prague. This will give it a dignity we
have not achieved until now. Needless to say I hope for your
participation. We plan June which gives us plenty of time to prepare
papers and concrete proposals. And we want to invite Lula da Silva...
Unlikely he would come? Certainly, but we can try nevertheless.
Miracles can happen
Sincerely, Jiri
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Lee Gottlieb
*To:* Miraslav Kolar
*Cc:* Jiri Polak <jiri.polak(at)swipnet.se> ; George Kokkas
<geoko(at)otenet.gr>
*Sent:* Friday, October 08, 2010 3:46 PM
*Subject:* Thoughts
Mirek,
I'm sending this to you, personally. Whether or not
you place it in a public area is up to you.
As I've been away for a bit, I've had to read
all of the messages to WDDM that I've missed.
It seems to me that WDDM has made but a little progress
since I was last active in the organization.
I'm not surprised, however, as the one important lesson
that I have learned in my own attempts to promote Direct
Democracy here in the U.S. is that although many people
recognize a problem in the way we humans organize our
governments, there are too damn many proposed solutions.
Sadly, few originators of a potential solution have been
willing to compromise with any other originator. I,
unfortunately, have been one of these stubborn people.
WDDM was born with great hopes of becoming a major force
in the creation of Earth democracies. I see no reason why
these hopes should die on the vine.
I recommend the WDDm Board of Directors study and consider
each and every possible suggestion ever offered as a solution
to the problems created by utilization of hierarchical
government. They should select the proposal most Board members
believe has the greatest potential for success in creating a
working DD, open the discussion on this particular proposal
to the general membership, and then advocate this DD system
to all people seeking a comparatively fair and peaceable system
of government. In this way, and only in this way, can WDDM
becomes a leader in the DD movement
----------
I've proposed a a solution to the American problem some of whose
benefits are described in the books "The Democracy That Never Was"
and "The Malfunctioning Animal." It's a fictional DD called
"America"that I would like both the Board of Directors of WDDM and
the general membership to consider as a possibility for a DD
prototype. But I am now prepared to compromise, if compromise
produces logically positive results.
The most serious objections (three) ever received about this
particular solution are:
First objection - that civic participation of every citizen in
fictional America is conceived as a duty and not a right, an
obligation and not a privilege. This also means voting every time
such a vote is relevant to an individual's life whether neighborhood,
city, regional, or national vote. Not voting because of laziness or
other priorities will deprive an American citizen one or more of
the automatic benefits bestowed upon participating citizens. This
slight social pressure guarantees that American citizens pay more
attention to the election process than do most U.S. citizens.
Second objection - is that some individuals believe the unbiased
and unplanned short term selection of participants in government
by a general lottery system is wrong as participants should be the
most talented and skilled in the needs of government. The problem
with this suggestion is that if adopted, it will eventually lead
to an oligarchy of talent, as opposed to an oligarchy of wealth
--with the eventual and identical abuse of the majority by the
minority.
Third objection - is that a government of the majority will abuse
minority rights. This viewpoint is based upon the behavior of French
commoners during the short, violent reign of the common majority
during the French Revolution. This has been repeatedly expressed by
members of the U.S. minority elite based upon the fear that once a
majority of commoners should gain control of government it will do
to the minority wealthy what minorities of wealthy citizens have been
doing to the majority of common citizen--everywhere and at all times--
for thousands of years.
Maybe so? But who among us is qualified to say that revenge of the
majority would be unjust and shouldn't be allowed to happen?
However, a properly structured Direct Democracy, such as fictional
America would make revengeful behavior unlikely.
My objection to all three of the above objections is that
inclusion of
any in a political system would create just another hierarchical,
top-to-bottom social structure. Imitating--and refining--my lead,
however, would create a true, bottom-to-top democracy, a self
government
in which all citizens participate in a fair, unbiased, unprejudiced
political system for the first time ever; a system designed to
give all
citizens a proper education; a system designed to spotlight lies and
false propaganda that would corrupt the intellectual and physical
behavior
of citizens; a system designed to help all citizens develop to the
higher
level--as all humans were born to develop.
Sincerely,
Lee Gottlieb
P.S. I'm sending copies of this proposal to George Kokkis and Jiri
Polak,
as I also want their thoughts on the matter.
----------------------------------
THE FUTURE SHALL BE WHATEVER
CURRENT GENERATIONS WILL IT TO BE!
American Institute of Direct Democracy
http://www.americaninstituteofdd.com