Re: WDDM: Regarding setting up of a web platform for 'Independents'

[Antonio Rossin <rossin(at)tin.it>]

vijayaraghavan.p(at)rediffmail.com ha scritto:
> Hello AnRossin:
>
> While seeking to usher in Democracy in the true sense of the word it is more important to raise the level of awareness of the majority of
> the population about the practicability and the need for it, than trying to devise the exact mechanism of it, which can vary from place
> to place and can always be improved upon.
Dear Vijayaraghavan

I do not understand well. While I agree about the practicability
and the need for Democracy, it seems to me that these values too
can vary from place to place according with local people's culture
and history, and can alwais be improved upon.


> It is proposed that a 'Association of Independents Web Platform' be set up by the WDDM to facilitate this raising of awareness by
> performing the following functions, while acting as a nidus for action on the ground, throughout the world:
> 1) To face political parties, which have failed to provide True Democracy, by putting up candidates on an independent basis during
> elections. This can be done by choosing from (among the willing) members of various electoral constituencies registered on the platform,
> through a fair process (eg. Triplet system).
Here I am skeptical.  Here, usually the willing members gather under
the umbrella of a political party. Otherwise they fear from sharing-in.
Political parties set up the lists of candidates. I don't see any way to
break such a social arrangement - though I don't know what your
"Triplet system" stands for, please explain me how it works.

> 2) To familiarize the people about the procedures of Initiative and Referendum by practising the same on the Platform with respect to
> issues concerning their places of living (Citizen's Forum). When the independent candidates put up by the platform successfully enter the
> legislative bodies, the I&R results of the platform can actually influence the government of the day.

Here in my country we have no chance for Initiative and Referendum.
Notice that I have spread a small newspaper here, gratis ie at no cost
for people but entirely paid by me, calling the citizens to mail a letter
with their opinions-requirements-protests.  Actually a Citizen's Forum.
I've got back two letters only, in three months!  Notice that next June
we will have the administrative elctions here, and there are four lists of
12 candidates each, 48 people out from a citizenry of three thousands
people. Absolute craziness. Two lists will win, the first winner puts 8
candidates and the mayor into the 12 members of town councillorship,
the second gains 4 members, third and fourth lists will get no councillor.
The electoral law, and the Constitution Law in its whole, is at hands of
the Representative Democracy members, ie political parties.

On this basis, making independent candidates enter the legislative body
looks like a dream of Alice in wonderland.

> 3) To educate the younger generations (through the above two processes) about the possibility of a New Political System that stands for
> the best of values: freedom of expression, equality of all and the people becoming their own masters, not subjected to any ideology or
> line of thinking.
>
> While it is important to continue discussions as at present to deepen our understanding about various issues, it is crucial that a
> workable plan is put in place as soon as possible since forces opposed to True Democracy would otherwise become more dominant than ever
> before in these times of moral, economic and social crises.
>
> A VOTE HAS BEEN SET UP UNDER THE VOTING SYSTEM OF THE SITE FOR MEMBERS TO GIVE THEIR OPINION ON THIS.
I am quite reluctant to vote on such issues.  The reason is, I don't see
why or
how my vote in the site could or should influence any genuine democrat who
wants to try local ways to implement democracy .  I don't want to encroach
from WDDM top-down any local attempt to implement democracy on the
local territory, to wit, directly.  I am no expert of voting systems -
and yet I
welcome any expert who draws and suggests a voting method to WDDM for
placing it at the disposal of whoever local DD activist who wants to improve
the political arrangement of his-her town according with DD principles.

Let me be even clearer:  in my humble opinion, it is not the WDDM members
who have to select the best voting system.  It is the local DD activist
who has
to choose the DD tools, voting systems etc, that is fitter (in his-her
experienced
opinion) to the local territory he-she addresses.

Thus, IMHO, the task of WDDM is not that of deciding by vote the best DD
voting system and similar DD issues.  The task of WDDM is that of
collecting
DD proposals and alike issues having some DD relevance, giving them
visibility
and putting them at everybody's free disposal.  Period.

I thank the WDDM web-master for accomplishing this task excellently.

I take the liberty to CC this discussion exchange to WDDM list because
I think it useful to increase the overall understanding of  DD .


Best regards

antonio
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