----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, August 21, 2009 9:47
PM
Subject: Re: [WDDM] Hello as a new
member.
>Hello Bill,
>It is good to have person like you
with an academic approach to the problem of ushering in true democracy. In
your web-site you have suggested 'A Model for a New Democratic Party'. It is
remarkable that the model you have outlined is almost the same as the one
that has evolved through the collective ideas of members of WDDM and posted
at the Voting System link on the home page of WDDM. Except for the
nomenclature.
>
>You have used the term 'new democratic party',
while the term 'Association of Independents' is used here. You have used
'special interest group' while 'political party' (funded by special interest
groups) is used here. You have called for 'the new democratic party' to fund
the election campaign of its candidates without relying on 'special interest
groups' while here it is proposed that the 'Association of Independents'
puts up its candidates against usual political parties and support their
election campaign.In addition there is asuggestion fora fair systemfor
selection of candidates, which is of crucial importance since otherwise
there would be no substantial difference from the usual political
parties..
>
>In fact there is so much of similarity that all the
15 features you have suggested for an 'Ideal Political Party' are already
present in the proposed 'Association of Independents'. You will agree that
the term Political party is to be avoided as it will cause confusion.
Besides there is no political ideology or line of thinking for the proposed
group. As you have said it is empirically based and simply reflects the true
wishes of the people.
>
>You may agree that a web platform for
such a group would be a good starting point to disseminate the values upon
which the group is founded. Your research papers reiterate the idea that an
ideal political system, free from the present party-based system,is
achievable.
>
>Regards and Best
Wishes.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Vijayaraghavan
P
>
>
>On Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:48:09 +0530
wrote
>>
Date: Mon, 22 Jun 2009
13:03:32-0700
6/22/09
Hello World Wide Democracy group
members:
I am a new member, BillMcConochie. I am a research
psychologist specializing for the past severalyears in political psychology
research. My findings and personalinclinations are very consonnant with
those of your organization. Ibelieve I could help you in several ways to
promote and realize your ultimategoal of advancing human civilization to
direct democracy forms ofgovernments. I will list some of these and await
your responses.Before I do that, let me share just a little more personal
background. Ihave a Ph.D., and 40 years of experience in clinical, I/O and
now politicalpsychology. I have created a non-profit corp. to publish my
research andconduct research over the Internet. I am a member of the
AmericanPsychological Assn, Div. 48 (Peace and Violence studies), the
InternationalSociety of Political Psychology, and the Oregon Psychological
Assn. Ipresent papers at the annual meetings of ISPP. I will present one
inDublin in July (09).
How I might be able to help you:
1. I have research findings that strongly supporthuman
desire for government serving them as members of the community overallrather
than as members of special interest groups. This sort of data, ofwhich I
have much, can support your efforts, giving them an empirical and notjust
ideological grounding.
2. I have developed a reliable and valid scale
formeasuring the warmongering-proness of political leaders, and have another
oneready for validation measuring constructive leadership traits. These
canbe used by the media to help inform voters re: what elected officials are
likelyto promote.
3. I have designed a working model for a
politicalparty whose platform is based on member (citizen) polls of what
they wantgovernment to provide (policies and programs).
4. Sophisticated public polls on details of
policyissues can be conducted to create the platform for such a party (and
for yourorganization). They in effect pool all citizen opinions to create
acurrent empirical definition of the common good. Your organization
couldconduct such polls and publish the findings to inform nations and the
world re:what citizens want from government. This can help pressure
standinggovernments to perform more appropriately and empower political
parties thatwant to represent the common good (such parties, I recommend,
should be fundedentirely with member dues, no special interest group
money).Suchpartieswould fund the campaigns of their candidates for elective
office aswell, keeping their elected candidates independent of the
contaminatinginfluence of special interest group money.
5. You could help me by having students and
othergroups, e.g. church groups, fill out my research questionnaires, which
areonline at my web site.
6. Together we could thus continue the research
thatcan give empirical grounding to your movement and perfect the public
pollsnecessary to operationalize public democracy, defining policy via
citizenvotes.
This is enough for anintroduction. Please visit my web
site to read various research and essayarticles under the Publications
page.Politicalpsychologyresearch.com.
I look forward to hearingresponses.
Best regards,Bill
McConochie
Much about politics originates
in our minds;
>>Understanding our minds explains much
about politics.