suggestions about the bylaw changes
Saturday May 26, @07:07PM, by Neil Brick
Subject : Structure
from the bylaw changes dept.
Summary :
Disagree with change 2 and 6
Text :
Dear List,

I disagree with change 2 because I strongly believe in consensus, where no one is left behind. If 30% percent of the people disagree with a decision, then there is no consensus. All decisions should make all voters happy. Voters should know they should "stand aside" if the issue isn't crucial to them and they are one of the few disagreeing.

I disagree with change 6 because a smaller committee puts the power into the hands of only a few people. This is the problem with the U.S. right now. Isntead of having a democracy, we have an oligarchy.


Neil Brick, Easthampton, Mass.
Reply

• Re: suggestions about the bylaw changes
  Monday May 28, @06:08PM Monday May 28, @06:08PM, by Gil Obler
  I just am not sure which change 2 and 6 you mean.
  
  In whose posting?
  
  FYI, it is easier in such cases if you reply to the posting that you are replying to rather than open up a new document.
  
  However, if you simply clarify what you are responding to then that can work also.
  Reply
  
  
• Re: suggestions about the bylaw changes
  Monday May 28, @11:19PM Monday May 28, @11:19PM, by Neil Brick
  Hi !
  
  I am replying to the mailing sent out by the Mass
  Greens with the suggested bylaw changes.
  
  Neil Brick
  
  > Disagree with change 2 and 6
  > I just am not sure which change 2 and 6 you mean.
  >
  > In whose posting?
  >
  > FYI, it is easier in such cases if you reply to the posting that you are replying to rather than open up a new document.
  >
  > However, if you simply clarify what you are responding to then that can work also.
  Reply
  
  
• Re: suggestions about the bylaw changes
  Saturday June 02, @11:07AM Saturday June 02, @11:07AM, by Dan Keshet
  On concensus:
  
  You seem to have two different issues here:
  
  1) We should not use percentages; we should strictly use concensus.
  
  and
  
  2) If we do use percentages, the threshold should be higher than 2/3.
  
  Am I summarizing you right?
  
  On point 1: We do use concensus as our procedure; we just have a fallback to a vote. There are some issues where we truly do disagree quite a bit; if we don't have a procedure to figure out what's acceptable to most of the people there, the decision will get taken away from the people and put in the hands of whoever's deciding between Congresses. "Tyranny of structurelessness" and all that...
  
  On point 2: Maybe you're right. 2/3 is an arbitrary number. To me, there are two countervailing forces: you don't want a majority to be able to override the opinion of a minority, but you also don't want a small minority to be able to hijack the process in order to move it into another process where they have more favorable conditions. Is 2/3 the right number? I don't know. If it's not, I guess we'll have to amend it.
  
  Just my 2 cents,
  
  DanKeshet
  Reply