More On Democracy

If you hold the opinion that having to pay to vote — i.e. pay membership dues to an organization in order to hold a franchise within that organization — isn't really "democracy," I'm going to have a very difficult time holding a coherent debate with you. If you claim that any voluntary organization that isn't a nation-state can't possibly be a "democracy," because all "democracies" allow everyone to vote, we're not on the same page. In fact, we may not even be in the same library.

My mind boggles at being told that voluntary organizations that govern themselves by democratic principles aren't "really" democracies, and that "real" democracy requires that anyone, anywhere, anytime, under any circumstances, must be allowed free, unfettered access to any franchise whatsoever. How in the world did people get this cockeyed viewing of how the world works?

If any of you happen to be reading this, I suggest you actually read Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, or at least the foreword, which is only about 25 pages long and explains the history of how Major (later General) Robert came to write a book on voluntary deliberative assemblies and governance structures. I consider Robert's to be the technical manual of democracy. If you think "democracy" is "everyone, anytime, anywhere, and always free, and never with any responsibility," then you've only been reading the sales brochures.

Suddenly, I'm a Nevadan

My plan was to deal with the mechanics of establishing formal Nevada residency in a couple of weeks when I'll be here again, but after working until 2 AM last night to hit a deadline, I found myself able to quit for the week after lunch, and decided that I might as well do the work now. After all, there's a chance I might be too busy to afford the time on a weekday the next time I'm at home.

( A Quick Trip and a Big Change For Me )

So after a couple of hours of paperwork, I suddenly found myself a resident of a state other than California for the first time in my life. It's a little unsettling in a way, although I've known it was coming for at least a year now.