video

[highhealplz]

Hi! Hi again, to people I know already, hello for the first time, to anyone I haven't met yet. I'm Ashraf Salib, one of the heads of the clinic, high priest, snazzy dresser… [ He waves a hand. ] General things like that.

So, I'll get straight to the point. In the wake of the mutiny, I've seen a lot of talk on the network that I haven't seen before. Establishing a code of conduct, uniting… there was even some discussion of who you personally look to as a leader. Whatever your opinion of the mutiny may be, you have to admit that it's sparked some new subjects for us. And I'd say they're things we've been needing to talk about.

It isn't just a matter of wresting control from the Initiative, I think that was overly hasty and shortsighted. I think what we should be looking at is how to take control of ourselves. We're a really big group up here, with over three-hundred of us. That's a lot of voices to be heard at once, especially when none of them have much in the way of a recognized authority.

So, I think that should change.

My suggestion would be a council, voted on by the entire Transport body from a number of nominations. The people that we most trust are the ones we should have speaking for us — deciding for us. Because someone needs to. That we're still locked in this base after over two months up here should be evidence enough that it's difficult to achieve much of anything with no one calling the shots.

I've got some specific ideas about the organization of this council, which I wrote down and can attach here, but I want to hear from you. How should we organize ourselves? How can we decide who to listen to? This won't work if we don't all agree to it, and we need to agree on something. We're in a precarious position up here that frankly can't last, and it's past time that we take it into our own hands to change that.

{attached: councilnotes.txt}

Choosing Council Members
- 11 members total, to allow for tie-breaking (do we need more?)
- Members should be elected from nominations (should it take 2 votes to nominate? maybe 3…)
- Every 3-4 months (more often? less?) we vote again, which is meant to keep our current members or replace them with new ones

Council Voting
- Anyone can propose an issue to the Council for voting
- Voting on routine issues should be monthly
- Emergency issues should have immediate votes

Potential Issues
- Being sent home by the Transporter! Members can be replaced in the quarterly(?) election, but if the group falls under a certain number (7?), we can hold an emergency election
- Decisions made the majority doesn't agree with: should a majority vote in the Transport population overturn a Council decision? Or only make the Council revote after open debating of it?
- What if someone is nominated and voted in, but unwilling to take the position?
- What should be done with those who refuse to acknowledge the authority of a Council?
- What boundaries can be placed on what the Council has the power to decide on, to avoid a tyranny of the majority?
- Can we perform audits, to be sure our Council members aren't becoming corrupt?

Suggestions received so far:
- Designated seats for established groups? DITR, clinic, non-humans, etc. This would assure they're given a voice, respectively as experts and those with different values
- Nominations should fit an agreed-upon criteria
- Background checks should be run before a Council member is accepted
- A 60% vote by the Transport population can overrule a Council decision
- Should voting on Council members be mandatory? We want as varied a vote as possible, but uninformed votes are worse than fewer votes
- Elections could run on cycles, replacing (or keeping) only 3-4 Council members at a time
- Pending return to Exsilium, this should be used as a civilian council, and a military council can be arranged as well
- A code of conduct: no one can be tried for a crime committed at home


red = ideas recently added from this post, thank you to everyone for them!

Comments

[legal_eagle]

I really doubt I'll be an asset

vanadi, who's that, sounds like a jackass

[highhealplz]

It could be, if we asked people to just point to whoever they most liked. But we can establish a criteria of requirements for nominations. For example, how willing people are to discuss ideas and compromise, rather than just fight to have their way.

[highhealplz]

Well, there's going to be some arguing — [ He smiles. ] But that's the point.

It's been mentioned that we could have a criteria of guidelines for nominees. For example, we ask people to nominate those they feel are willing to listen and compromise, or, for example, keep the bigger picture in mind.

[fintastic]

But if someone is going to represent a group, shouldn't it be who that group wants to represent them? Who can represent their interests best?

[highhealplz]

Actually, there's a great discussion regarding that right, uh... hang on... here. [ attachment! ] We definitely do want representation from non-humans, but deciding how is going to be tricky. It looks like the first stage is just tallying them.

VIDEO

[tilallisoverused]

Ugh, politics. If I wanted to deal with this I would have stayed on Cybertron.

[highhealplz]

The DITR, the clinic, possibly the Welcoming Committee, and, somehow, non-humans. We're still not sure on how to arrange that last one, because that's an incredibly varied population. But that we do want to hear their voices is a fact.

[highhealplz]

Hey, these are good ideas — I'll see what I can do about arranging a Transport-wide survey, and we can go from there.

[ensorceler]

[ Oh look she's associated with all three in one way or another! How convenient. ]

It will be difficult to make sense of rules and laws when so many come from such varied kingdoms and religions. I pray it possible, for the sake of the peoples and an end to this war.

[highhealplz]

[ "I'll be" instead of "I'd be"
:')))) ]

you will be. thank you.

[wilder]

Sounds good to me!

[highhealplz]

[ oh you bet he's taking notes, as soon as Kang says he's been here before

it takes him a while to take all of it down, but once he does: ]

These are fantastic ideas, thank you. [ a warm smile! ] I especially like the parts about vetoes — I'd only just barely started into that area, in my exploration of this whole thing. And the idea of a civilian council — I guess that's what this is by default. Once we get back down to Exsilium and return to the war properly, we might see about setting up another council specifically for battle decisions.

Anyway, again, thank you. I'm definitely going to have a lot more questions for you, once I've thought things through more.

[charming_jerk]

yeah cuz i mean

we change time and rewrite history, and the Initiative and the locals wouldn't remember

but we will

things will be always be different for us so a way to deal with that. i know there's not a lot of us who wanna stay or can't leave, but i know it's a lot more than just me

[highhealplz]

Well, then there's another benefit for you! With a Council, we'd be able to get you back to Cybertron a lot faster.

[legal_eagle]

For what

[governorkang]

I can answer questions about the setup of my own nation's government as well, though I doubt most of it is relevant. As the Lord-Governor, I had a big hand in forming it.

i know right, Fuck That Guy.

[biwinning]

...

Fine, okay, tho thay your idea doeth work. And maybe I'll go along with it. But I have one request.

No Queens. Patht, present, or future.

[highhealplz]

A lot of people would. The DITR does good work, but they only relay messages. It's time for something bigger than that.

I'm still divided about involuntary nominees. I'm not sure that someone unwilling would do a good job, but... if they get enough votes of support to actually have a seat on the Council, then that means a lot of people think otherwise. So, I can't answer that one yet, but it's definitely being considered.

About replacing people pulled away, I'm not confident that that would work. Situations change, and someone that was seen fit for a seat might not still be seen that way a month or two down the line. And if we're voting in an emergency, then that factors in, too. Maybe the person you voted for last time would have handled the issues from back then just fine, but not this new one. [ He pauses, then smiles, self-depreciating in it. ] Or maybe I'm over complicating. If it's a big enough emergency that there's no time to vote, your solution would be a great fallback measure.

[khajidont]

I bet the AI will be able to separate the messages by which tablet they were sent from. All that should be left to do after that is getting some people who are willing to do a whole lot of reading.

[encharrneered]

With the ears? Do you know how many people here have ears?

[ Scoffing, but moving on. ]

They aren't wrong, but something is better than nothing. It's not like any one human represents all humans, either, right? Or are you all really that damn dull? [ Huff. They probably are. ] Try to cover every base and you run out of people. All I know is I'm not likely to bring grievances to a wholly human anything. It'd only end with violence. Whether or not that's true for anyone else, I sure don't know.

[highhealplz]

That's true, and it's a really good question.

In the first place, I would want to know why they don't want to follow the decision made, and who else feels that way. If the majority of Transports disagree, then there's definitely something wrong, and maybe it's not a decision they should be following. Kang mentioned a system he used once allowed for a 60% majority vote to overturn a Council decision, and that doesn't sound like a bad idea.

On the other hand, if it's just one or two people disagreeing... well, they might be the ones that need to change, instead.

[highhealplz]

[ he smiles at that ]

It's not going to be a monarchy, I promise. We'd have too many royals vying for a position, in that case.

[tilallisoverused]

How? Not that I want to go back there either, but aren't we stuck here until the Initiative can figure out a way to send us back?

[firstroar]

The challenge lies in finding members that can touch on the desires of all present, and, where necessary, comfortably persuade compromise where it is necessary, but not comfortable.
It is not a challenge that should be balked from, however. You are right; our numbers are large. We will struggle more and more to remain unified to the degrees we must to thrive.

[audio]

[shelkethetransparent]

How would you deal with people who do not appreciate or acknowledge the authority of the group you are trying to create?