(02-06-2017, 06:23 PM)sandaoguo Wrote: Political parties have nothing to do with the state of TSP's activities, and I'm not sure anybody has ever argued otherwise before.

Whether naysayers like it or not, friends will band together to get things done. When they make that a more formal organization, it's called a political party. We can't ban them and remain a democracy. Before parties, people made all the same claims as they do now: if you're so-and-so's friend, you have a COI; if you're talking behind the scenes about elections and coming up with strategies, you're a secretive cabal engaged in corrupt dealings. The tirade Belschaft went on this morning had happened before and it'll happen again. Today the accusations are leveled against APC/TIL. Two years ago, it was #LampshadeBar.

Those who don't benefit from these groups of friends, or find themselves in opposition to them, cry corruption. It's the same old story of so many past elections. The only difference is that you can name the boogeyman.


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As the person who initially proposed the current setup, whether I stated it or not, the idea was to hopefully increase activity. (This was also the idea by asking TIL to move back to our forums from the secretive offsite forums that had been set up.) I wouldn't have proposed the current structure otherwise.

I'm also not accepting your cynicism here. Or even your unrepentant attitude, to be frank. I'm trying to keep this civil, but your candidate pulled out because he didn't like the way the parties were going along here. As such, I think you need to do some soul searching if you're happy being part of a "secretive cabal engaged in corrupt dealings" and think that should be an everyday occurrence in this region.