We know what the problems are, though. We don't really need a public brainstorming session. Most of us have our ideas of what the issues are, and what we would like to propose to fix it. It's just better if we huddle in our own corners, come up with drafts, then come together to see what we've come up with.

Having these grand debates over big abstract issues has never helped us resolve them. It's easier for people to just write a proposal, then debate those specifics, than to try to cobble together a proposal based on a huge debate.

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Well then please, share what the overarching problems are because I'm not nearly as bright.

Why do we have toxic arguments? Why do people feel excluded? Why do we feel like things can't change?

These aren't minor issues and I'm not nearly self absorbed enough to think I know all the problems, causes or solutions.

A good example of this in practice was Hile and your charge that our system was too unable to change. So, we crafted legislation to make the Charter easier to change. Which, we are in the process of working with. That's the type of discussions we. Should be having -- not having sweeping change because we want sweeping change. Sweeping change to fix the problems we agree we have.

Actually, I'll take this one step farther and say that having proposals without discussing the underlying assumptions is one reason for this toxicity. We don't know who's pushing what and why, so we're able to fill in the blanks with the some undesirable qualities.

I think knowing the thought process will go a long way toward bringing people together.

-tsunamy
[forum admin]

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Our broad problems are:

1. Admins being involved in political processes.

2. Centralization of power in the Cabinet.

3. Unclear laws regarding the forums themselves.

Those are the biggest problems we have to fix.

The rest of the convention is an opportunity for change. Improvements to the LC. Maybe introducing a bicameral legislature. Your own permanent Delegate idea. These aren't really things that will "fix" the direct legal causes of the coup (which is what we should call it!), but are different ideas for bettering the community.

The problem I have with your idea that we need to have a debate on what the problems are is that it's not like nobody knows. People have opinions already! We've been discussing this stuff since the forum coup, and then all throughout the regional coup. A public brainstorming session is just going to devolve into people arguing over their disagreements of what they think is wrong. A lot of us already have proposals -- just like you do! So we can skip the unnecessary fighting over abtracts, and start debating actual proposed laws.

Personally, I think searching for structural solutions to toxicity is a fools errand. Some people are just toxic and don't care if it causes problems for the region. Some people just don't like each other, and changing laws isn't going to make anybody get along. If anybody thinks this convention is going to result in a kumbaya moment, I think they'll be really disappointed. What we *can* do with our laws is make it so the system still works when people have intractable personal or political disagreements.


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