[governance] Re: [IRPCoalition] [bestbits] Time-sensitive: 24 hour sign on period for ITU Plenipot joint recommendations

[michael gurstein]

Jeremy, 

 

As you and perhaps everyone well knows I have for several years both via these email lists and my blog been asking for a definition of “MSism”, each time getting a reply somewhat parallel to Gene’s trivial response “Yes, I am very busy making public declarations as appropriate on important matters.  And I'm sure I and many others will address this issue when we see the right time and place to do so.” 

 

And I realize how important you are and how valuable your time is but surely since this has been a dominant meme and priority initiative for you and other elements of CS for several years some type of definition would be appropriate and surely sometime over those last few years there would have been a “right time and place” to give that definition!

 

And it’s not as though this is an inconsequential issue—it involves replacing Democracy as the aspirational model of governance that has been in place for several thousand years and has captured the loyalty, passion and aspirations of millions of people worldwide—take a look at what is happening right today in Hong Kong--with a will-o’-the-wisp undefined gleam in someone’s eye whose provenance seems to be the corporate elite dominated World Economic Forum and whose major cheerleaders appear to be the completely public interest seeking US State Department.

 

As for my definition of MSism as governance by a self-selected elite, it is based on my experience and analysis as extensively documented in my blog (and as confirmed by several of the contributors to this thread).  I’ll be pleased to be persuaded otherwise as to this definition but simply rejecting it without argument is equally trivial.

 

BTW, I’m still waiting for any of the distinguished IG CS leaders to publicly avow or disavow themselves of either Siva’s notion that MSism is an evolutionary “replacement?” for democracy or Suresh’s definition of “stakeholder” as consisting of those with a “stake” i.e. those who have actively contributed to the object of the governance process—as defined of course by the beneficiaries of these processes.  (This it might not be noted and not incidentally is directly parallel to the argument currently being made against democratic governance in Hong Kong by C.J. Leung on behalf of the ruling cadres of the PRC).

 

Silence, even by those who insist on being silent in their silence, is a very telling and significant statement in a context such as this one. What it says is that we can’t or don’t need to give a definition—we can proceed without one because we have power, wealth and influence on our side—no one can make us, or stop us and ultimately it doesn’t matter what you or anyone think or do—MSism is, as the Queen of Hearts said, whatever we choose it to mean and if you don’t like it well…

 

M

 

-----Original Message-----
From: governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org [mailto:governance-request at lists.igcaucus.org] On Behalf Of Jeremy Malcolm
Sent: Friday, October 24, 2014 9:35 AM
To: governance at lists.igcaucus.org
Subject: Re: [governance] Re: [IRPCoalition] [bestbits] Time-sensitive: 24 hour sign on period for ITU Plenipot joint recommendations

 

On 24/10/2014 8:43 am, Deirdre Williams wrote:

> Why not try continuing the discussion, but temporarily banning the use 

> of the word "multistakeholderism" and all of its related terms? This 

> would involve more words, more typing, more time reading, but would 

> save time in the long run because each contributor to the discussion 

> would be forced to describe exactly what he/she is talking about, and 

> the discussion itself would be clarified.

> (Other possible candidates for the temporary ban are democracy and 

> liberalism/ neo-liberalism)

 

If Michael will stop inaccurately appending "(governance by self-selected elites)" after every mention of multi-stakeholderism, then I'll stop saying "so-called democracy (statism)". ;-)

 

--

Jeremy Malcolm

Senior Global Policy Analyst

Electronic Frontier Foundation

 <https://eff.org> https://eff.org

 <mailto:jmalcolm at eff.org> jmalcolm at eff.org

 

Tel: 415.436.9333 ext 161

 

:: Defending Your Rights in the Digital World ::

 

 

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