Labor Party Standing Committee thread: Endorsement voting

[asexual trans victimologist]

That sounds like it would be good.

*Plays with samosa with fork*

[Jackson]

*Examines wineglass*
You know, that might be easier if we had a platform to relate to. Perhaps we should propose one?

[asexual trans victimologist]

*eats some of the samosa*

We're going to. My idea was to create a theoretical framework and have planks added from the floor. The theoretical framework is that government is a function arising out of society in order to mediate between different groups within the society and is given the power to ensure, ideally, that no part of society is in a position of absolute dominance over the others. Of course, it doesn't always work that way. Redistribution is an attempt to correct for human error within this system. The human error's name is susceptibility to tribalism and greed.

I'm sure we should have more than this, but I only wanted to start us off with a basic definition of the mission of socialism and the Labor cause that I thought we might be able to, if not all agree on, at least constructively debate. I want the building of our platform to be a discursive process.

*sips port*

[Simfan34]

And you call yourselves representatives of the people!

[asexual trans victimologist]

And you call yourselves representatives of the people!

*shamefastly dumps out port and reaches for the whiskey*

He actually is right, you know. The good people of Youngstown, Ohio or Athol, Massachusetts don't have the same opportunities that we do. That's why we're here so we need to remain mindful of that even when the human temptation to indulge in the inherent luxury of a political convention waxes within us.

I'm not going to waste a delicious samosa, though.

How is your convention going, may I ask, Simfan?

[Hatman]

And you call yourselves representatives of the people!

Surely, they are the representatives of the champagne socialists. I.e., not real socialists at all!

[Senator Barnes]

*eats some of the samosa*

We're going to. My idea was to create a theoretical framework and have planks added from the floor. The theoretical framework is that government is a function arising out of society in order to mediate between different groups within the society and is given the power to ensure, ideally, that no part of society is in a position of absolute dominance over the others. Of course, it doesn't always work that way. Redistribution is an attempt to correct for human error within this system. The human error's name is susceptibility to tribalism and greed.

I'm sure we should have more than this, but I only wanted to start us off with a basic definition of the mission of socialism and the Labor cause that I thought we might be able to, if not all agree on, at least constructively debate. I want the building of our platform to be a discursive process.

*sips port*

I agree and disagree in part.

While government should be based on the promise of egalitarianism, it must also recognize it has a mission to help those who cannot help themselves.  Namely: the elderly, children, the disabled, and those stricken with "immovable" economic poverty.  Also, government should encourage a dynamic culture throughout the nation - a permanent cultural revolution, so to speak.  Not in the sense of Maoist China (cultural annihilation), but government should accept the fact that society's ideas and values are in a constant state of flux, and that the best way to defend these values is to oppose cultural stagnation and regression.

Just my two cents. I also like idea of starting out with a base, and expanding upon it on the floor.

*Barman, my good man, another round of drinks for every Marxist-Leninist in the room! Huzzah!*

[Simfan34]

And you call yourselves representatives of the people!

*shamefastly dumps out port and reaches for the whiskey*

He actually is right, you know. The good people of Youngstown, Ohio or Athol, Massachusetts don't have the same opportunities that we do. That's why we're here so we need to remain mindful of that even when the human temptation to indulge in the inherent luxury of a political convention waxes within us.

I'm not going to waste a delicious samosa, though.

How is your convention going, may I ask, Simfan?

Are they beef or vegetable? I'd say ours is going well- we've already started voting! And our beluga is far better than this ossetra stuff your serving. And what is this- Moet? Perhaps you do represent the working class. I'll go back to my crudites and salmon en croute. Pah!

Enjoy yourselves!

[Hatman]

It amuses me how the so called "Labor" Party is both too far left wing and too far right wing!

[asexual trans victimologist]

Simfan, I'm eating a delicious spicy potato samosa. I actually don't respond well to red meat, though I love fish and am going to see about having some nice trout later in the night.

Barnes, I entirely agree with your assessment. How about this for the beginning of our platform:

Government is a function arising out of society in order to mediate between different groups within the society and is given the power to ensure, ideally, that no part of society is in a position of absolute dominance over the others. Of course, it doesn't always work that way. Redistribution is an attempt to correct for human error within this system. The human error's name is susceptibility to tribalism and greed.

However, within the system of a government set up to ensure a certain measure of equality in the treatment of the people through the codification of customs into theoretically blind laws, there must be a preferential option for those who do not have recourse to other means of social and cultural involvement: The elderly, the children, the disabled, and, especially, the poor. It is for this reason that a truly socialist and Labor party pursues ideas of, to a certain extent, redistribution even when it is not required to address some particularly glaring flaw. The effect of this is to among other things bring to the forefront a cultural discussion and dialectic that forms the culture and the society into an exuberant dance around ideals of freedom and justice, equality and privilege, rich poverty and wasted wealth.

Hatman, of course we are somewhat hypocritical but at the same time self-aware and hence in a way fundamentally honest and good-hearted Fabians! That's part of the fun!

[Senator Barnes]

Simfan, I'm eating a delicious spicy potato samosa. I actually don't respond well to red meat, though I love fish and am going to see about having some nice trout later in the night.

Barnes, I entirely agree with your assessment. How about this for the beginning of our platform:

Government is a function arising out of society in order to mediate between different groups within the society and is given the power to ensure, ideally, that no part of society is in a position of absolute dominance over the others. Of course, it doesn't always work that way. Redistribution is an attempt to correct for human error within this system. The human error's name is susceptibility to tribalism and greed.

However, within the system of a government set up to ensure a certain measure of equality in the treatment of the people through the codification of customs into theoretically blind laws, there must be a preferential option for those who do not have recourse to other means of social and cultural involvement: The elderly, the children, the disabled, and, especially, the poor. It is for this reason that a truly socialist and Labor party pursues ideas of, to a certain extent, redistribution even when it is not required to address some particularly glaring flaw. The effect of this is to among other things bring to the forefront a cultural discussion and dialectic that forms the culture and the society into an exuberant dance around ideals of freedom and justice, equality and privilege, rich poverty and wasted wealth.

Hatman, of course we are somewhat hypocritical but at the same time self-aware and hence in a way fundamentally honest and good-hearted Fabians! That's part of the fun!

I quite agree!  Let's get our "mission statement" and then put in the real meat on the floor.

[asexual trans victimologist]

Simfan, I'm eating a delicious spicy potato samosa. I actually don't respond well to red meat, though I love fish and am going to see about having some nice trout later in the night.

Barnes, I entirely agree with your assessment. How about this for the beginning of our platform:

Government is a function arising out of society in order to mediate between different groups within the society and is given the power to ensure, ideally, that no part of society is in a position of absolute dominance over the others. Of course, it doesn't always work that way. Redistribution is an attempt to correct for human error within this system. The human error's name is susceptibility to tribalism and greed.

However, within the system of a government set up to ensure a certain measure of equality in the treatment of the people through the codification of customs into theoretically blind laws, there must be a preferential option for those who do not have recourse to other means of social and cultural involvement: The elderly, the children, the disabled, and, especially, the poor. It is for this reason that a truly socialist and Labor party pursues ideas of, to a certain extent, redistribution even when it is not required to address some particularly glaring flaw. The effect of this is to among other things bring to the forefront a cultural discussion and dialectic that forms the culture and the society into an exuberant dance around ideals of freedom and justice, equality and privilege, rich poverty and wasted wealth.

Hatman, of course we are somewhat hypocritical but at the same time self-aware and hence in a way fundamentally honest and good-hearted Fabians! That's part of the fun!

I quite agree!  Let's get our "mission statement" and then put in the real meat on the floor.

I think three or four paragraphs is a nice length for a preamble/mission statement. Would you do me the honor of drafting the third (which I reserve the right, as Party Chairman, to edit for style without changing the substance of it), and I might see if Xahar, who expressed interest in this stage of the process, could do a nice conclusion?

[Senator Barnes]

The cornerstone of the Labor party is the worker.  The plight of the worker is the plight of the everyday man, and it is the duty of government to treat them with the dignity and respect that their position deserves.  The enemy of the worker is the enemy of the Labor party and it is the enemy of the common man; this is namely: immeasurable greed.  Greed is the basis of unregulated capitalism and the pursuit of profit over the advancement of liberty, health, and equality, is its battle cry.  Thus, it is the mission of the Labor party to fight back the monstrous blitzkrieg of robber barons, and champion the cause of the worker.

[asexual trans victimologist]

Government is at its core function arising out of society in order to mediate between different groups within the society and is given the power to ensure, ideally, that no part of society is in a position of absolute dominance over the others. Inevitably, however, human error will enter into the system and unbalance this mediation of forces and interests that creates society and culture. Egalitarianism in the form of redistributive justice is an attempt to correct for this human error. The human error's name is susceptibility to tribalism and greed.

However, within the system of a government set up to ensure a certain measure of equality in the treatment of the people through the codification of customs into theoretically blind laws, there must be a preferential option for those who do not have recourse to other means of social and cultural involvement: The elderly, the children, the disabled, and, especially, the poor. It is for this reason that a truly socialist and Labor party pursues ideas of, to a certain extent, redistribution even when it is not required to address some particularly glaring flaw. The effect of this is to among other things bring to the forefront a cultural discussion and dialectic that forms the culture and the society into an exuberant dance around ideals of freedom and justice, equality and privilege, rich poverty and wasted wealth.

The cornerstone of the Labor party is the worker.  The plight of the worker is the plight of everyday life, and it is the duty of government to treat working people with the dignity and respect that their position deserves.  The enemy of the worker is the enemy of the Labor party and it is the enemy of the overflowing pure hearts of the people; this is namely: immeasurable greed.  Greed is the basis of unregulated capitalism and the pursuit of profit over the advancement of liberty, health, and equality, is its battle cry.  Thus, it is the mission of the Labor party to fight back the monstrous blitzkrieg of robber barons, and champion the cause of the worker.

Made the pronouns agree in the second sentence, and added a phrase that probably sounds better in Japanese to make it a bit more gender-neutral. Other than that, really excellent stuff, I really like how this is coming along.

[Χahar]

Samosas are food of the people, and I will not have anyone implying otherwise.

I'll take a closer look at the declaration later, but I'd like to add that insofar as we're a socialist party we ought to have the goal of addressing social injustice and societal cleavage in general.

[Hatman]

Samosas are food of the people, and I will not have anyone implying otherwise.

I'll take a closer look at the declaration later, but I'd like to add that insofar as we're a socialist party we ought to have the goal of addressing social injustice and societal cleavage in general.

Har, har. You keep hoping this bourgeoisie Marxist-Leninist party cares one iota about such things!

[Χahar]

Bourgeois! Bourgeoisie is the noun form. Don't you live across the river from Frenchland?

[Hatman]

Bourgeois! Bourgeoisie is the noun form. Don't you live across the river from Frenchland?

How elitist of you!

Not uprising of a party whose members are sipping champagne and eating caviar while they weep for the poors from their ivory towers of hedonism!

[asexual trans victimologist]

Okay, that's it, have the hotel staff take away the Goddamn caviar. If this kind of disconnect is going to be a problem for anybody other than the Washburn ultra-revisionists then the next dinner party and symposium can be at Red Lobster for all I care as long as the security is decent. Not Arby's, though. We have standards.

[Senator Napoleon]

Heh, I like that. It'll make a good secondary campaign motto.

"We're with Napoleon. We have standards."

[Hatman]

While Arby's may not be everyone's cup of tea, your party is continuing to prove its elitism by bashing this everyday workingman restaurant!

Oh, and ultra-revisionist? I take offence to that description. Whatever it means.

[asexual trans victimologist]

Arby's is the bourgeoisie's idea of prolefeed, imposed by the owning classes.

Anyway, back to platforming. Xahar, do you have any specific ideas for how to address societal cleavage in the text, beyond what's in it so far?

[asexual trans victimologist]

Speech time!

We're at the UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO.

I won't be making a speech until my opening address to the convention this evening. Go wild, anyone else who wants to!

[Californian Tony]

This seems very promising !

I'm also satisfied to see we're the second largest party in Atlasia, according to the latest census.

[dialectical fetishist]

Good evening Chicago.

We are presented tonight and for the rest of this week with a unique opportunity. Two seemingly unshakable forces, the JCP and the RPP voted to disband themselves only a couple of days ago in the name of breaking their monopoly on power and stirring new life into Atlasian politics. As it now stands, we are faced with a historic opportunity, and we must seize it with both hands.

The Labor Party of Atlasia stands for the values that make any government great - a strong connection to the common man or woman, a dedication to public services, and above all, a commitment that through collective effort, we can make a better, more progressive Atlasia.

We are in a comfortable position - as the second largest party in Atlasia, we have a great deal of influence. Now is the time for us to press home the advantage, and create a more social, progressive, equal and prosperous Atlasia for each and every citizen.