Re: [atlarge-discuss] Divide and conquer

["Micheal Sherrill" <micheal@beethoven.com>]

Hello Ron:

Red herring, indeed, smell terrible when rotten.  Fortunately, this fish is small and the stench soon can be abated.  Remember, rotten fish is also great fertilizer.  If we recognize it for what it is (as you have done), and take advantage of it, we can use it to sow and harvest a crop the likes ICANN never imagined.  Let us plant the fish alongside the seeds of this organization.

If one is going to abdicate it had best be when the losses do not yet have a significant impact on one’s personal sense of achievement and one’s family.  This is quite understandable.  It is now time to call on others to stand forward.  I would like to think that we could count on the members of the Panel to take charge but I am very unclear of some of their amounts of participation and, even, the quality of their participation.   When we choose our leadership from the newly energized Panel it should be with recent history in mind.  Usually, we elect by popular vote but please keep in mind this is not a popularity contest like grammar school elections for class officers.  We need to select someone that can do the job not based on their banal campaign promises but based on their potential to be effective.  Past coherent efforts and energy expended are very good clues.

Personally, I would like to thank Joanna and Judith for their contributions.  They have fundamentally helped start this organization.  They have both accomplished much to get this going.  Apparently, they have done all that they think that they can bring about.  I hope that they do not move on, but, just step aside from certain responsibilities, and continue to participate with their usual intelligence and cognizance.

Thank you both for suffering for us all.

Regards,


Micheal Sherrill




---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Ron Sherwood" <sherwood@islands.vi>
Date:  Wed, 25 Sep 2002 21:05:35 -0400

At-large members:

    Imagine, if you will, an established organization (or corporate body) that is somewhat concerned about a lively, but disorganized group that has a serious and legitimate agenda which could possibly impact the will of the establishment.  Just suppose for a moment that the small group grows, first to be a hundred strong and then to one thousand.  Consider what that group may become if they are able to organize themselves into a force that is able to motivate tens of thousands or millions of members around the world.  Surely the establishment's would be justified.

    Now imagine that the establishment was to wait until the lively little group was right in the middle of an important decision making poll that was to be the first real test of their ability to present a consensual public image.   And, at that point, the establishment was able to arrange for a certain "associated" lawyer to proclaim that the very decision that the small group was about to make, could lead to dire and expensive repercussions for those that were trying to manage the fledgling upstart.  If only the experiment in consensus could be derailed and turned into a melee of internecine fighting, calls for cancellation or interfering with the poll and possibly even lead to the resignation of one or more of the leaders.  What a coup that would be for the establishment.  Can't you see in your mind's eye, the smug guffaws as the establishment elite share the hysterical postings among themselves as they watch the divisive arguments and the chaos that they have engineered?

    Of course, for such imaginings to have any place in reality, there would have to be an established organization that was concerned about a fledgling group that was starting to get themselves organized. And, there would have to be a fledgling group that was easily conned into abandoning their exercise in democracy by a simple red herring dragged across their path.

    Surely this could never really happen?

Ron




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