Coup d'Etat in Neualtenburg

... By saying that I am not referring to your comments at all Kendra, but a certain other person.

Well, I am not a citizen, but I care in the sense that this whole process has been an exemplar of human fallibility, and a demonstration of how difficult it is to design a system of government that is resistant to corruption.

This is a different issue from the ones I objected to that Ulrika raised, which I won't comment on right now.

I just wish we could stick to the facts instead of immediately going off the deep end into giant exaggerations, personal accusations and pissy language and so forth. By saying that I am not referring to your comments at all Kendra, but a certain other person.

Isn't it amazing how she thinks any of us care?

Isn't it amazing how the SL forums don't force you to read any posts you don't care about?

It held me down and TAPED my eyes OPEN.

Expect RL legal action. Since you have terminated negotiations for use of my intellectual property and prior investments, I have no other alternative but to enforce my longstanding copyright for the name and to seek restitution. I recommend anyone who's involved in the project, who's not a party to the coup, to get out immediately.

Beyond violating RL copyrights, the members of the coup have completely delegitimized the virtual-world government. I'm sure you're hoping to sweep this coup under the carpet so you can resume your governmental role playing but as long as your facade exists, I will be there to remind others of the truth.

~Ulrika~

And the people that want resident-lead government... pay attention.. this is what you would get.

Y'all are on crazy pills.


-Ghoti

It's called "filing a DMCA notice with Linden Lab".

Where can I obtain one of these fashionable items?

Isn't it amazing how complicate the running *one* single sim is? How many threads it generates, and how much public conflict?

I run 1/4 of a sim, and I have no conflicts at all. Could it be that something like virtual goverment actually *attracts* drama and people who *enjoy* drama and squabbling and petty conflict for it's own sake?

Naw...couldn't be.

It's impossible to design a democracy (or a partial democracy) that won't eventually be taken over by an elite, opportunistic and generally morally bankrupt few from the inside.

In fact, it has never been done. Ever.

And given the intelligence and understanding of the average person, I remain unconvinced that it would be desirable even if it were possible.

But this drama is interesting, even if I don't know much about the people involved.

2) Starax wand. Only 1,000,000,000L (about $1.35 at the current rate). Not totally necessary, but it is very cool and Starax needs a new summer home. Plus you can set people on fire.

When it's just the government making decisions (under the limitations and controls of a constitution), it hardly qualifies as a "coup d'état".

An analogy would be claiming that George Bush staged a coup d'état to seize power in the United States. Actually, he just was elected

It held me down and TAPED my eyes OPEN.

You need to assemble a few ingredients:

1) Ulrika plushie doll, from Kendra Bancroft. Ask for a mod/no trans version so that you can make it giant.
2) Starax wand. Only 1,000,000,000L (about $1.35 at the current rate). Not totally necessary, but it is very cool and Starax needs a new summer home. Plus you can set people on fire.
3) Optional: sound clip of the Carmina Burana (I can provide it if you would like). You will also need a small script so the sound plays when the giant Ulrika rezzes.

Mix all these things together, force Midnight, then type /101beetlejuice three times and voila!

The whole concept of democracy, at least as practised in my country, is an interesting one. Because in a sense it *does* depend on an elite. Members of parliament come from grass roots political groups, but the process ensures that the ones who do make it tend to be of above average intelligence and also people who think about moral issues.

This means that they can be at variance with popular sentiment. When this country removed the death penalty (a piece of legislation we can all, now, be grateful for) at the time a survey of the general population would have found the vast majority in favour of retaining it.

I bore everyone by telling them about a virtual world to which I used to belong, which had a player-led government. At the time it was mired in corruption, to the extent that life there became a misery. This is why I have always opposed self-government in sl. Unfortunately the government of Neualtenburg also proved to be not robust enough.

However, the experiment was worth trying, if for no other reason than it demonstrates clearly the pitfalls that can face even the most carefully-wrought system.