From Scratch? A System Beyond Reproach
A faultless system that cannot be blamed for our present difficulties and future tribulations
If there was even the slightest, but very real chance, that the daycare where a mother was sending her child was in some way abusing her son or daughter, would the mother not immediately seek clarity on those indicators, to alleviate those concerns? It would be negligent not to.
If there was even the slightest chance that how we pick representatives was vulnerable to exploit, would the people not immediately question that process? Refraining from inquiry would not be a welcome version of turning the other cheek...
And so the very recent years have unfolded. When questions go unanswered, they echo. That echo from the earliest questions has reverberated into yet more beings, each eager to learn.
Meanwhile, if too many people find out, the controllers may say, then let us:
attempt to shame them for speaking up
get their friends and family to quietly or openly disown them
allow small successes to appease those asking questions, while keeping the system intact
These three methods do not come close to the full extent of what has come to pass.
If our process is a boat that has been punctured in numerous places, can merely small reforms hope to mend those holes and save it from sinking?
Or, is what we are seeking more like this...
A way to pick representatives that is beyond reproach?
Definition of Reproach: as a noun, the expression of disapproval or disappointment
Beyond reproach would mean: outside of or immune to such expressions; blameless; faultless.
Therefore, a system of choosing representatives that is faultless (technically speaking) and blameless (it can no longer be blamed for our present difficulties or future tribulations).
Not one man or woman will achieve such a change. It is a task for many working hand in hand, just as hand by hand we could count every ballot and tally every vote alongside our neighbors, on those single days set aside for choosing a new group of representatives.
This short piece does not go into whether it is sound or safe to give away one’s decision-making authority to another, even a trusted representative, without some way of measuring and ensuring accountability.
Hat tip to my friend for suggesting the phrasing, beyond reproach, as well as asking what a system built from scratch might look like. (Hint: For both of us, it doesn’t include voter registration rolls… but maybe you disagree, which is welcome!)
If you were making a system from scratch, what components would it have? Which could be done without? Reply to this email and I will see it, or leave a comment…