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A New Political Party in Kinyov Province
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| Harald_Lennon | Date: Monday, 02 Jul 2012, 2:21 AM | Message # 1 |
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| *Lennon stood at the podium addressing the University Senate of Lorrd University, the room was packed as the patrician Chancellor very rarely made a speech, having spent much of the time in the past years steeped in the planetary archives. He had hitherto been a fairly politically unaligned individual aside from supporting COMPNOR publicly. Today everyone knew what he was here to announce - a new party in Kinyov Province, and as such many prominent Kinyov citizens were here to back this elder statesman against the playboy potentate who ruled their province.*
The Kinyov Democratic Party campaign for the abolition of the monarchy, an elected head of state and a new democratic constitution that really puts power in the hands of voters.
We want to reform Kinyov Province politics so it is genuinely democratic.
We want a new constitution - a new set of rules for our political system - that puts power in your hands.
We want voters to be able to elect their head of state - instead of having a 'job-for-life' "Lord"
We want to give voters more power over a parliament and that parliament more control over government.
We want a head of state that has a meaningful role and who can be held to account on their record in office.
We want Kinyov Province to be a democratic republic.
Why get rid of the the current system?
Hereditary public office goes against every democratic principle. And because we can't hold the Lord and his family to account at the ballot box, there's nothing to stop them abusing their privilege, misusing their influence or simply wasting our money.
Meanwhile, the present arrangement gives vast unchecked power to Mr Stark shutting out the people from major decisions that affect the Provincial interest.
Expensive, unaccountable and a drag on our democratic process, the monarchical lordship is a broken institution. A head of state that's chosen by us could really represent our hopes and aspirations - and stop politicians exceeding their powers.
What's so good about a democratic republic
A new constitution based on democratic values - not primitive ones - could give voters real power over their politicians and enshrine in our society ideas about the democratic rights of the people.
A democratic republic is more than just an elected head of state: it's a new way of doing politics that is centred around the power of the people. A new set of rules and reformed institutions would give voters more power of parliament (and importantly would limit the power of parliament over the people!)
The system currently gives Mr Stark huge powers that it can use without needing our permission - they include a long list of official appointments, signing treaties with foreign worlds and declaring war. Getting rid of the his lordships official power would give our elected parliament more power and control over the government.
In a republic the head of state would be elected and would have a real job to do. She or he would not run the government - that would be the prime minister. An elected president would act as a guardian of our constitution, protecting the rights of voters and ensuring the government doesn't over-step the limits of its power. They can also act as an arbiter when our assembly members can't agree on forming a government if we have a hung chamber.
Naturally we note that these statements, while critical of Mr Stark are not critical of Emperor Palpatine, an elected official who wheels power delegated to him by the fully assembled and duly constituted Senate - thus while elected for life he has been elected legitimately and we wish to disaffiliated ourselves publicly from those who attack his rule.
Harald Lennon
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Chancellor of Lorrd University
Egregious Professor of Political Science
Owner of the Kinyov Guardian and Lorrd Daily News
COMPNOR Member and Donor
Founder Member and Primus Inter Pares of the Kinyov Democratic Party
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| Jendos_Merced | Date: Tuesday, 03 Jul 2012, 10:30 AM | Message # 2 |
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| There were a multitude of people in the crowd who were listening to Lennon speak, including news crews who broadcast across Lorrd to many, some of whom included the families of House Garth, Volmen and, more recently, House Malos' new head. While some, the less politically knowledgeable in the crowd, would agree with Lennon's statements, the majority who were older and wiser recognized a number of discrepancies that the man stated.
Stark, as Lord of the Kinyov Province, a single province out of the multitude in Lorrd, could not sign treaties with foreign worlds or declare war as Lord of the Kinyov Province. He was still answerable to the people as the elected official who represented Lorrd in the Senate. He made no real laws in the Kinyov Province; he was, more or less, an elected official in some ways and in some ways the overseer of the province until he stepped down, or until a new head was chosen.
The problem that Lennon would run into was that his system was, in essence, undermining the three Houses of Lorrd who were, perhaps in an odd way, a democratic ruling system. They were the ones who, along with a vast number of elected officials, ran the government. Stark's small corner of Lorrd was hardly a massive portion in relation to the rest. That isn't to say, of course, that Lennon didn't have listeners, but he would need to straighten out certain facts before more people would listen.
Jendos Merced
Head of House Malos
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| Harald_Lennon | Date: Tuesday, 03 Jul 2012, 11:51 AM | Message # 3 |
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| Certainly, a fleet controlled by the Lord of a Province cannot but help be considered to be affiliated with that province. As such recent Military actions involving Stark's Drone Armada etc can be regarded as "declarations of war" in everything but name. His power to sign treaties was intended as a pun on his military enterprise, where they sold dangerous weapons to planets with no oversight, and naturally as the fief of a feudal lord, the province was intrinsically tied up with these entangling obligations to produce.
Lennon's statements were exceptionally well received by the liberal academics seated in the room, and among his many supporters and benefactors. The Academics, naturally inclined towards liberalism were opposed to hereditary power, and especially the wantonly despotic way in which the Kinyov Province was being run. Yes Kinyov was a small part of the planet, but from that base Lennon planned to overthrow the whole ruling order and bring an era of Justice, Peace and Democracy to Lorrd. Even the most imaginative conservative revisionist could hardly brand a system of hereditary Lords of "Ruling Houses" as anything but un-democratic, even with a smattering of insignificant elected officials the problem was that the House system was a top-down system of government, not bottom up and that was the change that Lennon was pushing for - popular sovereignty, a Government and Legislature elected by the people, for the people, from the people.
And most of all, Lennon had the support of the COMPNOR members scattered throughout the staff and student body, as well as the wider population in his move to see the dethronement of a man who arguably had participated in the Droid revolt.
Harald Lennon
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Chancellor of Lorrd University
Egregious Professor of Political Science
Owner of the Kinyov Guardian and Lorrd Daily News
COMPNOR Member and Donor
Founder Member and Primus Inter Pares of the Kinyov Democratic Party
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| Jendos_Merced | Date: Tuesday, 03 Jul 2012, 12:11 PM | Message # 4 |
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| If Stark did indeed control a 'fleet' then perhaps this would have been true. However, private vessels were still seen as private vessels, even if they happened to be armed escorts. Lorrd's own defensive fleet was not controlled or owned by Stark and as such, little thought would come into the matter largely because Stark did not intervene in the matters of state with his personal guards. To state that the province was a fief as well would be grossly incorrect; a title of 'lord' did not make a province a fiefdom, nor was the Kinyov Province obliged to produce anything for Stark directly or indirectly.
To say that the Kinyov Province was being run despotically would also be grossly incorrect; a statement that was ill-received by many throughout the province who were watching the broadcast as well as those in the crowd. The Kinyov Province had one of the lowest unemployment rates of the entire world, and there was very little in the way of poor and ill-cared for people; Stark, after all, had made it his personal business to see that the people of the Kinyov Province were well-cared for and it was this more than anything that had the people in Stark's favor; his generosity and willingness to help out the little man, so to speak, so that they could better themselves. Harald Lennon, on the other hand, had no real background of charity towards the people and even as an owner of two news stations and being a known figure at the Lorrd University, it came down to simple pull, and it would be quite a task to topple such a popular figure as Stark, even with the events of the Droid Uprising in his history.
To assume as well that 'a smattering of insignificant elected officials' was the case was also grossly misstated. It would be more correct to say that the majority of elected government officials held the greater power with the Houses of Lorrd being only prominent in the most major decisions; to say even that the Houses could not be vetoed in the passing of bills and laws would be incorrect. In some ways, Lorrd resembled a tricameral parliament, one could say, and in other ways not.
While Lennon might have the support of COMPNOR members, the wider population would still not be in his pocket; while some might say that Stark had participated in the Droid Revolt, far more knew of his actions and why he entered the combat zone. On Lorrd, Stark was something of a hero for saving Roman Lekpin, who was one of Lorrd's most popular representatives. Lennon, in truth, had gone about trying to topple Stark the wrong way. Had he worked to gain Lekpin's trust, a man who was well-known and liked and had the ear of the people, or even if Lennon had gone to Houses Garth or Volmen (for certainly he wasn't likely to go to House Malos), then he would have found his task much, much easier. House Garth would have likely and cheerfully assassinated Stark, after all. All Lennon had gained so far was a backslide against his movement by the wider whole. The system, as it was, worked, and until the system didn't work, the generalized idea of a happy, well-cared for populace not engaged in a larger war outside the conflict with the Argazdans at Destrando City was that if it wasn't broke, it didn't need to be fixed.
Jendos Merced
Head of House Malos
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| Harald_Lennon | Date: Tuesday, 03 Jul 2012, 12:34 PM | Message # 5 |
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| The fleet of a feudal lord was the fleet of his fief also - that's how the feudal system works.
America in the 1770s was also wealthy and expanding with low taxes. That did not stop dissent to a system that fundamentally disenfranchised them from becoming hugely unpopular. Lennon sure, had no particular record of "charity", having not grown up as a rich man, instead giving his time and life to expand the boundaries of human knowledge and to improve conditions at the University, having inherited his Brother's company, he kept up all the charitable ventures it had ever pursued including discount advertising space, fundraisers etc. Sure Stark was generous, noone would dispute that, but what would start arguments in coffee shops and bars was the fact that no matter how generous a tyrant he was, he was still a tyrant, and one who had put grim looking death troopers on the streets of Kinyov Province (ones who made stormtroopers look warm and cuddly).
Quote (Jendos_Merced) the Houses of Lorrd being only prominent in the most major decisions
Is perhaps the most revealing quote - sure, leave the day to day running of things to the people - but only the men who happened to pass through a lordly pair of legs when they were born deserve to rule on the "important" decisions. Lorrd was ripe for such a movement, and Kinyov especially, with employment high the people were endowed with money and time to think on political issues and to question if it was right that they lived down in small towns when Stark lived in an absurd palace.
Clearly opinion would be divided, it would take time to change everyone's opinion. But this was the spark which lit the fire, and it's coverage throughout the media only gave kindling to that spark, allowing it to have the chance to grow into an inferno. Lennon did not need an elderly and failing politician to have the "ear of the people", he controlled their most popular news outlets and through them could shape opinion.
On day one, he made his speech. On day two, people would begin discussing democracy and sharing ideas and thoughts, egged on by the media. Even in the areas controlled by the other houses, debate would spread as the days went on. Sure, this was no armed insurrection or rebellious movement, but what it did precipitate was the start of a hope for change. People began to ask themselves "how is being ruled by unelected Lords better than being ruled by unelected Slavers?". In thinking Lennon should have cultivated support from the houses, you would be wrong, instead he was taking his message to the people, direct and forcefully, the powerful ideas of the enlightenment would no doubt begin to spread like wildfire. Ultimately, all of the ruling houses would fall, for the clarion call of freedom can seldom be ignored or repressed. Lennon had no urge to have Stark assassinated or murdered, instead he would rather see him deposed, his property nationalized and the arrogant, plutocratic, military obsessed, bounty hunting aristocrat forced to make his own way in the galaxy.
Oh, and in the room, most people liked it, as for popular opinion, only time would tell, but the Lennon media would keep chipping away at the house system in principle and practice.
Harald Lennon
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Chancellor of Lorrd University
Egregious Professor of Political Science
Owner of the Kinyov Guardian and Lorrd Daily News
COMPNOR Member and Donor
Founder Member and Primus Inter Pares of the Kinyov Democratic Party
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| Jendos_Merced | Date: Wednesday, 04 Jul 2012, 10:23 AM | Message # 6 |
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Lieutenant
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| There were a number of factors on Lorrd that differentiated it from America in the 1700s, a great many. While the Houses of Lorrd were prominent in major decisions, the system still acted as checks-and-balances. The people, as mentioned, could still veto laws and bills just as the Houses of Lorrd could veto the bills that came up from the government. True, the Houses of Lorrd could, with the support and backing of the government, declare war or sign treaties, and in that regard, it was not unlike present-day America.
To say that 'the people lived in small towns while Stark lived in an absurd palace' was also not true. Towns and cities were built well and more than one wealthy man on Lorrd owned more than one house or apartment. Legally speaking, Stark did own the land on which his castle was built; bought and paid for fairly and if a rich man wanted to live grandly, that was his right. True, there may be those who coveted Stark's wealth; there were always such people, but the actuality of Stark being 'deposed' was very small.
Even if such thoughts happened by day two, the process Lennon was attempting to instigate was something that would take months, even a year or more to change. Such changes did not happen overnight and also to say that the ruling houses would fall lacked conviction. The people did live in a free, voting society in which they were well cared for. The people had far more power in their government than Lennon was giving them credit for, and in the end, it might well come down to a popularity contest.
Jendos Merced
Head of House Malos
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