<div dir="ltr"><div>Thanks Peter. Very elegant. And noted.</div>
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<div>Jack<br><br></div>
<div class="gmail_quote">2008/8/14 Peter Emerson <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:pemerson@deborda.org">pemerson@deborda.org</a>></span><br>
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<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Dear Jack, </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">They key, then, is to ask these folks, do they believe in democracy? Yes? Oh jolly good. And do they believe democracy is for everybody, or just a majority? And if they agree to the former, away you go.</span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Mediation works only when the parties to the dispute agree to it. Democracy should work for all democrats. Russians and Georgians claim the adjective. But the idea that a majority can determine the fate of an unwilling minority <i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">should</span></i> be abhorrent… to both. </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Cheers, </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Peter</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Peter Emerson</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="COLOR: navy"></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Director, The de Borda Institute</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="COLOR: navy"></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">36 Ballysillan Road</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="COLOR: navy"></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Belfast</span></font><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> BT14 7QQ</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="COLOR: navy"></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="navy" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">028 90 711795</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="COLOR: navy"></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">078 377 17979</span></font><font color="navy"><span style="COLOR: navy"></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="navy" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><a href="mailto:pemerson@deborda.org" target="_blank">pemerson@deborda.org</a></span></font><font color="navy"><span style="COLOR: navy"></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><a href="http://www.deborda.org/" target="_blank">www.deborda.org</a></span></font><font color="navy"><span style="COLOR: navy"></span></font></p>
<p><font face="Times New Roman" color="navy" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: navy"> </span></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial" color="navy" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">The Borda count "is the best protection ever devised from the tyranny of the majority." Professor Sir Michael Dummett.</span></font></p>
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<p><b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</span></font></b><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> OSLIST [mailto:<a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a>] <b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </span></b>Jack Martin Leith<br>
<b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</span></b> 14 August <br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</span></b> <a href="mailto:OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU" target="_blank">OSLIST@LISTSERV.BOISESTATE.EDU</a><br><b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</span></b> Re: A Common Consensus</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Peter,</span></font></p></div>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Thanks for taking the trouble to explain the method in so much detail. I've turned your post into a Word document and filed it under Decision Making Methods for future reference.</span></font></p>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </span></font></p></div>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">The challenge is getting people's agreement to use the method.</span></font></p></div>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Catch-22!</span></font></p></div>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Warm wishes,</span></font></p></div>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> </span></font></p></div>
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<p><font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><span style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">Jack <br clear="all"><br>Jack Martin Leith<br>Now-to-New activist<br>Bristol, United Kingdom<br>Mobile: 07831 840541 (+44 7831 840541)<br>Skype: jackmartinleith<br>
email: <a href="mailto:jack@jackmartinleith.com" target="_blank">jack@jackmartinleith.com</a><br><a href="http://www.jackmartinleith.com/" target="_blank">www.jackmartinleith.com</a></span></font></p></div></div></div></div>
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</div></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Jack Martin Leith<br>Now-to-New activist<br>Bristol, United Kingdom<br>Mobile: 07831 840541 (+44 7831 840541)<br>Skype: jackmartinleith<br>email: <a href="mailto:jack@jackmartinleith.com">jack@jackmartinleith.com</a><br>
<a href="http://www.jackmartinleith.com">www.jackmartinleith.com</a><br></div>
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