[pp.int.general] The manifesto, PPI, and everything

[Andrew Norton]

Ok, there is some over-all things I REALLY need to comment on, regarding 
the way we are all communicating.

people are talking AT each other, and not WITH each other.

People are trying to score points off each other
OR
People are trying to be the 'alpha male' in this group

Some are not taking this seriously.


Ok, thats some major points, and I want to expand on them.

How many of you, actually talk with people? specifically other people on 
this list, OUTSIDE of this list? Many of you have the various means to 
contact me, and some do, some do not. Could we have prevented the farce 
that the manifesto arguments have degenerated into, had those involved 
sought better, direct communication? Possibly. Jens, did you try and 
contact Carlos, privately, at the start, to work through things? I ask 
you, because you're the one that initiated what amounted to the 
problems. If not, why not? Things like this make me worry. If we, as a 
group with a common aim, can't work together, without generating 
needless internal friction, we have no hope of succeeding.

Here's something else. How many of you talk to other party officers, 
either of your own party, or anothers, socially? I've had long social 
calls with both Glenn and Ray in the past, and the last one was Friday 
(with Glenn). When the voting deadline came, and I realised the PPUS 
hadn't voted, I did the best I could to contact him, to confirm the 
votes, it took 3 hours, but I got him in the end (mainly because he 
works in a place where you can't carry a cell phone) Quite a few of you 
out there I've also talked with socially, some of you just business, but 
still, we communicate. That is the most important thing, and something 
that was brought up all the way back in Vienna, and not done still.


This leads into the second problem, which is people want to be thought 
of, quite naturally, as the 'best'. That's natural. Until now, yes you 
may well be the best in your country, at this. Yet, we are all not in 
your country, we are no threat to your internal power situation, and 
frankly if you act in that way, you should seriously reconsider things. 
I reqatched the very first Dr Who story the other week, and it was 
mostly set in 10,000 BC, in a caveman tribe, around two alpha males 
fighting for control of a tribe. The fought with each other, and it hurt 
them, and the tribe they were trying to lead. What a political party 
needs as leaders, are people who can subvert their pride, when needed, 
who can admit their wrongdoings, and learn from their mistakes. Trying 
to obfuscate, argue, bicker, etc. does nothing to help us all, it just 
bolsters the arguers pride. If you do this for your pride, what else? 
Would you lie, conceal, claim a secret must be kept, to protect your 
pride? If so, what makes you any better than the corrupt politicians we 
already have? Open and transparent government (one of our core policies) 
means that a persons mistakes will be open to scrutiny, can your pride 
take that?


Finally, a lot of people just don't seem interested in PPI, in making 
things work. We've has suggestions for issues, and no-one's really been 
interested. I for one, find it hard to get enthused and work on a 
project that no-one else wants to work on. Amelia put a list of points 
on an EU consultation, how many answered it in a timely manner? In the 
10 days, only Carlos approached it, and even then it wasn't until 3 days 
before the deadline. Something that REALLY worried me too, was something 
Jens said almost 3 weeks ago, on the 14th: "i didnt read it (we
have many lists here and i cant read every posting)". Jens is the 
primary representative on this list of what is one of the bigger current 
parties, and as he has said, the only one authorised to act 
internationally on behalf of the party. What worries me more, though, is 
that while Jens stated it, there are more that act the same way; more 
international representatives that ignore, for whatever reason, the 
current primary international communication method. Jens told us, and 
I'm assuming the german party is dealing with the problem Jens has, 
either reducing his workload in other areas, or working on a new 
international representative. I hope that anyone who feels similarly 
snowed under by the requirements of representing their national party 
internationally, is similarly talking with their party officers to work 
something out.

Some might think that PPI isn't really important, but think about this. 
We are all working with the same end goals. We all have different 
experiences, strengths and weaknesses. We all have different ways of 
thinking about things. If you or your party don't have a skill-set, or a 
knowledge of something, maybe someone in another party does. Also, some 
of our issues transcend international boundaries. A prime example is the 
oink raid, which touched the UK and the Netherlands, and a joint 
statement was issued by both Pete, and core-tx. We have a major election 
coming up, one we can potentially do well in, and thats the EU 
elections. A lot of press is international, Sky, CNN, BBC, available in 
lots of countries. getting on one, means coverage in multiple countries. 
that means coverage for us all, and can work VERY well in our favour. If 
your national party is not taking part in the EU elections directly, let 
me also remind you that, should we get anyone elected, that is a huge 
boost for ALL parties, around the world. It finally cements us as a 
credible political party, and not a 'joke party' as some think, along 
with the "Teddy Bears Alliance" (an actual party, ran in the UK in the 
1997 general election, which brought Tony Blair to power)

We've made the plans in the past, at the various meetings, now it's time 
for us to step up, and actually put some effort into it, and work 
towards some of the things we said we would when face to face.

Andrew Norton
PPI 'something' (never been established what exactly)