The Right to Rule: Government in the Lair IC Debate

[Yun]

Week 2 Day 5 - Town Forum
The room you enter is made of the finest wood you've ever seen magically enchanted allow someone standing on stage to make his voice hear and also withstand two magi going at it after their tempers boil over.

A room capable of comfortably fitting over 500 magi inside of it with a speaking floor as its lowest point with rows of comfortable chairs each row slightly higher than the row in front of it arranged in a semi circle around the floor.

A man wearing glasses over a pair of gray blue eyes and standing 5'9'' all of which is covered in white bandages steps onto the floor clearing his throat to quiet the room.

“Good day everyone and thank you for coming if you don't know me my name is Jon Snow and so you don't forget that If you saw someone running through the Lair last week while on fire and being chased by monsters that was me”the speaker says this in a casual tone with a amused expression. “but that is enough about me the rules for this debate are as follows Please let the person speaking finish before responding, address the point they're trying to argue not the person themselves and finally please stay on topic this is a debate not a campaign speech.”

After waiting a couple of seconds for the rules to sink in”Now onto the matter at hand our first topic is twofold “what form of government if any do we want to form and what rules or laws if a government is formed shall we agree to adhere to, Now who wants to go first?”

Discussion is now open on what type of government if any shall we form and what laws shall we agree to uphold?

[deviatesfish]

I wonder who gave this Jon Snow the authority to dictate this first session or how he wrested the power to do so from others. But it is not my place. I do not want to be a figurehead or a ruler. I just want a society to which I am comfortable with, and one that will survive this universe.

So I cleared my throat loudly and stood up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, friends anonymous and otherwise, I have lived beside you for the last two weeks," I began. "Since we did not turn ourselves into a festival of squabbles yet, I would like to begin this session, if no one else has any objections?

I am Ren, and for the the past two weeks, that we have been tossed here, I have studied and observed. We are a community that is distant, only loosely connected by a single interest that does not define us. Yet unlike other humans, we did not stoop to fighting amongst ourselves... yet. I believe none of us wishes for that to happen: a state of which we have no governing power to hold us together, a sad state which is in complete anarchy and utter chaos.

Many of us will fall back to our backgrounds... that is, we would fall back to what dominated our world: democracy. But you have seen the inefficiency of democracy in the face of a global economic crisis, and you have seen how effective it was in causing conflict. It is slow and inefficient... it will bog us down in bureaucracy before we can accomplish anything. And I know you want to accomplish something! This is a world of your passions! But it is also a universe of nightmares! This is a world where all our worst fears can literally come to life. A prime exhibit for this would be...

...TATARI.

I don't think any of us wants to die yet. I haven't seen any of you actually carry out any suicides, even though many of you have thought about it." I took this moment to take a sip of water. Tusia looks cute in a lion costume.

Then I continued on, "But to not die, we must be efficient. We must be ruthless and we must cheat against all our competitors. And make no mistake: we are in this together; everyone else with power in this universe can be against us. The Magus Association, the Church, the Dead Apostle Ancestors... we would be wiped out in a single moment if we dally around. So we must chose the best of us to lead.

And that is why I advocate a form, any form, of governing that uses Meritocracy. We have no time for politics. This is Nasu-verse... an Earth that will be destroyed by humans and then further destroyed by aliens. If we are to avert this, and avert our own doom, then we must cheat our way to the top of the food chain. And to do that, to take full advantage of our abilities and our knowledge, we much pick the best and brightest amongst us to lead.

...but besides that, what else do we really want? What do we really need?" I wondered that myself. There is no perfect government. With only over one thousand people, do we really need a strong government? But even without a strong government, we would still need something to hold us together.

"I will make this clear: I don't know what is the best way to go from here. There are too many different interests that we each wish to pursue.

Some of us wish to preserve what we believe is canon.

Some of us wish to save those who wish to save.

Some of us wish to kill those who must be stopped.

...But all of us are part of this community.

From this, I can only think of a Federation of multiple Factions, each pursuing their own goals, but all bound together with the common interest of our survival as a group." I had nothing else to say. What else was there to say? Anything more would be frivolous. I bowed and said, "Thank you for taking your time to listen to me."

With that, I sat down beside Tusia. I wonder where Alf and Froggie are?

[SeiKeo]

From the very back row, at the wings of the forum, someone cleared his throat. It seemed to be an Asian man in a long winter coat, ill fitting for the situation. He didn't even bother to stand, preferring to speak from the chair.

"This shall be familiar to those of you who are familiar with philosophy. We have, in a strange turn of events, been dropped into a state of nature. No government, no structure, but not an absence of laws. The Law of Nature currently governs us - to put it simply, the Laws of Non-interference and Reciprocity. Now, this of course puts us in a unique position in human history, being advanced, modern peoples without a government, in a normal state. But, why are governments formed anyways?"

"Because they regulate and apply the laws of Nature to all. However, that requires by necessity a need to enforce the law. Do we have that here? I would advance that we do not. The interests of the group in this case are clear: survive. It is not possible for a group to gather momentum to stop this, as a natural counterfaction will arise. For less existential threats, we shall operate on the most basic principle known to man: retribution. None of us are friendless: if injury is visited upon us, retaliation shall soon follow from allies. This system is on the aggregate stable, as natural human concerns will balance the factions."

Having said his piece, the man falls silent, not seeming to care to debate his point.

[alfheimwanderer]

It figured that even as someone who was already part of the leadership cadre of the Lair, in fact if not in law, who had worked throughout the week on the investigation of Jim Raynor's death, getting the medical and weapons circles set up, doing counselling, running the cafe (the de facto community centre), and trying to keep up with my Chaos Magick/talk with Raika, I'd be late to a forum I'd help put together to discuss how the Lair should be run. Fortunately, as I'd been at the hospital immediately prior to the event, treating a number of people who'd attempted to open their magic circuits or had wandered off from the main group in the library (with one even going into cardiac arrest - and not the sort a shock could fix), and so had been able to secure transport to the Lair Center via patient care golems. (I wasn't going to run to the Lair Centre, given that it was a fair distance away and I could not afford to look dishevelled).

And let me tell you - riding on the back of horse-sized arachnid seemingly wrought of crystallized light and liquid metal, which didn't gallop as much as glide over ground, could be a very...odd experience. The constructs did not move as one expected, and I'd found that it was better not to watch them as they travelled from point A to point B with great... efficiency.

Having been at the hospital, with my street clothes still in the wash, I didn't have many options available for what to wear, so I just raided the staff room for a black lab coat and a clean set of black formal scrubs pants- scrubs that were made of fine enough material and style to pass as normal clothing if necessary. I just hoped I wasn't under-dressed for the occasion (or overdressed, since I had the sneaking suspicion that no one would trust someone who looked too formal).

Unfortunately, by the time I was dropped off and entered the building, the event had already begun, but I managed to slip into the auditorium during a lull between speakers.

'Good. Last thing I need is to damage my image and credibility...'

For that reason, I kept posture ramrod straight and stride focused and fluid as I headed down the steps of the auditorium to the floor, where I turned to address the gathered masses.

"Friends, forumites, comrades, lend me your ears," I implored, stretching out my hands beseechingly. "It has been a long two weeks for all of us, two weeks since we were snatched away from everything we knew, never to return - as a community. Most of us don't know each other as well as we should - or as we'd like, and we likely have different goals in this place, whether it is becoming strong enough to change the world, to find a way home, as difficult as it may be, or simply to survive - but despite that, we are still bound together by a common passion for the nasuverse, as a community of fans - and now a community of citizens. In this world - this brave new world fraught with so much potential; this cold, cruel world where danger lurks around every corner; this passing strange world where miracles happen - there is only one constant, one thing that will keep us alive for these next three years."

I paused for a moment, taking care to meet the eyes of each of those there, to form a connection with them.

"Community."

The word hung in the air, echoing from the walls, almost humming with power of its own.

"Six days ago, that community was threatened when one of our own died."

My eyes were hard as I looked out into the crowd, making sure I had their attention.

"Certainly Jim Raynor, the lurker on the Beast's Lair forums known as NerfedSpiritJim, fell from a fifteen-story building - but neither the fall - nor the stop - are not what killed him," I went on, voice pitched to carry to the others, a hint of anger filling it. "No - this was not an accident, nor a suicide, as you might believe. For when someone sneaks up behind another and clubs him to death with something like a practice sword or a baseball bat, dumping his victim's body over the side of a building to make the cause of death look like a tragic accident, I call that murder. Murder most foul."

A pause to allow those terrible words to sink in, weakening the crowd's resistance.

"There are those of you out there that might wonder why you should care. After all - he was just a stranger, someone unknown. Someone who, when he wasn't at his job working for the Repository Search Team, kept largely to himself. Someone who didn't make waves, who didn't take the time to get to know you, who preferred reading to the company of others. So why should you care, instead of just continuing your normal lives as best you can and trying to survive?

I'll tell you why.

Jim was a member of our community, someone who shared our interests, who cared about the same things we did, who was excited and scared to find himself in the Nasuverse - like you, and like me. He didn't go out of his way to offend anyone, nor, as a lurker, did he have anyone who held a grudge against him. He even joined a team working in the most hazardous part of the Lair: the Library, risking death and dismemberment each day as he worked to sort the contents of the Repository so that you and I would not have to risk death to find a cookbook, a technical manual, a spellbook. He didn't have to do that. He could have waited for someone else to do it, choosing instead to stay in his dorm room, leaving only to go to the gym for training, to the dining commons for food, and to recreational facilities for entertainment. He could have let someone else take the risks, while enjoying the fruits of their labor. He could have simply given up, claiming it was too hard - that there was too much risk, and too little reward.

...but he didn't.

There is a word we call those who put their lives on the line to help their communities, who put aside their fear and trepidation and march resolutely into danger, knowing the risks. There is a word we call for those who put others before themselves, who will not ask of another what they themselves are unwilling to do. There is a word we call those who endure hardship for the sake of utter strangers, going above and beyond the call of duty.

We call them heroes.

Six days ago...six days ago - Jim Raynor, a true and unsung hero, was murdered.

In the days since I have heard talk of how there was no need for law, how we would all work together and cooperate as one large - if somewhat dysfunctional - family. I have heard talk that because we are all friends, and because it is known that retribution will come to those who attack someone prominent, there is no danger from within. I have heard talk that we simply shouldn't bother, because it was more trouble than it was worth, and everything would be done eventually anyway.

But I ask you, friends, I ask you, forumites, I ask you, comrades: trouble for who?

Jim Raynor, known to some as NerfedSpiritJim, believed the ideal of community, never making the excuse that one of the most difficult jobs in the Lair, something which promised little personal reward, was more trouble than it was worth. And yet, when he was attacked and killed that night, where were those he called friends? Where were those he might have thought of as family? Where were those who might have cared about him?

They weren't there - and that means, we as a collective, failed him.

We failed him because after all he did for us, we could not do a single thing for him. We failed him because we let him die, friendless and alone, without a single person to help watch his back. We failed him - and in so doing have failed ourselves, for he was one of us."

I take a deep breath here, as I'd said a lot and wanted to be sure the others were still paying attention.

"There is an old quote that goes 'if men were angels, government would not be necessary' - but as we have seen in recent days, and as we know all too well, men are not angels. And in the course of human events, it has become necessary for us to set up a governing body of the lair, for us, the people of the Lair, to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessing of liberty for all of us.

Some would argue that the only way to have liberty is to not have government at all, to allow each individual to do as they wish without penalty, but that is a sham. Without some structure to enforce general rules and provide for public safety, we are only free to die."

I look out once again, meeting the eyes of at Fishie sitting in the audience.

"To die, at the hands of the Magus Association, the Church, the Dead Apostle Ancestors, the demon hybrids - at the hands of any power that thinks us a threat or an unwelcome intrusion. To die at the hands of rogues and criminals from without because we would not have the knowledge or training to survive this brave new world that hath such people in it. To die at the hands of one another, as we fight and struggle for resources, for books, for knowledge, forgetting the example that people like Jim set for us.

...and I doubt any of you, any of us, wish to die so soon.

But in order to survive these three years, to say nothing of what will come after, we must understand that this is a time of crisis and must be treated as such - but that any crisis brings with it opportunity. In the past two weeks, various circles have been set up to ensure that forumites who are skilled in one area or another might be able to train others - that knowledge is shared, that we may learn from each other's experience and not all have to walk alone. In the past two weeks, various groups have developed with their own areas of specialization - with those training others in martial arts, those seeking out the resources of the library, those building centres for the community, those working on gardening, those exploring the uncharted depths of the Lair, those who offered first aid workshops and counselling, those who started a newspaper and bulletin board service, and those who got the medical facilities up and running - helping the rest of us survive...and thrive.

To thrive, not only as individuals, but as a community, for either we pull together or we die alone, just as Jim died alone."

And now, the final act...

"Thus I propose this - the formation of a Council with representatives from each major group responsible for the running of the Lair, so we might coordinate our efforts, might more effectively enforce the natural laws of humanity, might make sure that we are educated, trained, and prepared to face the coming storm. Chosen from the best of us, with seats from those in Food Prepatation, Medicine, Research, Exploration, Business, Defense and more, including an at-large seat to better represent the voice of the people, this Council will help to better manage our resources, to make sure we function as a community so that we do not survive merely in the present, but in the future to come, when we walk upon the greater world.

Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Mikhail Daud Vishnya, and I thank you for your time."


With that I bowed and took a seat, waiting to hear from others who would speak and what they had to say.

[deviatesfish]

It figures that listening to Alf speak would cause me to feel...

...inadequate. Guilty. Pathetic.

clockclockclock...

I steeled my nerves and stood up again, "May I have your attention please? We are not a bunch of old politicians who wish to be tied down in bureaucracy, so I would like to push this forum away from just talk and into action. That is... I would like to call for a vote. It's a simple, simple thing, but it is something we should decide as soon as possible. So let me ask plainly..."

"Do you wish for anarchy or do you wish for us to govern ourselves?"

"Those who wish for a lack of government, raise your hand and say 'Aye' when I call...

...and those who wish for government, please do so when I call for that."

[Airen]

Things like this weren't exactly my strong suit.

I had a tendency to lose my nerve when I got in front of a group of people of this size, and I'd rather not have people's image of me shattered by me stuttering while I attempted to give a speech about politics. And after Alf's speech, I found that I had little that I would have said anyway, as his speech had addressed pretty much everything I would have thought to say about this political matter.

So, as of this moment, the current issue was whether I and my fellow forumites desired a form of government, or anarchy.

And, when the time to vote arrives, I'll go the obvious route and choose government. Law is necessary if we were to survive these three years together in this lair. And with the formation of law, comes justice, and with that justice, we'll have the means to deal with Jim's murderer when we finally manage to locate him.

...But what sort of form would our Justice System take? A traditional Court System? Sentences dealt out by a judge? A jury? Or if the council Alf wanted was formed, would it be them?

I suppose I would have to ask about those sorts of things later on, but for now, I remain silent.

[deviatesfish]

I turned to Mister Jon Snow and Mister Vishnya and asked, "Could you help count up the votes?"

Then I turned to the forum.

"Those in favor of government...?" I asked.

I cleared my throat as those votes were counted. Then I asked, "And those in favor of anarchy?"

[2ndsly]

Wake Up. Within the depths of consciousness, a green eye opens. The eery green of it's pupil seemingly glaring at the world.
As Narrow Power arcs through my body, I let no indication of my action appear on my body.
Sleep The glaring eye closes. The Power fades.
It's mindless practice of something I already understand quite well, but it helps me keep my temper in check.

As the call for government goes out, I raise my hand.
Wake Up The eery green glare is once more upon the congregation. Power... Im wondering of late, if I wasn't foolish for not seeking power sooner.

[Blackdeath6031]

Joining in on the chorus of 'Aye's and the wave of hands when Ren - or Fishie - called out for those who were pro-government, I think about what each person who had spoke their mind so far have said.

Indeed, each of us have our own goals.
Which made Fishie's initial suggestion something to consider.

Each of us also have our own specialities, our fair share to contribute to the community - or at least everyone else but me does.
Alf's proposition - derived from the speech of his which I had absorbed objectively unlike how I would normally take in such things - fit best in this sense too.

Indeed, the best way to govern a group of people who had never met before, and suddenly become a township would be by using something of a council.

Whether the council is created based on expertise, interests, goals, opinions or otherwise however...
We could make guilds for each of our professions, we could be under unions.
We could be, as Fish had said, be part of Factions which represent our ultimate motives now that we are here in the world.

... ... ...

Now that I think about it, Factions might prove somewhat unstable - as our motives would inevitably conflict with each other. What would result in that would be anyone's guess. With our new found abilities, we could be finding alot of sabotage, raids and mini-wars. Though I suppose we could always bank on the hope that we, as members of a forum community, are civil enough to approach such friction with negotiations and diplomacy. Of course, if we're described as beasts who reside within the lair, the connotations suggest otherwise.
Who can tell, when considering people who are, potentially, strangers?

Pausing this train of thought for a moment, I chuckle lightly at the thought.

But actually, we have ourselves a forum. Considering that we are here already!
We have people who wish to have a say in what happens here participating in it.

True, having leaders of professional or interest groups is important and perhaps needed.
But the actual decision making might not need to be decided behind closed doors!


Should I mention it?
Or should I not?

....Quite possibly, it is already something taken for granted, and as usual I'm merely one of the few who are slow on the uptake.
Letting out a sigh, I decide to keep myself in the role that I truly belong to - that of a silent plebian with no outstanding qualities.

[Bloble]

".........Aye."

Government... is necessary. Without rules we are nothing but... creatures of instinct.

[zlol365]

"Heh."

There were the pros and a cons of a government and a anarchy....

however, even if he were to be hated, he decided, it made more sense to be in a anarchy....

therefore he shouted, "Aye to anarchy!"

[Spinach]

After thoroughly looking over each viewpoint for the two different alternatives, anarchy or government, I decided. I would choose the one most likely to benefit me. The one that would make it easier to progress in the magical fields, to improve my chances of survival once we leave this Lair.

And to improve my chances of survival inside of this Lair.

"Aye to government."

Though in the long run, this government might not mean much to me by the time we leave the Lair. My plans will probably... conflict... with the interests of the others. But for now, this is the safest, easiest road to take to success.

[Lianru]

I....what do I want? What would be the best for me? What would be the best for everyone?

...making decisions is hard. I'd much rather just go with the decisions of others, but...certain decisions are too important to vote without thinking.

"Aye, to a government."

[EnigmaticFellow]

Christopher Monroe

I'm pretty sure that government would be the best form of protection for us at the moment. Still, I'm not too sure about making a council due to the possible frictions that may occur due to the opposing interests of different factions. Perhaps there's a way around that problem?

"I do have a suggestion for the council if ever we are to form it. Obviously, conflict amongst the various factions within the council would eventually rise if we don't do something about it due to opposing interests; however, there may be a way to curb this problem. A system of checks and balances could be used to make sure that the factions are to stay in line."

"And aye for government."

[Blackdeath6031]

Looking at the person who had just added to the discussion, proposing that we should introduce a system to ensure each faction stays in line, I decide to speak up.

"Care to elaborate, Mr. Monroe?

If each Faction is to report to a larger, or higher person in what might be a hierarchy of sorts, we have a risk of people hiding some...things....so as to avoid condemnation?

However, I guess you either don't mean that, or you have an idea how to circumvent it?"

[Kratosirving]

Feaura Malice

Wow. I had no idea that there would be people with this sort of charisma in the Lair. I thought that everyone that had would up here was a student or working stiff with no qualms or care as to how they lived their lives. I can see that I was very wrong with my assumption, and there was a small smirk on my face as I raised my hand when the call for a form of government was levied.

[Brynhilde]

Katherine Yen

I had arrived as soon as I could when the call arrived for all to gather. Admittedly, I was at the hospital looking over patients and tending to their medications, but I settled that matter speedily and arrived here. Yes, I know, I am eager to see how this would turn out.

Truth be told, I had thought we would call for such a gathering far sooner. For us to wait until two weeks after the beginning of our 'adventure' - I can only conclude that we were all too busy attending to our businesses to care for it much.

I had chosen a seat at the back of the hall, keeping silent, taking in all that has been said, frowning slightly throughout Snow's and Ren's talks. A government is inevitable, I conclude. A society of humans like this need to live according to some rules, in some organised state. Even if no government is formed, groups of humans would still cluster together, forming gangs out of the sheer desire to protect themselves. Having a higher authority is calming in itself. From the few counselling cases I have done, many people are still grasped by fear and incomprehension. In fact, some are even still in refusal, weeping over how they had been so brutally removed from their families and friends.

These are still kids, after all. What they need for the moment is stability, not adventure. True, what is happening in the Repository of Knowledge and the various training arenas are adventure, and I wouldn't mind exploring more of the Lair myself. Yet, without a clear mind and a stable organisation, adrenaline can only keep people together for long. Therefore, voting on anarchy would be all but pointless in this debate.

I couldn't hold back my grin as my roommate delivered his passionate - and no doubt persuasive - speech. Alf, always one for dramatics to catch others' soul. It probably worked too, judging from the awed impression on the faces of those around me. Pulling on the hem of my skirt, I idly wondered about his choice in imploring the masses to consider about Jim's death last week.

Going a little overboard here, dear flatmate. Jim may be a good person - but calling him a hero? Well, wouldn't that make every one of us a hero, too?

However, I remind myself that this was not a meeting to judge our skills in oration, but whether we should have a government. Then, the answer from me would definitely be 'yes'.

And as for the matter of the form of government...

"If I may be so bold as to put forward my thoughts," standing up, I raise my voice over the crowd as Ryuuga questioned Chris about his desired form of government, "I believe that factions would form amongst us regardless of our form of government. Consider this: although we are all from Beast's Lair, we have different beliefs about the events of Nasuverse. Some of us believe that one course of action in canon is wrong and would seek to change it, while others would prefer the lives of this world to play out as we know it and strive to keep it as it is. Of course, others may be inclined to fight for certain characters they love, or vow to punish certain characters whom they hate. Therefore, since we lack a common goal that would force us to bind together as a community," I pause almost ironically, "splitting into factions is an inevitable outcome."

"Therefore, shouldn't we be more focussed on setting our communal goal for the next 3 years? Whether we would like to further our magecraft, military might, or determine our general course of action? Because, as one of the few counsellors on site, I know what we need now is a stable organisation that can solve our troubles in a proper and trustworthy manner. In this light, anarchy may not be considered feasible, as even now some of us are already fearing our fellows rather than the outside world." I glance briefly at Ryuuga. "I therefore say aye to government, but I don't believe the form of government really need to be decided too quickly. We may always adjust the way we govern ourselves in the future. However, what we need now is leadership, organisation, and goals - something only governments are able to present in a timely manner."

[Usandru]

Andreas Lyngsø

As I quietly watched the proceedings, going 'aye' for government when it came to vote, I found myself struck by a strange sense of dissatisfaction. A niggling feeling that the speakers were, for the most part, making use of the crowd at large...

Social engineering.

Well, not like I had much of a place to accuse them, since I would likely have done, and would likely do, something similar myself. Pitching my words and my reason into a battle of hearts and minds. How unpleasant. How... vile. How human.

It is strange, how something can feel both so wrong, and yet so right at the same time.

No matter.

"Excuse me but... there is a 'rule', of sorts, regarding things like this. The rule is that humans are notoriously terrible at 'simply letting things develop'. I believe that if we are not capable of deciding even the most basic rules, the most basic laws, of our tiny society, the number of 'ayes' for government and 'ayes' for anarchy will be meaningless, because anarchy would be reality. It is crucial that we craft the foundation of government, how to decide and how to implement, now."

I take a breath and step forwards. I doubt I look impressive, but I don't think it matters too much right now. My words are clear, after all. And maybe they still remember me from when I laid the foundations for this, even if little came of it.

"I've been thinking about this issue a great deal since our arrival. How can a group such as ours effectively govern itself, fairly and equally? How can we ensure that power is not merely placed in the hands of a small group of people with strength, with the will and the knowledge to take power and hold it? How can we balance the need for strong leaders, with the need for democracy, for the rule of the people? What system could possibly make this function?"

I pause briefly, gazing around at the crowd, letting them digest my words.

"I believe I have the beginning of an answer. A foundation."

Another pause. Briefer.

"'Athenian Democracy'. Or 'Direct Democracy'. We all have a vote, and every single one of us are part of the decision-making, the legislative, body of our community. Laws, decisions, rules, all are decided together. Our leaders, the strongest members of our community, must convince us that their course of action is the right one, they must be forced to remember that it is the people that grants them their power, and not their power that grants them the people. If we all must participate in making the decisions, they cannot help but do so."

I glance around again. It is important to pace oneself. To pace the speech. And endless stream of words is no more than meaningless babble.

"I have mentioned leaders. Others, have mentioned leaders. We are humans, and as such we will almost inevitably have leaders, of one sort or another. With democracy, the 'common man' may control the power of his leader, but they are still there. Those with skills, those with knowledge, will inevitably become powerful figures in our community. Those with medical knowledge have already proved themselves indispensable, and the far-sighted entrepreneurs that started the library project will no doubt come to hold the respect and attention of many, simply from their willingness to act and take charge. They are leaders. Creating a formalized council, wherein these leaders maybe discuss and propose the laws that must be voted on might be considered as important as it is no doubt inevitable. They would form one no matter our opinions on the matter, so let it be official. Let us create a council for our leaders, a place for them to discuss and decide what troubles and issues there are in our community, a place for them to craft and debate our potential laws, and for them to plan and execute the ones we have accepted. Let them be the executive body of our government."

I smile.

"Those of you familiar with political or social science have no doubt already realized where I am going with all this. Legislative, executive, judicial. The three pillars of government. You have no doubt also noted that I have made no mention of judiciary matters. I believe that as small as our community is, merging our judicial body with the legislative, and making it the responsibility of the council to present the cases that must be judged, whatever their nature, is simply easiest. Similarly, the fourth pillar, the press, can as easily be word of mouth as it can be our newspaper. We are ultimately somewhat too small of a community to make more of our government than that."

I make a slight bow.

"Thank you for listening to me. I hope my words have helped you shape your image of our future government, for good or ill."

Then, finally, I step back, feeling the adrenaline slowly recede and finally noticing the tension in my body.

I smile as I try to let myself be reabsorbed into the crowd. It is a good tension.

[Neir]

I might as well say my piece.

"I don't see why we need a government. Then we'd need a military or a police for to enforce laws, and a judicial branch to pronounce judgement. Seems like a lot for spending three years here. Can't we just agree not to be murderers and such?"

[Blackdeath6031]

Kathy has a point, but without setting up the basic rules that we ought to conform to, I am left to wonder - how would such an incomplete government work with us?
Of course, I myself have never conformed to the rules of the government, having only just turned 18.
But with this new world, these new laws that guard the nature of this world, and each of these might change how I act, and how I might end up as a result of this.

It appears that Usandru arrived on almost the same suggestions as me, though (despite my unwillingness to speak up) - to have all the people decide via votes. And to have a council of leaders from each department.

However, would it be a good idea for each leader to present their opinions, advice and findings in front of a forum like this prior to votings?
Or at least through a medium that could reach everyone interested?


Then Neir spoke up.

... ...
I've decided I won't say anymore out loud, so I won't. But I'm surprised how trusting the people of Beast's Lair are of humans.
I suppose I'm the only individual who curses the existence of humanity, huh.