[Bnomic-private] Ultimate Democracy

[Glotmorf]

{{ _This Island Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us_

[[

"Frank."

*Yes, sir?*

"What's that noise out front?"

*Uh...lotta people running around the parking lot.  Looks like they're=
 trying to find something.*

"Hm.  Keep an eye on it.  Call the police if it gets out of hand."

*Yes, sir.*

I tried to focus on the proposal.  It was the fifth one I'd finalized that=
 day.  Each took careful re-reading since it was destined for a government=
 that didn't necessarily understand idioms.  Domestic proposals were much=
 easier -- just bury the details in enough bureaucratese and the whole=
 thing would be evaluated by the pound.  But the domestic economy just=
 wasn't going to support us in the short run.

I picked up the phone again.

"Frank."

*Yeah?*

"What's that noise in the hallway?"

*Security says one of the crowd got inside.  They're trying to chase him=
 down.*

"Joy.  Don't hesitate to use the attack ferrets."

I rubbed my eyes and stared at the paper again.  We were going to need a=
 local office in that country to get around the technology export=
 restrictions...

The door burst open and slammed shut again.

"Hey, Frank, I'm trying to get something done here...Oh.  What are you=
 doing here?"

Wonko braced himself against the door, his eyes rolling wildly.  "Hey.=
  Spare a drink for an old friend?"

"Well, usually, yeah, but you can have one too.  There's hard cider in the=
 fridge there."

He hesitated, listening intently. "Are they coming?"

"I didn't invite them.  But then, I didn't invite you either."

He looked at me then, and grimaced as our eyes met. "Yeah...sorry about=
 this.  I, uh, just happened to be passing by..."

I leaned back in my chair. "With a mob passing by right behind you..."

"They're out to get me!"

"Can't imagine why.  You just bought out all their stocks, emptied their=
 bank and ruined their economy.  How *is* the big corporate life treating=
 you these days?"

"Look, can't a guy profit in today's society?"

"Apparently, yes.  I'm trying to do it too.  Why are you in my office=
 again?"

"I just..." He twisted the cap off of the bottle he'd fetched and took a=
 long pull of cider, then looked balefully at the bottle.  He shook his=
 head and glanced at the window. "I just had to get away from them.  They=
 hate me."

"So you ran here?"

"You don't hate me."

"I didn't say that.  I just have most of my investments in other currency."

Wonko went very still, watching me.

I sighed and rubbed my eyes. "Chill, dude, okay?  If I really hated you I'd=
 push you out the front door."  My phone rang. "Yes, Frank?"

*The mob says it wants Wonko.*

"Tell them that's not in our fall product line."

*Right.  Uh...is there anyone in there with you?*

I glanced up at Wonko. "Nothing that's part of our fall product line."

*Aw shit.*

"Send someone from Marketing out to give them some spin."

*What if he gets hurt?*

"Pick the most drunk one."

*Sure thing.*

I hung up and studied Wonko.  "Seems your public is asking for you."

He steeled himself and took another drink. "Still got a dimship?"

"Terrorists took out the lab.  Don't you read the papers?  Oh, wait, I=
 forgot.  You *made* the papers."

"I need some place to go.  I can't go back out there!  You're not gonna let=
 them have me, are you?"

I contemplated him a moment.  It would be so easy.  One less irritant to=
 worry about.  I stood up and wandered to the window, glancing out the=
 blinds at the scene below. "Ever hear of John Stuart Mill?"

"Is that a historical landmark?"

"It's a person.  A philosopher.  Big on personal liberty and individual=
 rights.  Among his pet peeves was an idea he called 'tyranny of the=
 majority'.  Basically, he thought it was just far too easy to say that if=
 something is good for everybody but one person, it was for the 'common=
 good', and therefore justifiable to deprive the one.  The good of the=
 individual goes out the window." I smiled faintly. "Ultimate democracy.=
  The people speak, and the loudest group gets its way."

Wonko finally started to relax. "And you're against that, right?"

I turned back to look at him. "Yeah, I'm against that.  Tax us, sure; we=
 get the government we pay for.  Make us work harder for success; I love a=
 challenge.  Anything that's fair to everyone, as long as everyone has a=
 chance to succeed.  But not picking a target and robbing him blind, just=
 so everyone else can have a free meal.  I'm against mob rule."

"So...where does that leave us?"

I stared at him.

"I mean, me.  Where does that leave me?"

"You could give back the money."

"I...could, yeah..."

I looked at him reproachfully.  When I saw it was having no effect, I=
 sighed, sat, and picked up the phone.

"Joe?  Hi, it's me.  Sorry to bother you...What?  Oh, yeah, that's my=
 parking lot the mob's in.  Are the TV crews here already?  Look, I just=
 wanted to say...You know that reality TV show you were asking me about,=
 and whether I thought it was too vicious for the public?  I've changed my=
 mind.  I think the public could use a little vicious right now.  Might=
 make for a good draw...This week?  Cool.  Can we work up an ad campaign?=
  I was thinking reciprocal.  I mean, if what you're telling me is true,=
 I've got live cameramen in my parking lot right now..."

A short time later, Frank edged his way to the salesman trying to keep the=
 crowd at bay, and whispered in his ear.  The man stiffened, then boldly=
 turned back to face the crowd.

"Everyone, please disperse.  There is no one and nothing called 'Wonko' in=
 this facility.  We are not open to inspection by lynch mobs.  The public=
 can't just gang up on individuals.  It's not like you're playing=
 Nomvivor!"

The crowd hesitated at that.  What the hell was Nomvivor?

"Go home, relax, cool off, watch Nomvivor on TV, and let the authorities=
 straighten all this out here in the real world.  Thank you."

The mob had lost its focus.  Confusion rippled through the throng, and made=
 it start to fray.  People started to drift off, one by one, two by two,=
 until there were nothing but cars in the front lot.

Wonko watched from my window, and let out a shaky sigh. "I can't believe=
 it.  It's over."

"Crowds are a momentum thing, like waves.  Throw up an interference pattern=
 and they collapse."

"Whatever.  I was never really into physics."  He looked over at me. "So=
 what's Nomvivor anyway?"

]]

{{ _Nomvivor_

There exists a player attribute called The Island.  The Island can have one=
 of two states for a given player: "On" or "Off"; a player is thus thought=
 of as "On the Island" or "Off the Island", respectively.  All players are=
 initially "Off the Island".  If a player is "On the Island" but goes on=
 leave, e becomes "Off the Island".

At the beginning of the nweek after this rule is implemented, all players=
 not on leave become On the Island.

During each proposal voting period in which more than one player is On the=
 Island, each player On the Island can submit a vote to the Administrator,=
 either by email or public forum, naming another player who is On the=
 Island.  A player cannot name emself in the vote.

At the end of the voting period, naming votes are counted by the=
 Administrator.  If a player On the Island didn't cast a vote before the=
 end of the voting period, a vote is cast for em, randomly naming a player=
 On the Island other than emself.  The player On the Island who was named=
 most out of all players On the Island becomes Off the Island.  In case of=
 a tie, votes are generated that randomly name players On the Island until=
 there is no tie.

If, after votes are counted, there still remain multiple players On the=
 Island, the vote of the player who most recently became Off the Island is=
 counted during the following voting period.

If, after a voting period, there is only one player On the Island, the=
 following events occur:

-	the player becomes Off the Island
-	the player receives the title, "Nweek ### Nomvivor", where ### is the=
 number of the nweek
-	the player receives (850 mod (<# of nweek> * 10)) points
-	at the beginning of the first nweek following in which there are three or=
 more players not on leave, all players become On the Island

}}

[[

Wonko blinked. "That's bloodthirsty."

"That's tyranny of the majority."

"Even if it's a majority of two?"

"That just makes tyranny personal."

]]

}}

						Glotmorf