jelas.info

Hullo there! Long time no see!! :)

So, being the epitome of syiok sendiri, I am participating as a candidate in the delightful Come UndiMsia: Imagining a Tastier Democracy.

Come UndiMsia is a fundraising dinner that will be held on September 16th at Leonardo’s in Bangsar – I do hope you’ll come for a fun night organised by none other than that eminently entertaining ball of madness, June (wow).

As part of the run-up and entertainment, there’s a reality show competition where candidates champion causes, and people vote for the ones that resonate most by liking pictures on a Facebook album.

My cause is one of my own invention, and something I’ve thought about for a long time: Cooperative vs. Competitive Politics. Elaboration below, and click on the picture if you’d like to vote on Facebook! :)

Politics today largely involves people trying to step on one another’s heads. This is because in most forms of democracy, there are two ways to win – make yourself look good, or make your opponent look like crap. The more cunning, low brow – and alas, successful – class of politician often resorts to the latter.

Imagine if we had a system where people in politics are not ‘rewarded’ for quarreling with their opponents. Is this inherently impossible in politics? I don’t think so at all. All it takes is to conceptualise and design a better system. If we can afford to conduct experiments involving making teh tarik in space, I don’t think this is beyond us.

Perhaps we can start with a new concept of parliament. Geographically delineated constituencies are best suited for local administration that should be decided by local elections. Imagine a national parliament that had multiple representatives but only one constituency: the entire nation. The best way to get elected then would be to champion particular issues (much like in Come UndiMsia) to ensure enough support. Citizens throughout the nation can vote for a number of individuals they feel best represent their ideas and desirable leadership qualities, and candidates will have nothing to gain from trying to put their opponents down – a true marketplace of ideas.

I reckon that’d be a tastier democracy indeed :)