DU THINK TANK UPDATE: THE GAME PLAN

I'd appreciate if this thread got a few bumps so people interested in this project know what's going on.

The current THINK TANK thread has gotten too big and will soon fade to the back pages. If you have no idea what I'm referring to go here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2744460

Here's the current game plan to lay the ground work for the DU Think Tank project. All the following will be going on simultaneously.

welshTerrier2 is working on a proposal for a new forum dedicated to organizing this project. He has a post in the Admin forum. wt2 is writing a proposal/mission statement for the forum as well as organizing support. Probably nothing will happen until after the holiday weekend. Not sure if wt2 has a draft proposal written but I set up a wiki workspace for this http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/DU%20FORUM%20PROPOSAL/DU%20FORUM%20PROPOSAL.htm?wpid=

I've started a separate thread to write a formal proposal to submit to DU concerning the project itself. My apologies to the writing forum for which this may be OT.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=216&topic_id=456#458

There is a corresponding wiki workspace where anyone can help edit this draft: http://www.seedwiki.com/wiki/RETHINKING%20AMERICA/RETHINKING%20AMERICA.htm?wpid=
If anyone makes changes, please state the reasons on the discussion page there. The reasons are not always that obvious.

The project sounds great. Got the threads bookmarked.

From http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2744460#2749139

welshTerrier2
Wed Nov-24-04 09:13 PM
97. PLEASE READ: FORUM PROPOSAL ON THIS TOPIC COMING SOON

Edited on Wed Nov-24-04 09:15 PM by welshTerrier2
if you would be interested in receiving a PM when a formal "Request for Forum" proposal is issued on this topic please drop me a PM ...

I'll PM you back when the proposal thread is posted ... the formal request thread will probably be posted either this Sunday or Monday ... Elad suggested that things might be a bit slow because of the holiday so we thought we should wait a few days ...

Several people have already expressed interest ... we'd like to get as many charter members as possible to help us define the process we'll use in the "Core Values Think Tank" ... btw, feel free to suggest a better name for the forum if you don't like this one ...

For more details about the mission of the new forum, check out the thread I posted in Ask the Admins ...

This is a fantastic plan. Keep it kicked!

nt

I am here from CGCS per ulTRAX's request to close down the discussion in that forum.

My intro (should anyone care) is here:

http://www.commongroundcommonsense.org/index.php?showtopic=6848

I observe I am actually in violation of the rules of DU as I do not label myself a "progressive" thus, in theory, my account may be revoked at any time. So I hereby throw myself on the mercy of the Moderators. :-)

From ulTRAX (see link above):

Thank you for your interest. Your input will be welcome. As for your Libertarian background, I welcome it. I suspect a revisitation of core values will logically lead down some Libertarian paths.... and ultimately lead to a new synthesis in some elements of now divergent schools of thought. It's the unpredictability of this process that I most look forward to. Who knows what new ideas we may stumble on just because a revisitation of core values takes on a logic and a life of its own. We have to be willing to embrace that as both necessary and intellectually liberating.... and possible source of new ideas the nation needs. Others intend to impose political restraints on this process. That's a sure formula to destroy the creative process.



I entirely concur with this. The 'problem' with research is one discovers New Stuff. Labeling this New Stuff, at the outset, Libertarian, Progressive, Zen Buddhism, or Monarchal Anarchism gives me hairballs - Who Cares.

I'm not sure everyone is going to agree that the "think tank" process is best done with people most Progressives might disagree with but it's something I'll defend... as long as the discussion is civil. Since my own philosophy is to work from the bottom up, I've always been free to cherry-pick ideas from any tradition. I consider myself a Progressive if not a Leftist... but I know that some of what I believe have roots in Libertarianism. Or maybe Libertarianism simply shares roots in in earlier traditions.

Ya, another thread lost in the DU chaos.... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2752753#

I think DU would be short-sited not to go along with the think tank proposal.

But what if DU doesn't go along? Should we go elsewhere? We might as well start developing a backup plan for

1: not getting a forum to organize in....
2: getting a forum but not getting DU to go along with the proposal.

There's always Dean's http://www.democracyforamerica.com/forums/index.php
But they only have some 640 users.