[New-imc] Ithacaimc block of Rogue application

[freedom]

I am speaking for myself only though I will reiterate the message of 
ithacaimc.  

I am concerned that rather than addressing issues which have been raised 
concerning why Rogue should not be accepted as an IMC yet, there has been 
deflection and personalization.  The block of ithacaimc is only until the two 
issues of concensus and following the new imc process have been met.  We have 
further concerns about membership and outreach but these concerns are not at 
this time at the level of block.  We state them so that the people involved 
with Rogue know there are concerns and can address them.  Our understanding 
is that Rogue will be servicing an area where it is desirable to have an imc 
and we do sincerely hope that will happen.  Reading the imc-process archives 
it is clear that other people have raised other substinative issues.  They 
are substinative regardless of the motivation of the people stating the 
issues.  Therefore, they need to be addressed as Rogue negotiates the new imc 
process.  Calling for ignoring blocks, and denegrating people is not useful.  

I will state that I am very concerned with working groups and some IMC's not 
adhering to the principle and actuality of operating by concensus (as 
required by the Principles of Unity).  I experienced a tech working group 
conversation that was full of power tripping and building power allies.  
Consensus had ceased to be an objective.  Process had been reduced to 
win/loose.  Consensus is about patience, respect, contemplation, and building 
toward win/win.  It is about cooperation.  Volunteer organizations depend on 
cooperation.  I did not join indymedia to be part of win/loose.  Monopoly, 
the army, CNN... those sorts of things are about win/loose.  Humanity cannot 
survive if we cannot get beyond win/loose.   IMC cannot be better media than 
CNN if we reduce decisionmaking to win/loose.  

We need to be clear in our commitment to consensus decisionmaking.  If we 
waver in that committment, agent provocators can create a lot of decention by 
using exploiting the process issue and reducing process to win/loose.    
"Everyone except one person is for/against this.  It's unreasonable for one 
person to be able to block all the rest of us.  We need to remove them.  We 
need to use 2/3 majority. etc., etc.".   Consensus can be frustrating.  It is 
inherently conservative.  And that concervatism means that when things are 
set up well they stay on a good track dispite attempts to derail.  What is 
more, the power of consensus building is undeniable.  Even top down 
organizations recognize it and try to take advantage of it in ways that do 
not fundamentally challenge the top down structure.  Win/loose is about 
winning.  Everything else is beside the point.  Consensus is about good 
solutions, and everybody winning.

We are at a critical juncture regards IMC process.  I do hope that the new imc 
process will reitterate IMC committment to concensus decision making as it 
addresses the Rogue application.

Respectfully,
Eric