***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org *****

"Experience itself is authority (but authority expiates itself)."
Maurice Blanchot

On Thu, Oct 3, 2013 at 5:13 PM, John T. Maloney <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> ***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org *****
>
> LOL! Thanks.
>
>
>
> ‘Sincerely’
>
>
>
> I don’t think so.
>
>
>
>
>
> “As democracy is conceived today, the minority's rights must be protected no
> matter how singular or alienated that minority is from the majority society;
> otherwise, the majority's rights lose their meaning.”
>
>
>
> - ‘Big Al’ de Tocqueville
>
>
>
>
>
> Concerning higher-order social network abstractions in complex systems small
> (minority) changes can have major (majority) impact. That’s what makes
> authentic liberal democracy, as a social construct, work well.
>
>
>
> ‘Skip’ please consider this majority: http://bit.ly/1bty1RO
>
>
>
> The comments from our federal servants are priceless! Can you say,
> ‘Enlightened self-interest?’
>
>
>
>
>
> -j
>
>
>
> From: Barbour, Russell [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 6:28 AM
> To: John T. Maloney; [log in to unmask]
> Subject: RE: [SOCNET] Fear in Networks
>
>
>
> So you believe that we should abandon laws and submit to the will of this
> band of extremists? Does protection of the minority include gerrymandered
> congressional districts that created this situation in the first place?
> Most Americans voted against the Republicans in the House elections.
> Respect for the minority cannot mean that the majority is to be silenced
> by extremists.
>
>
>
> Sincerely
>
>
>
> Russell " Skip" Barbour Ph.D.
>
> Associate Director for Statistics
>
> Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS
>
> Yale School of Medicine
>
> 135 College St. Suit 200
>
> New Haven , CT. 06510
>
> Tel: 203 764 4332
>
> Fax: 203 764 4353
>
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
> Doubt grows with knowledge.
> Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
>
>
>
>
> From: Social Networks Discussion Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of John T. Maloney
> Sent: Thursday, October 03, 2013 9:12 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [SOCNET] Fear in Networks
>
>
>
> ***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org *****
>
> Hi -
>
> Don't think you need a 'smart sociologist.' Rather, what's needed is a basic
> civics lesson.
>
> Remember this axiom? "In a democracy, the majority rules."
>
> Sorry, but the 'majority' sometimes forgets the COMPLETE description of
> democracy -
>
> "In a democracy the majority rules, at the consent of the minority."
>
> In a democracy the minority is the most important constituency by far!
>
> Fortunately, it is rare that we need to take out the ol' democracy handbook.
> Well, this is one of those times.
>
> Quite to the contrary, the fear is manifest in POTUS & Reid. They are
> terrified of minority factions. Instead of protecting and nurturing the
> minority, the hallmark of flourishing liberal democracy, they behave as
> textbook demagogues.
>
> If you need a primer on democracy, that French guy with the really long name
> is excellent.
>
> "If it be admitted that a man possessing absolute power may misuse that
> power by wronging his adversaries, why should not a majority be liable to
> the same reproach? Men do not change their characters by uniting with one
> another; nor does their patience in the presence of obstacles increase with
> their strength. For my own part, I cannot believe it; the power to do
> everything, which I should refuse to one of my equals, I will never grant to
> any number of them."
>
> - Alexis-Charles-Henri Clérel de Tocqueville,
>
> "Tyranny of the Majority,"
>
> Chapter XV, Book 1,
>
> Democracy in America
>
> -j
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Social Networks Discussion Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
> Behalf Of Valdis Krebs
> Sent: Wednesday, October 02, 2013 7:58 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [SOCNET] Fear in Networks
>
> ***** To join INSNA, visit http://www.insna.org *****
>
> Looking at the current US government shutdown... it "appears" that a small
> group of far-right politicians (a minority in their own Republican Party)
> have sway over the rest of the party (many of whom do not want the
> shutdown), but out of fear(apparently) all Republicans are supporting/voting
> the minority view.
>
> Can a smart sociologist explain what is going on? Have any SNA studies been
> done on how a small minority(~10%) controls a majority in a bounded network?
> Any good papers on fear in networks?
>
> Valdis Krebs
>
> http://orgnet.com
>
> http://thenetworkthinkers.com
>
> _____________________________________________________________________
>
> SOCNET is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social
> network researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send an email
> message to [log in to unmask] containing the line UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in
> the body of the message.
>
> _____________________________________________________________________ SOCNET
> is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social network
> researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send an email message to
> [log in to unmask] containing the line UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in the body of
> the message.
>
> _____________________________________________________________________ SOCNET
> is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social network
> researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send an email message to
> [log in to unmask] containing the line UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in the body of
> the message.

_____________________________________________________________________
SOCNET is a service of INSNA, the professional association for social
network researchers (http://www.insna.org). To unsubscribe, send
an email message to [log in to unmask] containing the line
UNSUBSCRIBE SOCNET in the body of the message.