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(The following article is submitted purely for purposes of amusement)
The Folly of Inter-Unit Elections
How unbridled Democracy can make “a mess” of your company.
It was the wise patriot John Adams who quipped “…democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." It is the intent of this article to expose the many failings surrounding the common practice of democratic elections in reenactment organizations. It is only natural that we, as freedom-loving Americans, would seek to bring our beloved-political system to the past time of reenacting so that it may reap the benefits of freedom. We must ask ourselves, however, whether or not this practice is truly beneficial to ourselves, our units and the hobby at large. Why, during recent years, has the hobby experienced the fragmentation of many company-sized organizations into smaller, loosely organized “messes?” Is unbridled democracy making “a mess” out of our hobby?
Democracy is Boring and Inefficient
Many years back I belonged to a reenactment group (which will remain anonymous) that prided itself on order and the fairness of democratically elected leaders. While this may sound like a fine idea, democracy is dreadfully boring in practice; it involves strict meeting etiquette, updates from the treasurer and voting on inane and insignificant issues. A democracy is also the most inefficient form of government in existence. What this means to reenactors is that we spend a great deal of our precious free time on boring, administrative nonsense that yields little in terms of results…and less time actually reenacting. How silly.
Democracy is Imperfect
Sadly, majority rule often results in extremely poor decisions. Case in point, Adolf Hitler was elected democratically, proving that democracies can make catastrophically bone-headed choices. Just because one man receives a majority of your unit’s votes does not necessarily make him the best man for the job. The number of company officers at reenactments who don’t even know left from right categorically proves this point.
The Army is not a Democracy
While military elections were known to take place from time-to-time during the Civil War, it was certainly the exception and not the rule. Ask anybody who has served in the military what kind of rights he/she had as a soldier and they will tell you “none.” Unlike reenactors, most soldiers during the Civil War did not elect their officers into service, which also likely explains why they also didn’t feel comfortable drinking too much “pop-skull” and vomiting into the campfire in the presence of their CO; a practice that many reenactors are completely comfortable with.
Reenacting and Fishing – A Comparison
Like many of you, I also enjoy fishing. At times I like to amuse myself by thinking about how unpopular fishing would be if it were administered like a lot of reenactment groups. First off, I would attend four to five meetings about fishing for each actual fishing trip. Second, if I were elected “master baiter” for the year, I would have to be comfortable with the fact that I was not going to do any boat steering, fish cleaning or casting in the near future. If I attempted to impose such controls on my fishing buddies, I would be fishing alone. Why on earth would anybody find it necessary to impose unwarranted bureaucracy on my fishing experience? Why do we contently do just that as reenactors?
Emergence of the Mess
The mess system is a natural response to company-sized organizations boring the hell out of its members with needless democratic constructs. These wise souls have realized the value of handling their fellow reenactors much like their fishing buddies. Most of them were likely jerked awake after succumbing to a Robert’s Rules of Ettiquette-induced narcoleptic fit with an absolute epiphany: “Hey, I don’t need to put myself through this! I’m out of here!” The only problem with the mess system is that often nobody is in charge and events turn into a disorganized group of disgruntled sods, all of whom have forgotten company level drill. They spend the bulk of their time sitting around the fire, caps worn in a jaunty manner, bitching about farbs.
The Solution: Oligarchy of the Free
The solution to reenactment administration lies in the efficiency of oligarchy, and the comfort of knowing that we may leave it at any time. One of the most successful and long-standing governments of all time was the famous Venetian oligarchy. It was efficient, its rulers wise, and best of all, anybody with a boat could leave it fairly easily. This is the key to successful reenactor politics. Find a unit with good leaders, personalities that you enjoy, and consider yourself lucky not to be put in a position of leadership too frequently. As members of the ruling class age and move into different roles, your time will come to join the ranks of the great…if you choose to do so.
While we all enjoy living in a democracy, for God’s sake, don’t reenact within one. Life is too short to bother yourself with the needless complexity of using one of the world’s youngest and least tried governmental systems during your precious free time. Vote down the vote, and remember, if you aren’t getting what you’re looking for in your current unit, simply leave. Unlike national citizenship, you are not bound to suffer on anybody’s behalf or drizzle your days away like a Toastmaster wearing wool.
The Folly of Inter-Unit Elections
How unbridled Democracy can make “a mess” of your company.
It was the wise patriot John Adams who quipped “…democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide." It is the intent of this article to expose the many failings surrounding the common practice of democratic elections in reenactment organizations. It is only natural that we, as freedom-loving Americans, would seek to bring our beloved-political system to the past time of reenacting so that it may reap the benefits of freedom. We must ask ourselves, however, whether or not this practice is truly beneficial to ourselves, our units and the hobby at large. Why, during recent years, has the hobby experienced the fragmentation of many company-sized organizations into smaller, loosely organized “messes?” Is unbridled democracy making “a mess” out of our hobby?
Democracy is Boring and Inefficient
Many years back I belonged to a reenactment group (which will remain anonymous) that prided itself on order and the fairness of democratically elected leaders. While this may sound like a fine idea, democracy is dreadfully boring in practice; it involves strict meeting etiquette, updates from the treasurer and voting on inane and insignificant issues. A democracy is also the most inefficient form of government in existence. What this means to reenactors is that we spend a great deal of our precious free time on boring, administrative nonsense that yields little in terms of results…and less time actually reenacting. How silly.
Democracy is Imperfect
Sadly, majority rule often results in extremely poor decisions. Case in point, Adolf Hitler was elected democratically, proving that democracies can make catastrophically bone-headed choices. Just because one man receives a majority of your unit’s votes does not necessarily make him the best man for the job. The number of company officers at reenactments who don’t even know left from right categorically proves this point.
The Army is not a Democracy
While military elections were known to take place from time-to-time during the Civil War, it was certainly the exception and not the rule. Ask anybody who has served in the military what kind of rights he/she had as a soldier and they will tell you “none.” Unlike reenactors, most soldiers during the Civil War did not elect their officers into service, which also likely explains why they also didn’t feel comfortable drinking too much “pop-skull” and vomiting into the campfire in the presence of their CO; a practice that many reenactors are completely comfortable with.
Reenacting and Fishing – A Comparison
Like many of you, I also enjoy fishing. At times I like to amuse myself by thinking about how unpopular fishing would be if it were administered like a lot of reenactment groups. First off, I would attend four to five meetings about fishing for each actual fishing trip. Second, if I were elected “master baiter” for the year, I would have to be comfortable with the fact that I was not going to do any boat steering, fish cleaning or casting in the near future. If I attempted to impose such controls on my fishing buddies, I would be fishing alone. Why on earth would anybody find it necessary to impose unwarranted bureaucracy on my fishing experience? Why do we contently do just that as reenactors?
Emergence of the Mess
The mess system is a natural response to company-sized organizations boring the hell out of its members with needless democratic constructs. These wise souls have realized the value of handling their fellow reenactors much like their fishing buddies. Most of them were likely jerked awake after succumbing to a Robert’s Rules of Ettiquette-induced narcoleptic fit with an absolute epiphany: “Hey, I don’t need to put myself through this! I’m out of here!” The only problem with the mess system is that often nobody is in charge and events turn into a disorganized group of disgruntled sods, all of whom have forgotten company level drill. They spend the bulk of their time sitting around the fire, caps worn in a jaunty manner, bitching about farbs.
The Solution: Oligarchy of the Free
The solution to reenactment administration lies in the efficiency of oligarchy, and the comfort of knowing that we may leave it at any time. One of the most successful and long-standing governments of all time was the famous Venetian oligarchy. It was efficient, its rulers wise, and best of all, anybody with a boat could leave it fairly easily. This is the key to successful reenactor politics. Find a unit with good leaders, personalities that you enjoy, and consider yourself lucky not to be put in a position of leadership too frequently. As members of the ruling class age and move into different roles, your time will come to join the ranks of the great…if you choose to do so.
While we all enjoy living in a democracy, for God’s sake, don’t reenact within one. Life is too short to bother yourself with the needless complexity of using one of the world’s youngest and least tried governmental systems during your precious free time. Vote down the vote, and remember, if you aren’t getting what you’re looking for in your current unit, simply leave. Unlike national citizenship, you are not bound to suffer on anybody’s behalf or drizzle your days away like a Toastmaster wearing wool.
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