April 10 Board meeting

[Andrew A. Adams]

Robin,

I agree completely with what you said. The suggestion, even from a small 
number within NCSG, that there was something wrong with NCSG taking a 
principled stance against the proposals, even as a lone voice in the 
wilderness, was something I never understood. One of the most powerful legal 
bodies in the world, the US Supreme Court, regularly publishes minority 
opinions in cases of significant disagreement. The GNSO must be willing to 
allow dissent within its ranks, not least because of the law of unintended 
consequences. A minority opinion may become the majority or even unanimous 
opinion, later once the consequences of a decision play out. Without that 
considered minority opinion being present in the minutes and on the record, 
backing away from bad decisions or, as in this case, the higher authority 
taking the minority opinion view, shows the importance of us sticking to our 
principles.

This also holds within NCSG itself of course and where NPOC views differ from 
NCUC views for example, neither NCUC nor NPOC should be afraid of having an 
NPOC minority view on the record,s ave where the difference of opinion is 
very minor and pales into insignificance compared to the major portions of 
the issue under discussion. We must find common ground where we can but not 
let ourselves be silenced when our view is unpopular.



-- 
Professor Andrew A Adams                      aaa at meiji.ac.jp
Professor at Graduate School of Business Administration,  and
Deputy Director of the Centre for Business Information Ethics
Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan       http://www.a-cubed.info/