Newcomers start here:

To the curious passer-by: This site makes the case that the world has climbed partway up the hill we call Democracy; we're on a plateau that we mistake for a summit. Also that the next step up is simple; a twist of the mixture screw, that would mean no angry crowds in Tunis or Cairo, no looming war in Abidjan, and not even the dumbest of Brit tabloids screeching about race war in Jo'burg when Mandela dies. Plus that the 9 beggars now populating my local intersection recede to 8, then 7, then 6, and foreseeably to 0, Plus the razor-wire and electric fences that surround my life stop increasing, and quite soon start reducing.

Here below are four introductions to D2, Democracy Version Two. Personally I think that any one of them gives you the picture, but I concede this is not a majority view. Still, if you read all four and they make no sense, I'll be surprised. And then there's there's reams more picture-filling-in all over the site. Luv, Denis.

Come Themba's Head, 2009, I'd learned to respect design, even on books that are just plain words. My cousin Kit designs beautiful books, but she was in England. I felt no, I must express local loyalty.

My friend R is local. I give Themba to him. A month later I'm told for the fourth time "I'm getting into it today, Denis, I'll ring you tomorrow."

It's a Wednesday afternoon. I put the phone down and send Themba's Head, first word to last, to Kit, asking for a quote.

I'm about to break for supper when the book comes back, designed. It's super, airy and spacious with 2 000 characters per (same-size) page. Plus Kit has made space for illustrations, 18 little mini-graphics at the start of 18 chapters.

Illustrations? This is going a bit far. But, hey, the spaces are there. I ask Francois Smit to do me 18 good-looking doodles. A bit reluctant, he says I must give him 18 themes, in one line each.

I do. Francois gives me 18 drawings. Each of these is much more than I expect. I'd pictured twirls and swoops. I have specific pictures. I love them.

Except for one, the last one. I'd given him a wrong brief -- "unwinking face, one side grim, one side laughing". What did that mean? I don't know. He did it anyway. It came out ghoulish; would put you off your lunch.

Having been an enthusiastic participant in this endless debate over the last few weeks, let me just ask this.

Steven Sidley

Steven, I think that y. . . .

Sorry. Pause. I can't take this seriously.

No-one but the tax man knows him as Steven. And when you're privileged to know the owner of a handle as distinctive as the one he carries daily, you do not lightly let it go.

Real rulers, like you; real servants, like the Prez

Pedro, I return from arctic Grahamstown to arctic Joburg. I'm full of culcha and icicles and seized particles and the inner glow that the Mother of Festivals always lights. I find you wading in to D2 on several fronts, and you bring joy to my soul. Hearty large thanks to you, you and your alzheimers. You keep me straight.

To me, this site feels soggy with summaries. To you, that ain't coming across. This is my problem, not your problem. I try again; supersummary.

What is D2? The next founding political principle of politics. The first principle was Strength; a ruler ruled until he got booted. The current principle is Ratification; the party ratified by the biggest herd rules, until some strays switch loyalties. The next principle, D2's, is Consentience, where the rules are what people want them to be. Your side of town might have different rules to mine. We don't need permission to be different; we need voters. If our differentness annoys our compatriots, they muster voters behind them and twist our arms.

Mike says:

• What's this about D2 not asking people to vote?
• The "average citizen" is something between a myth and an aardvark.
• Give peasants and proletarians half a chance and they'll gobble the goodies.
• D2's "web" of political units is (somehow??) phoney.
• D2 has never worked anywhere, unless it's some kind of book club with elephantiasis.

Denis says: knowing it's boring to apologise all the time, I apologise anyway. Mike has had 30 days (thirty days!) to think "Bloody Beckett ignores me" and/or "BB is stumped". From the first he gets miffed; from the second his D2 antennae droop. That's a bit bloody shameful, innit? If I employed me I'd fire me.

But, hey, Mike, forgiveness asseblief. Blame the design fault in the clock; unforgivably stingy. At least none of the okes who do quasi-employ me have fired me this month.

And here now is the next round, replies to Mike.

Not that he replied to me, please note. Not to the three sentences I was proud of, which I paraphrase (+ improve + shorten) as: (i) Most people want a peaceful life and an adequate income. (ii) Most people will never give active assent to policies that incite our neighbours to violence against us. (iii) for seriously stable & sound politics, drench leadership at every level in the active assent of electorates.