[EM] reply to Gilmour attack on range voting & social utility; CCd to RangeVoting

[Paul Kislanko]

> Abd ul-Rahman Lomax wrote:
> 
> Let me put it this way. If we have a true democracy, the form of 
> government and its institutions are a matter of the consent of the 
> people. 

Let me put it this way. Any time I see a discussion about how a voting
method works begin with a philosophical argument, I ignore whatever logic
and math may follow. 

I don't mind philosophical arguments - they are good. But the question at
hand is not whether we have a true democracy or not, it is whether a voting
method meets certain technical requirements or not. If we want to vote on
what "true democracy" is, we need to first choose a voting method. And if
the requirement for a voting method is that support a "democratic" choice of
voting methods, we need to first define what "democratic" means, which forms
a loop from which there is no way out.

So, let's stick with election method definitions and their provable
properties before we start in with the how many angels can dance on the head
of a pin stuff.