[0] https://github.com/liqd/adhocracy/ note the meaning of the name http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhocracy
This system would work a lot better if there was a pool of monk-like disciples that are trained to be party functionaries without own opinions. Since that probably won't happen, we should IMO accept that personalities play a role in politics.
We call it "liquid organizations": http://thinkship.cc/en/introduction-to-liquid-organizations/
Check it out. We should team up ;) More info at http://lyd.dario.im/
One way to mitigate this would be to dampen the Karma. For example by using a logarithmic scale. effective-karma = log(karma+1)
― Edward L. Bernays, Propaganda
Down at the bottom or at the crest, it's still a rock.
Instead of being a metaphor repetition device try saying what you think straightforwardly. It goes more interesting places.
"Nudge" refers to a concept in mainstream political science that minor behavioural-economics inspired changes can have a more powerful affect than draconian laws.
The Bernays quote is a sort of tin-foil hat extension of that idea, that someone somewhere is so all powerful they can influence the masses to do what they the person wants.
Total crap.
if the slope of economic self interest is downhill, all the nudging and the clever manipulation of people's perception will not get the rock of humanity to move up the hill.
Idiots like Bernays who think the crowd cannot be left to itself because it might hurt itself with scissors, think that small PR related nudges can guide great decisions. Which is probably true if all you are doing is selling washing powder, or have selective confirmation bias.
As for rocks going up hill, old old books, bloke called Sisyphus.