ORIGINAL: combatpigg
A lot of folks think that allowing non-voting membership levels is no big deal. In actual practice with only 10% of the membership willing to vote for representation, having a non-voting tier doesn't seem like such big deal. What some fail to see is the insipid path that allowing non voting members can lead to. I know we overuse the old drastic comparison to how Hitler gained control of Germany, but the principle is the same. He didn't do it all at once, he did it little by little and the sheep continued to follow.
To be honest I've gone back and forth a bit on whether having a non-voting membership tier is a problem or not, and I think at this point I tend to agree with you that's it's NOT a good idea.
That said, I believe it's a stretch to think that setting up such is geared towards a deliberate move to reduce voting members as some sort of control issue. That seems to be what you are indicating here. If not, then nevermind. [
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