The problem is that you are arguing over a generalization, not over particulars, one can cite authority for a number of propositions and that is good but insisting on an overarching generalization is a violation of Wikipedia policy. There is also a problem of obsession involved here.
With respect to generalizations: it is inappropriate to try to insert into the George W. Bush article that he is a "fool" or that he is "courageous". One can cite a number of things he did or said which might support one conclusion or another but the overarching generalization that gathers all the threads of a complex life up and sums up his character are inappropriate in an encyclopedia.
Likewise, characterizing Australia as a republic when its title is Commonwealth or the Soviet Union as a dictatorship when its title is republic is problematic. Both characterizations seek to cut through the verbiage and express the essence of the matter, the truth. However they cannot take the place of the proper sort of NPOV information which explores the different ways the situation is looked at and described.
As to obsession, we recently had a case of obsession with Ashley Simpson; other editors have fallen into the same sort of pattern. Like Ashley Simpson whether Australia is fairly characterized as a republic and the debate over the matter in Australia are significant, but not properly a matter of great concern. Constant churning over of the matter eventually becomes a disruption of Wikipedia and a violation of policy.
Fred
From: Skyring skyring@gmail.com Reply-To: Skyring skyring@gmail.com, English Wikipedia wikien-l@Wikipedia.org Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2005 19:46:45 +1100 To: English Wikipedia wikien-l@wikipedia.org Subject: Re: [WikiEN-l] This republic nonsense has got to stop.
On Thu, 10 Mar 2005 12:20:44 +0600, Arno M redgum46@lycos.com wrote:
If there is a disagreement on this matter , clearly sources have to be quoted and discussed objectively. This has not happened in this matter.
Hear, hear! I have presented bucketloads of reputable, verifiable sources, and yet Adam Carr relies almost entirely on his own opinion.
On 14 Feb 2005 I stated in [[Talk:Government of Australi]] "I intend to remove all references to head of state until someone can come up with a definitive source, that isn't clearly opinion."
Since then, Adam has provided a total of two sources apart from himself:
One newspaper article written by Allison Henry who is the National Director of the Australian Republican Movement, a partisan organisation. [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... rev&oldid=10713451]
One link to a paper issed by the Parliamentary Research Office. This paper was described by another editor and Adam found the link. The paper gives opinions for the Queen as head of state and the Governor-General as head of state. It does not favour one or the other. [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... rev&oldid=10665087]
Adam's argument is not based on checkable sources. It is based on abuse, threats and personal opinion, as anybody may see for themselves by following the chain of edits on the discussion page for the article, beginning at [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... ext&oldid=10232643]
Along the way, the number and quality of my own sources may be noted: Link to ACM website, disproving Adam's statement of their definition of republic. [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... ext&oldid=10611555]
Link to Australian National Opinion Poll site showing poor level of community awareness on constitutional matters. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... xt&oldid=10614518
Quote from Federation-era constitutional scholars Quick and Garran showing their opinion that the brand new Constitution places sovereignty in the hands of the Australian people.
Quote from Macquarie Dictionary showing that definition of republic includes Australia. Both at [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... ext&oldid=10629502]
Link to ARM article quoting Professor Brian Galligan stating that Australia is a republic. Link to Australian Politics site quoting Prime Minister John Howard describing the Governor-General as "effectively Australia's head of state". Link to Melbourne University site quoting former Governor Sir Richard McGarvie stating that the Governor-General performs the functions of the head of state. Link to ARM article quoting Professor George Winterton stating that Australia has two heads of state. I point out that the ARM material comprises quotes from Galligan's book and a copy of Winterton's article published in Quadrant, a scholarly magazine. All at [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... ext&oldid=10749531]
Link to ACM site rebutting TBSDY's allegation that ACM and ARM have the same opinion on who is the head of state. [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... ext&oldid=10908870]
Links to constitutions of Japan and Sweden. [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... ext&oldid=10933565]
Four links to statements by constitutional authorities using the term "crowned republic" [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... rev&oldid=10938280]
Link to John Howard as Prime Minister using the term "crowned republic". [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Government_of_Australia&d... ext&oldid=10942836]
I don't mind criticism, bu when it is so far off the mark, I really must protest! -- Peter in Canberra _______________________________________________ WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@Wikipedia.org http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l