Revision as of 03:53, 24 October 2005 editDavidpdx (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users3,793 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit | Latest revision as of 19:27, 19 February 2024 edit undoCewbot (talk | contribs)Bots7,246,652 editsm Maintain {{WPBS}}: 14 WikiProject templates. Keep majority rating "C" in {{WPBS}}. Remove 7 same ratings as {{WPBS}} in {{WikiProject United States}}, {{WikiProject Colombia}}, {{WikiProject Overseas France}}, {{WikiProject Micronesia}}, {{WikiProject Fiji}}, {{WikiProject Antarctica}}, {{WikiProject Business}}. Keep 7 different ratings in {{WikiProject Law}}, {{WikiProject Biography}}, {{WikiProject Micronations}}, {{WikiProject Finance & Investment...Tag: Talk banner shell conversion | ||
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{{Calm}} | |||
'''Previous discussions:''' | |||
{{Old AfD multi| date = 6 September 2008 (UTC) | result = '''keep''' | page = Dominion of Melchizedek }} | |||
{{WikiProject banner shell|collapsed=yes|class=C| blp=yes|listas=Melchizedek, Dominion Of| | |||
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{{WikiProject Micronesia|MarshallIslands=yes|MarshallIslands-importance=|category=}} | |||
{{WikiProject Fiji|importance=low}} | |||
{{WikiProject Antarctica|importance=}} | |||
{{WikiProject Law|class=B |importance=Low}} | |||
{{WikiProject Biography|class=B }} | |||
{{WikiProject Micronations |class=B| importance=}} | |||
{{WikiProject Business|accounting=yes}} | |||
{{WikiProject Finance & Investment|class=B |importance=low}} | |||
{{WikiProject Politics|class=B |importance=low}} | |||
{{WikiProject International relations|class=B |importance=low}} | |||
{{WikiProject Countries|class=B }} | |||
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*]: | |||
{{Archive box|search=yes |collapsible=yes |], ], ], ]}} | |||
= Breach of Good Faith = | |||
== The Ruse That Roared, Washington Post == | |||
In terms of a compromise, there has been nothing agreed upon. Yet Johnski and Samspade continue to revert this page (and others) to reflect a minority opinion. In short, this is POV pushing and also a breach of good faith on negociating. The fact is that neither Johnski or Samspade are willing to provide the proof they say exsists to confirm the facts that they are claiming. | |||
Much, but not all, of this Washington Post article is reproduced on the page on DoM; that can be treated as reliable. For information only, I include an unreliable source (hosted on the Dominion of Melchizedek's site and which has been altered by them, with the addition of bracketed comments): link to the . ] (]) 08:06, 26 February 2015 (UTC) | |||
The compromise section was a waste of time (as Genepoole stated). I'm no longer willing to find a compromise with those who wish to POV push and not follow the rules of Misplaced Pages. Therefore, because no compromise was made the page should remain as is. ] 06:42, 15 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
== Newspaper articles not currently used == | |||
:David, I used a good faith opportuntity to revert after vandalism. I fear that the entire subject may be too much to work on at one time, so I'll give you point by point challenges, the first being, please cite me a credible source that states a "direct link to large scale banking fraud." Or let the person that wrote it cite it, if you can't find it, and give it here.] 07:30, 15 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::I stand by my decision to hault a compromise discussion. The article that was reverted after the vandalism was the "alternative article" that you were proposing in the talk page, which had no consensus. This in itself shows a lack of good faith. ] 07:48, 15 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
:::So you'd rather see a reversion war than deal with a compromise? Cordially,] 08:26, 15 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
] (]) 16:33, 26 February 2015 (UTC) | |||
::::Well, if that's what it comes to, yes. And for the record, any reverts you make will be considered vandalism since there is no consensus and therefore the previous version must remain until a consensus is reached. You have refused to follow Misplaced Pages rules time and time again and instead write your own rules. That's not how it works. It was you that reverted the article to the "alternate version" with no consensus, showing a lack of good faith. Therefore, it is vandalism pure and simple. I've warned you, I will report vandalism. You can choose to look at it any way you want, but I'm not willing to work on an compromise any longer. ] 10:22, 15 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
== Official website == | |||
:::::David, This shows me that you really never had any interest in a compromise, and it is clear that you really never looked closely enough to understand the points I made. Especially since you are not willing to answer my first email to you. I counted at least 7 different IP addresses and User names that showed tendency towards the versions that I worked on. So it isn't vandalism, especially when I've moved closer to other versions in working towards a compromise. | |||
:::::If no one can answer my first challenge, I'll remove that part from the version that you have approved, then move to the next point. Perhaps this is the method that should have been used in the beginning. Cordially] 11:20, 15 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
Just a heads-up for any other editors who are tempted to add information that's taken directly from, and supported by a cite to, the : it's not a reliable source. If you want to add information, you'll need to find a nice, reliable secondary source, which is most likely to be a news article or something like Quatloos that's been accepted over on ]. Court documents will do, at a push (there's an argument that, if it hasn't been reported elsewhere, it's not weighty enough to merit inclusion, and there are possible BLP aspects when linking to court documents). | |||
::::::First, you are absoutely mistaken that I approved anything. I tried to work with you in good faith, but you did in fact revert the page to your version. That is the honest truth. How about admitting that? | |||
Obviously, there's no problem with including the single link to the official website in the Ex Links section. Again though, that link really should be to ''www.melchizedek.com'', even if it's apparent that it's changed. The reason is, we have reliable secondary sources that state that's the right site (Quatloos and Global Pirates: Fraud in the Offshore Insurance Industry) and, with a scam that exists purely on the web, we really do need a reliable source for this. ] (]) 20:45, 26 February 2015 (UTC) | |||
::::::Second, I have stated I am not willing to work with you, therefore why would I respond to your email? This was a conversation we had a month ago in which you never responded. You would not respond to my prompts for proof as to certain claims you were making. In addition, your good buddy Samspade was insulting. Why would I work with either of you now? | |||
== Relatively recent activity involving DoM companies == | |||
::::::Third, you are now claiming seven people support the version that you are pushing? I really think you should stop taking acid, it's really making you have delusions. In fact, there are TWO people (you and Samspade) that are pushing for the revisions. There are at lease three people that oppose any changes. Either way there is no consensus. If you would actually bother to read the rules, you would see that this means that the previous version must remain unless a consensus can be reached. | |||
It's possible that the convicted of insurance fraud in 2010 was related to DoM. Certainly, Cliffview Pilot says so. Not sure if they're reliable, and they don't really make a decent case, so I've not added it to the article. | |||
::::::Fourth, it's not just me that is claiming your reverts are vandalism. If you want to take issue with the fact I'm calling it vandalism, you had better be prepared to deal with others as well as myself. I have in fact listed you and Samspade as vandalising this article. If it is reverted, then myself or someone else will be more then happy to ask for you to be banned. ] 12:17, 15 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
A detailed summary of DoM c.2008, linked to by , can be found . I've not evaluated it for reliability, but it may have some useful stuff in it. ] (]) 11:41, 3 March 2015 (UTC) | |||
:::::::Yes, I already admitted that the one I reverted was the alternate version and never denied that, and I never said that you approved that alternate version. My reference to the one you approved, is the one you keep reverting back to. Do you not approve the one you keep reverting back to? Now, look, you are the one with the insults, claiming that I use acid, when in fact, I've never been brave enough to even try it, not once. My spititual faith from childhood till now prohibits such abuse. Perhaps if I did try it I would not be writing about this subject at all. Here are the more than 7 that I found, one of which at times was a duplication of myself when I used an IP address, 67.124.49.20, 63.164.145.198, 71.130.204.74, 66.245.247.37, 208.57.91.27, Rriter, Samspade aka SamuelSpade, 68.123.207.17, 202.162.71.63 with the last being the least supportive but showed in the past that he/she moves in the same direction, i.e. adding another country that may recognize DOM, etc. There are others that edited at related articles that also seemed to bend towards my editions that I did not list here, and mostly having User names, not just IP addresses. Sincerely] 17:10, 15 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
==Meatpuppets== | |||
:::::::::Once again you are sadly mistaken. I did not approve the current article. If there is no concensus, then the current article must remain. Despite how many diffrent ip's or usernames you have, there is NO CONSENSUS! ] 02:08, 16 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
Just a reminder... | |||
::::::::::Once again you are not reading what I've written, as I never claimed you approved it. I only have one user name and have only used one IP address, but despite how many friends that will revert for you, there is NO CONSENSUS on Gene's version either. I'm only removing the bias by bringing balance to the article. What is your problem with that? Cordially] 08:19, 17 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
Dominion of Melchizedek and associated articles, shall be semi-protected. If necessary, {{Vandal|Johnski}}, or any other editor believed by an administrator to be a sockpuppet or meatpuppet of Johnski, may be blocked indefinitely by any administrator. The article may be unprotected (and reprotected) at the discretion of any admin who deems it safe to do so. ] ] (]) | |||
:::::::::::You are truly clueless, yes you did claim that I approved it. You also have reverted this article several times. The version is not Gene's nor mine it is the version that stands as of now. Yes, by default it has consensus, because nothing else has been agreed upon. Your edits continue only to do one thing, push the idea that DOM is legitimate. 11:10, 17 October 2005 (UTC) Unsigned by Davidpdx | |||
== External links modified == | |||
Davidpdx, I really don't want to fight with you and you seem sincerely disturbed by me and my efforts to neutralize the bias on this article. However, I really don't like accusations that I sincerely belive to be baseless. If I wrote that you approved it, please point me to that statement so I can correct such an error right there. If you believe that the unbiased account that has become more balanced through mine and other's efforts, makes DOM look legitimate, perhaps you are the one that is on acid? And the last two editions were posted by people other than myself. Sincerely,] 21:48, 17 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
Hello fellow Wikipedians, | |||
== Quoted from the micronation talk page about Gene Poole's possible agenda == | |||
I have just added archive links to {{plural:7|one external link|7 external links}} on ]. Please take a moment to review . You may add {{tlx|cbignore}} after the link to keep me from modifying it, if I keep adding bad data, but formatting bugs should be reported instead. Alternatively, you can add {{tlx|nobots|deny{{=}}InternetArchiveBot}} to keep me off the page altogether, but should be used as a last resort. I made the following changes: | |||
It's worth pointing out here that Gene_poole is actually a member of a micronation - Atlantium - and has been using this page to promote their agenda, deleting the micronations less serious than them under the argument that they are "not notable". When protests are made, he gets his buddies in to claim that micronationalists from the simulationist sector have a conflict of interest, whilst failing to point out that he too is a micronationalist. Misplaced Pages is not a soapbox, and that is also applicable where deletions are made in order to keep a sector of micronationalism off the wiki in order to promote a secessionist agenda. --Graius 11:56, 14 October 2005 (UTC) ] | |||
*Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/fantasy-island-the-strange-tale-of-alleged-fraudster-pearlasia-gamboa/Content?oid=2182093 | |||
*Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/Alert/98-38.txt | |||
*Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampbarrett/2010/10/08/boy-do-we-know-tzemach-ben-david-netzer-korem/ | |||
*Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.dallasobserver.com/1996-05-02/news/scam-without-a-country/full | |||
*Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.justice.gov/usao/fls/PressReleases/101206-02.html | |||
*Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/06/15/SEC_Ties_Gold-Mining_Shares_to_Empty_Shell.htm | |||
*Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2009/lr21084.htm | |||
When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the ''checked'' parameter below to '''true''' or '''failed''' to let others know (documentation at {{tlx|Sourcecheck}}). | |||
:Readers should note that the above statement is a deliberately misleading speculation, originally posted on an unrelated talk page, which has has no relevance to this discussion. --] 04:18, 18 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
{{sourcecheck|checked=false}} | |||
== Quoting from Misplaced Pages - "be bold in editing pages that are biased" == | |||
Cheers.—]<small><sub style="margin-left:-14.9ex;color:green;font-family:Comic Sans MS">]:Online</sub></small> 21:49, 29 March 2016 (UTC) | |||
Quoting from Misplaced Pages's position on bias below gives me the courage to be "bold" and I again ask for help: | |||
== Bias of Editors == | |||
The most important lesson | |||
More important than being able to write neutrally without thinking about it is being willing and knowing how to work with others toward that goal. ] in editing pages that are biased, be bold in asking for help, and do not be alarmed when others edit your articles. | |||
Bromley86 is a contributor and an editor of this page who continually changes information back to his original edits without due respect for a realistic analysis of the current Status of the Dominion of Melchizedek. This page has been skewed and bias for many years and only purports negative information on the state from over 10 years (ago as of 2016). | |||
Realize you may have a POV you're not aware of, that you might have learned something wrong or that you might be misremembering it. Consider that even when an article has struck everyone who has read it so far as neutral, others arriving with a different POV may still have a good reason to change it. Often even a neutral article can be made still more neutral. | |||
There is no new information about the current administration of the Dominion of Melchizedek under Prime Minister David Williams and other Members of the Body-Politic, their positive activities in humanitarian efforts, or the removal of all former members; including the Founder's who turned over all title, claim, and right to the Dominion of Melchizedek. | |||
Regard bias as a problem with the ''article'', not with the people who wrote it. Taking the opposite tack just makes people stubborn and makes you look bad. Teach, don't attack. For users you can't reason with and who seem determined to violate NPOV policy, enlist the help of the ]. Just never forget to give discussion an honest try. Once they are given a little courtesy and respect, you might be surprised how many Wikipedians turn out to be not so biased after all. | |||
Further, this particular user and editor of the page has shown he is not competent in his understanding of International law, the Law of Nations, or the proceedure of Nation States in the recognition of foreign States. This is evident in the fact that he/she sources "Quatloos", the Security and Exchange Commission and the Comptroller of the United States in their comments about the current status of recognition of the Dominion of Melchizedek. Those departments/entities have no authority to determine the Status of any foreign State. Such powers reside exclusively with the State Department of the United States and similar high offices of other States. | |||
= Reported Vandalism = | |||
Finally, the major source used, Quatloos has dozens of missing or dead links. To use Quatloos as the sole source of relevant, up to date, and fair analysis of a State is bias and arbitrary. | |||
Vandalism in progress was listed for this page, due to reverts that had no consensus ] 03:24, 16 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
This is one way the introduction could read... It could be amended, however, the current introduction is not fact, unsupported, and should not stand if this page is going to be reflected fairly and properly. | |||
Davidpdx, lost track of time, but on the other hand, does the 3RR include versions that have been changed, or if they are identical over that 24 hour period?] 02:26, 18 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
"The Dominion of Melchizedek (DoM), Is a micronation formed in the 1990's and has undergone major transformations as the current Members continue to learn, understand, and apply international law so the State can effectively and peacefully co-exist among the Family of Nations. Former Members of the Society, including the founders have been removed by the current Members of the Body-Politic and although there have been reports of fraud perpetrated by the Dominion of Melchizedek in the 90's and early 2000's, there has been no such reports since 2012 under the current administration of the DoM." | |||
== 3RR == | |||
] (]) 16:24, 28 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
Davidpdx, I admit I reverted too much in 24 hours, losing track of time, but just read on the 3RR page, "First, check if you actually did make a fourth revert in 24 hours or very close to it." Fortunately, I don't think I went this far, but appologize for so many reverts. Perhaps this will end up with my request for dispute resolution.] 02:41, 18 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
: You are repeatedly adding a section to the lead which is both a promotional whitewash, and unsourced. You clearly have some COI with the subject of this article: your editing history spans several years, with no other edits. Just what is your connection to this group? Are you aware that WP sourcing policy applies equally to editors with "inside knowledge", and the rest of us. ] (]) 16:28, 28 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
= article that may be biased = | |||
:: What aspects of the introduction do you consider "Promotional whitewash" and "Unsourced"? The Micronation was formed in the 90's (recognized that is), The removal of the founder of the Dominion of Melchizedek is sourced on the States Website, if you can find any allegations of fraud or illegalities of the State since 2012, then that particular statement would be proven false I suppose. The Statement about the current Members continuing to learn, understand, and apply international law to peacefully co-exist is based on learning and knowing the mindset of the current Head of State of the Dominion of Melchizedek, Prime Minister David Williams. His information is readily available on-line. | |||
Should this be added as a category?: | |||
{{bias}}. | |||
:: As for "Promotional Whitewashing" and "Unsourced" content in the lead, there is no proof which substantiates the current lead on this page. I have attempted to find where this statement is made in the Quatloos article cited. There is nothing of the sort. Two wrongs do not make a right. If you can proof that the statements made by me in the lead are in error, by all means, it should be updated to reflect the facts. Just as the current lead should be updated to reflect the facts. Accusations can go both ways, which is why it is important to stick with facts and reliable sources. ] (]) 16:44, 28 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
The short answer is no. You are in fact the only one that has a problem with this article. ] 02:40, 20 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::: Please note that, per ], the lede should introduce and briefly summarize the article. As it currently stands it does that quite well, and there is no need to defend any of the charges within the lede. | |||
I came here from the request for comment. I see no need for the bias tag. It looks to me like a very few editors are trying to promote a viewpoint by reverting the page to their preferred version. This is getting close to persistent vandalism. To the extent that there are legitimate disagreements about editing choices, I suggest starting with the and taking it a paragraph at a time, only making changes that are supported by consensus. ] 00:11, 21 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::: If there is consensus that we need to defend against some of the charges of fraud, or soften their blow, let's find independent ] on that topic and write a new section about the current administration of the DoM, since 2012. ] 17:13, 28 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
:::: Please Note, per ], "The lead is the first part of the article that most people will read. For many, it may be the only section that they read". You state, the introduction does a good job with introducing the facts presented on the page, however, nowhere in the article does it state that 1) the individuals charged where not charged as Members of the Dominion of Melchizedek but rather, All individuals charged with fraud or other such criminal activities were charges as US Citizens (as they should be since those individuals were, in fact, US Citizens because they never properly naturalized into the State per the procedures laid out by the United States or international conventions. 2). The introduction is misleading because nowhere in the article cited does it make the statement which is being made in the introduction. Further, Quatloos is not an authority on which States/Societies are considered recognized or unrecognized. Quatloos is a website, not a government or an agent of the US Government or any government, regardless if they purport to be attorneys. Likewise, Other sources such as the Security and Exchange Commission and the Comptroller of the United States have no authority to determine whether or not a State has recognition or exist. Per the (which the US is signatory to); "The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states. Even before recognition, the state has the right to defend its integrity and independence" 4). The Dominion of Melchizedek has been recognized by multiple countries, some of which is even cited within this page. | |||
:There is actually only 1 editor promoting the pro-DOM agenda here: ], who is using 2 sockpuppets, ] and ] and various anonymous IPs. All other legitimate editors oppose the POV promoted by Johnski.--] 00:24, 21 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::″According to the Washington Post, the Central African Republic extended diplomatic recognition to the DoM in 1993, but the Post article went on to remark, "...you get the feeling that the Central African Republic would recognize the State of Denial if it had a letterhead." An article in the Quatloos! the online anti-fraud site noted that: "Melchizedek has apparently obtained some sort of recognition from some smaller states ... all of which are notable for their corruption. Claims that the DoM has received recognition from any major government are pure lies.″ | |||
::Determining that is beyond my paygrade, but if it is the case maybe you should move on to ]. | |||
:::: The Washington Post was correct in its reporting that the Central African Republic extended Diplomatic Recognition to the DoM, Everything else is an opinion of the editor of the Washington Post and the editors of this page. More importantly and to the point, those comments have no bearing on the political relationship between the two States. Further, the statements credited to Quatloos is also an opinion. The Fact is that the DoM has been recognized in various capacities by various states and yet, the introduction still leads with the statement that the Dominion of Melchizedek is '''"unilaterally declared, internationally unrecognized micronation"''' (which "unrecognized" is spelled incorrectly). | |||
= Violation of 3RR Rule = | |||
:::: As for writing a new section about the current administration, That is preferable. However, this requires the willingness of the editors and monitors of this page to be willing to address the bias and double-minded opinions being perpetrated on the entire page and to update the entire page to reflect a more neutral and accurate history of the Dominion of Melchizedek (a video recorded history of the DoM by the two longest Members of the DoM can be found on its Official Website under the notice section). The fact is, that the Dominion of Melchizedek is recognized and since the current Head of State, David Williams has taken over the State in 2012, there has been no reports of fraud, deception, nefarious activities or the like. This should be addressed in the introduction if a reader is going to get a full picture of the micro-state and its current activities in the international community. | |||
Johnski/207.47.122.10 you have violated the 3RR rule by reverting this page more then 4 times in 24 hours. ] 02:40, 20 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
:::: As for providing a reliable source, what do you suggest? Are letters from foreign Governments thanking the Head of State of the DoM for their assistance during a health crisis considered an independent and reliable source of information? How about the many websites, interviews, and articles that speak about David Williams and his years of educating individuals in the area of international law and the principle of the Right of Self-Determination? When you are not actively out seeking press, but focused on building a State, where do you find a reliable source? The website of the Dominion of Melchizedek is not considered a reliable source, yet I wonder how many other official government websites are likewise considered unreliable sources! ] (]) 18:44, 28 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
= Monothesistic Religion = | |||
::::: I wouldn't focus too much on the lede. As I mentioned, it is meant to summarize the article, and to do it well. We can't add any content into the lede that does not already exist in the article. | |||
While supporters of Melchizedek assert that it is an "ecclesiastical sovereignty," similar to ], and while its flag incorporates ], ] and ] symbols, Melchizedek intentionally possesses no established church although its citizens and monotheistic adherents are both called "Melchizedekians". | |||
::::: If you feel that there is a side to this that is misunderstood or underrepresented, gather some sources and put together a draft section. No, the government slash website of DoM is not considered a reliable source, but if what you say is true then there should be ] that portray the DoM in a positive light since 2012. | |||
Implied by Melchizedek Bible's Introduction and Glossary.] 15:56, 20 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::: On the other hand, if such sources are unavailable, then it will be impossible to write such a section. In that case the article will likely remain as it is, a fairly accurate summary of the sources that are available. ] 19:00, 28 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
:::::: You say "I wouldn't focus too much on the lede". umm, the lede is the most important part! Why wouldn't I focus on it? Did you actually read my response? The DoM has been recognized. Yet the lead, as well as other information inaccurately reports the opposite. The section under recognition even states the DoM has been recognized not only by the Central African Republic but other smaller states! This makes the lede inaccurate; not to mention double-minded and contrary to the facts presented within the article itself! | |||
After reading again, The Glossary, called "Key of David", it is more inclusive: | |||
"MELCHIZEDEKIAN: A citizen of the Dominion of Melchizedek; a spiritualized, | |||
sovereign person of peace and righteousness (Hebrews 7 & Revelation 1); 'As | |||
(a man) thinketh in his heart (that he is a Melchizedekian), so is he' (Proverbs 23:7)" | |||
] 16:05, 20 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
:::::: When you say "fairly accurate", in whose opinion? I have been accused of having a POV conflict of interest, yet "fairly accurate" means nothing. Something is either accurate or it is not. With regards to recognition, I have added many links from various documents provided by foreign governments to the Dominion of Melchizedek on Treaties of Peace and Recognition, however, Those links are always taken down and I am told they are not reliable sources simply because those documents are housed on the DoM's website. | |||
= Sockpuppets of Johnski = | |||
:::::: The problem, at the end of the day, is simple. The editors of this page and the public at large are highly ignorant of international law, the Law of Nations, and how this Planet actually operates. It is not understood how Nations recognize other nations or who in a government has the authority to take such action, most people have never heard of the right of self-determination or actually exercised said right, and most are completely ignorant of their own history. This page paints the Dominion of Melchizedek in a purely negative light. It does not keep the third party sources of foreign government documents when added. It does not keep in mind that all nations/states/societies all have had checkered past, including the United States. The Founders had to fight a war. They had to borrow money and go into debt. They had to trade and get recognition from the pirates in the beginning because they couldn't get recognition from the more notable states at that time (). Heck, they had to completely reform their Government because the Articles of Confederation was a complete failure. This is just the facts because creating a new society is not an easy thing to do. People make mistakes just like Societies do. | |||
I have now documented and reported the sockpuppets used by ]: ], ] ]. | |||
Accordingly, I will report violations of the 3RR rule if he continues to use them in an attempt to revert this page as well as others. ] 10:44, 21 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
:::::: You can find documents from the DoM's website which provide sources of foreign governments recognizing the DoM. You can find Letters from Liberia as late as February of 2015 thanking the DoM for helping during a national crisis. These documents, whether Misplaced Pages wishes to acknowledge them or not, clearly show that 1) the State is recognized as a separate state by other governments, 2) the state is very much real, not a fantasy, nor an online phenomenon, and 3) the lack of news on the DoM and its activities is proof that the state, under its current administration is not involved in any activity which would cause government agents to go after its members or peak the interest of the media. It is well known that negative news is the best form of news and positive news is boring news. | |||
:How have you documented this? Can I document that Davidpdx is a sockpuppet of Gene_Poole simply by making such a claim?] 11:54, 21 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
:::::: At the end of the day, these dialogues contribute to the public record of the State doing what it can to correct the misinformation and the skewed bias nature of the Misplaced Pages page known as the Dominion of Melchizedek. I am still waiting for proper answers to the questions I have put forth over the past couple of years and still waiting to see who, as an editor on this page, actually have the credentials to discuss international matters with regards to self-determination and the recognition of states/societies. | |||
::How about IP addresses and the fact I'm in South Korea? I have students that use logic better then you do and they speak English as a second language. What a complete idiot you are! ] 12:18, 21 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
:::::: @bradv, How much of the material, sources, and factual truths provided by the various sources which contribute to the contents of this page have you personally gone through and vetted? ] (]) 19:53, 28 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
:::I may not be as smart as your students in South Korea, but I'm not a complete idiot. What does being in South Korea have to do with this, and what do you learn from the IP addresses? Reveal the facts here, so others can see it too. I know there is no truth to what you claim regarding me. Do your students also post articles on Misplaced Pages? ] 12:41, 21 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::::: It is not Misplaced Pages's job to decide international policy, and it is not the job of individual editors to argue about international policy. It is our job to go through reliable sources, summarize them, and gather the sources together into an encyclopedia. | |||
If we can get an IP check performed I'll block for 3RR violations. ] ] 13:17, 21 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::::: From the statements you have made here and on your talk page, I'm beginning to think you are ] to help build an encyclopedia. You are here to promote the Dominion of Melchizedek, and convince people that it is a real country. | |||
:please publish the results so it can be verified that I am neither Johnski nor am I SamuelSpade. Thank you. ] 13:43, 21 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::::: It is not, and even if we say it is on Misplaced Pages, it still won't be. ] 20:40, 28 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
::What a strange coincidence! Four new editors appear on Misplaced Pages at the same time (], ], ] and ]), and do nothing else but promote an identical agenda across an identical series of articles (, , and ), all of which just happen to be connected to the fantasy "Dominion of Melchizedek". Truly this is evidence of the power of the almighty! The almighty con, that is. --] 22:58, 21 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::::::I can't speak for Bradv, but in my case 100% of the existing cites and can state that they accurately support the points made in the article. I've also had a quick look, for the purposes of this discussion, at DoM's mentions in the online press 2012 onwards: | |||
:::Can't speak for Johnski or SamuelSpade, but my interests started with Jewish Science and Christian Science on Misplaced Pages, which brought me to Melchizedek and related interests. I started editing before making my handle, ] 17:09, 22 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::::::*In the context of scams: | |||
::::::::*Tangential: | |||
::::::::So there's no ability to add anything about the current activities of DoM as, at best, it's morphed from an entity notable for being involved in scams to a non-notable entity. That morphing, should it be the case, does not mean the article needs to be deleted, as the historical situation is still notable. ] (]) 20:58, 28 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
::::::::: Bradv, you mention "it is not the job of Misplaced Pages or the editors to decide international policy" I agree one hundred percent. You nor this site, have that authority or knowledge base to make such determinations (it is evident in your responses). Yet, almost immediately after your statement you follow up by making an assumption on international policy by assuming the State doesn't exist, which is an opinion not substantiated by any reliable and verifiable source. This is a violation of Misplaced Pages's policies and procedures! You don't have the right to voice your opinion. You only have the permission to add verifiable information. | |||
::::If you're going to attempt a bald-faced lie, you should at least try to make an effort at being convincing. Oh, and it's also a good idea to ensure that there isn't readily at hand, as that does tend to show you up somewhat. --] 23:26, 22 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::::::: Furthermore, you are making assumptions and presumptions to my motives for engaging in the correction of facts and verifiable information presented on this page. You have proven, based on your off hand comments that you do not have a neutral point of view on this page because you keep interjecting your bias assumptions and opinons. I have maintain one firm position which is that the lede to this page is unverifiable and inaccurate not only because of the source that was cited, but because of the source presented within this article by other editors which state that a "reliable" source; Washington Post, indeed adminted that the DoM has received diplomatic recognition. Regardless of the opinion of the editor of the article sourced about the reasons the Central African Republic or any other state would engage in recognizing the DoM (diplomatically or otherwise), this is a factual event. Two facts are verifiable as cited in my previous response on the Rights and Duties of States..."The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states. Even before recognition, the state has the right to defend its integrity and independence". This is international law and is agreed to by all states. Furthermore, Article 6 of the same International treaty states "recognition is unconditional and irrevocable". I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty straight forward and specific to me. Considering the State has received communications from a foreign Government as late as February of 2015, and considering there are numerous documents from other states engaging in Treaties of Peace and Recognition, your comment that the state "still wouldn't exist" or any editors comment that the State is unrecognized is a complete lie! It is something you want to believe but does not fit the reality at hand. | |||
:::::Mr.Centauri: Thank you for giving me a chance to show you what my first contributions where before I made my handle. It gave me the idea to proudly display it on my User page. Please notice that there has been no double voting between my user name and the IP address I used. On Jewish Science, the article I started, I didn't even vote. But I noticed that Davidpdx was the only vote to delete, probably because he noticed that an IP address that supported the version of DOM he didn't support, started it. I'm sure you will find this somehow to be further evidence for your argument. Nevertheless, I hope that we can learn to be more polite to one another in the future better using ]. Are you also willing to reveal your IP address to show your good faith? ] 23:20, 23 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::::::: You can make whatever statement of assumption you wish about my motives, but it should be clear to any neutral party that reviews this dialogue, I am pointing my responses and my focus of facts presented on this page with third party source material that Your Government and every other Government know, understand, and abide by. I am also pointing out violations of Wikipedias own policies regarding verifiable sources. ]. | |||
= Just the facts = | |||
::::::::: @Bromley86 - This also includes @Bradv; Just because someone writes and article and they are considered third-party from the Subject of the page and Misplaced Pages, does not mean that the Source is accurate in what they present. Bromley86, you cited numerous articles that were posted after 2012, yet all these articles merely mention the name Dominion of Melchizedek! Seriously, | |||
Mr. Harrison: took a day off to think (and further study the subject), and agree with you to take a point at a time, the first being the opening line: | |||
:::::::::your first Article references a woman who has had no affliation with the DoM prior to 2006. Anything she has done personally, does not automatically tie to the State! Who knows why this particular individual decided to write this article in 2013, 3 years after the event allegedly occured? | |||
"The Dominion of Melchizedek is a ] known for being directly linked to large scale banking fraud in many parts of the world." | |||
:::::::::Your Second article is a blogger who decided to write a historical peice on other micronations because of an indivdiual trying to claim a track of land for his daughter! (more than likely her source for the DoM was this page). It is a one paragraph, mentioning facts she found interesting! | |||
There are four problems with this line. The first is that I've used every source available to me including Nexis Lexis to find a legitimate source for this statement, and can only find the opposite, being that no direct link can be found. It seems more likely that the Wikipedian author of that statement wants it to be true, not that it is true, or published in any reputable source. | |||
:::::::::Your Third article has got to be a joke if you are including this as a reliable source. The only mention of the Dominion of Melchizedek is the fact that this man "Alleged to have ties to the Dominion of Melchizedek". Ok. People alleged things all the time. Doesn't mean they are true! That is why in a court of law, allegations must be verified by facts! | |||
Looking through the history of the Talk page, someone there asked for evidence of this "fact" and there was no reply. | |||
:::::::::Your Fourth article again has only a mere mention of the Dominion of Melchizedek in relation to a group attempting to exercise its right of Self-Determination, unfortunately, they are following the path of the DoM early on which is the lack of understanding "naturalization of citizens". | |||
The only fact that I can find is that Melchizedek is known for the frauds that have been linked to the banks it has licensed. An example of the difference would be that of the banks that Saipan licensed. Saipan banks, including Merchant Bank, the one that the Pedlies were involved in, had allegations of fraud brought against them. However, if the publicity that those banks gained from those allegations, affected Saipan, it wouldn't make Saipan known for being directly linked to those frauds, unless the government of Saipan was running the fraudulent banks in question. In the case of Melchizedek banks, the government of Melchizedek, including its founders have never be arrested or charged with any frauds having to do with any of the banks they licenced. Even in the civil case of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission against a lawyer in New York, neither Melchizedek nor any of its officals were sued in that case. In other cases, the U.S. S.E.C. has sued micronations and thier founders, such as "Prince Lazarus" of "New Utopia". | |||
:::::::::Your Fifth article only has this mention "scams (like the Dominion of Melchizedek, which sold fake passports at inflated prices)". Of course, this allegation is address in the history of the DoM put out by the State itself. The man who was arrested for creating fake passports was not only caught creating fake passports for the DoM but multiple nations. He was not a "member" of the DoM nor any other state he was selling passports of! Criminals don't care about things like that! There are thousands of people who sell fake passports of any state to any person dumb enough to pay for them. | |||
Second, Melchizedek, according to reliable sources, including the Washington Post has been diplomatically recognized by a world government, yet the opening line in the micronation article states that micronations have not been recognized by any world governments. Because of this conflict it seems that either the micronation article needs to be changed to indicate one exception, or change the Melchizedek opening line to "entity". There should be no objection to this because a micronation can also be an entity. Melchizedek has been recognized as "an ecclesiastical sovereignty" which would be the best definition because it is a published fact according to reputable news media. As a middle ground, saying that Melchizedek is an entity aspiring to ecclesiastical statehood, seems reasonable. | |||
:::::::::Your Sixth article only states this..." In addition, he is said to have shares of a fictional bank in the "Dominion of Melchizedek" ok. where is that proof? Again, people can and will say anything. Just because something is said, does not make it true. | |||
Third, Melchizedek claims to be "an ecclesiastical government" and "an ecclesiastical sovereignty", therefore it is at least aspiring to be such, if not already there. | |||
:::::::::Your final two articles 7 mentions the DoM in passing and 8 is a link that goes to a subsription page which is a violation of wikipedias external link policy..notabley number 6. | |||
Fourth, the opening line gives any reader the caveat emptor, due to the word "fraud" appearing there highlighted. So the argument that giving a factual, fair and balanced account about Melchizedek will give credibility to it, doesn't hold up, especially since the center of the article quotes someone as saying that the entire Dominion of Melchizedek is a fraud. | |||
:::::::::Bottom line is that I keep hearing about reliable sources, crediable sources. yet you present these articles which are a joke at best. If anything, it shows that people who write about microstates will continue to write about the Dominion of Melchizedek based on its history because they have no other information to go by. By and large, it is due to the information on this page since anytime someone hears about the Dominion of Melchizedek, they will look it up on Misplaced Pages. | |||
This is my recommended text for the first line: | |||
:::::::::I see you took the citation down off the lede. That is the first step. however, per the policies on Misplaced Pages and lede to pages, "As a general rule of thumb, a lead section should contain no more than four well-composed paragraphs and be carefully sourced as appropriate." As the Lede stands, it is one blanket statement that has no verifiable source. The lede should also "Like in the body of the article itself, the emphasis given to material in the lead should roughly reflect its importance to the topic, according to reliable, published sources.". Since there is no reliable, published source verifying the lede, it stands to reason, it must be changed and updated to reflect an accurate discription of the topic at hand. <!-- Template:Unsigned --><small><span class="autosigned">— Preceding ] comment added by ] (] • ]) 22:40, 28 July 2016 (UTC)</span></small> <!--Autosigned by SineBot--> | |||
"The Dominion of Melchizedek is an ] aspiring to ]hood, and is known for the licensing of banks that ]ulently operated in many parts of the world." | |||
::::::::::I wasn't providing them as references in articles, merely pointing out that there's been no mention in news sources of the DoM in a manner which would support the sorts of changes that you would like to make. Thank you for making my point in detail! | |||
Please feel free to find a middle ground or completely new opening line. ] 19:08, 22 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::::::::Regarding the Lead, it's fine as it is: | |||
::::::::::*''The Dominion of Melchizedek (DoM), is a unilaterally declared, internationally unrecognised micronation'' - all mentioned in the Body and referenced, with the exception of the actual word "micronation". I'll have a look at making sure that's in somewhere. | |||
::::::::::*''known for facilitating large scale banking fraud in many parts of the world during the 1990s and early 2000s'' - again, covered in the body and reffed, although I see none of our current refs/points relate to the naughties, so I'll remove that part. ] (]) 02:46, 29 July 2016 (UTC) | |||
== Fraud == | |||
:How about this: The Dominion of Melchizedek is a ] ostensibly aspiring to ecclesiastical statehood. It is known for having licensed banks that fraudulently operated in many parts of the world. One of its founders (specify who, with link) was involved in the attempted secession of the ] island of ]. ] 23:19, 22 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
Just visited DOM's website. A purported "photograph of Melchizedek" looks like an island in Fiji! (Cannot identify which one it is — but I'll try to find out) ] (]) 10:07, 30 December 2016 (UTC) | |||
::That looks better. I believe the founder that was involved in the attempted secession of Rotuma is Ben David Pedley but he apparently changed hs name to, "Tzemach Ben David Netzer Korem" but can't find an article about him. Should I start one? ] 23:31, 22 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
== Johnski Redux == | |||
:] is being considered for deletion, though I think it ought to be kept. It might be better to not start another article until the status of that one is resolved. Any ''relevent'' biographical information here could go here, if supported by consensus. ] 00:27, 23 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
It appears once again Johnski and his meatpuppets have started to push their propaganda on the DOM article. Please be aware this went through arbitration many years ago and the result was the banning of of Johnski and ALL of his known meatpuppets. This page can be semi-protected by an administrator and new meatpuppets can be banned. ] (]) 13:47, 27 June 2019 (UTC) | |||
::There is an agreement among many editors that DOM stuff should stay on one page. That is why three pages (not just one) that Johnski, (aka KAJ, aka Samuelspade), has created are have a rfd to delete them. He is simply using an end around to push DOM on other articles because he knows he does not have consensus on this one. I will continue to rfd new articles he creates and if I don't, I guarentee other editors will. ] 01:51, 23 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
: Diffs? ] (]) 15:06, 27 June 2019 (UTC) | |||
::Andy, I'm not sure what you mean. ] (]) 13:11, 28 June 2019 (UTC) | |||
= Archieve Page = | |||
::* ] | |||
::: Where are these "meatpuppet edits"? Who is "Johnski"? ] (]) 13:16, 28 June 2019 (UTC) | |||
The archieve page is NOT to be edited. All new comments need to be put on the current page. I have and will continue to revert the archieve page if it is vandalized. ] 01:50, 23 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::::They are the edits being done by unregistered users. Johnski was (is) someone who is directly involved in DOM who along with other people are making a concerted effort to add unsubstantiated claims. https://en.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia:Requests_for_arbitration/Johnski/Proposed_decision ] (]) 01:54, 29 June 2019 (UTC) | |||
:Mr. Davidpdx, there are a lot of rules on Misplaced Pages, and it would help to cite those rules, as I am not willing at this point to take your word for it. I hope that we can become more civil and learn to edit here according to the Wikiquette. | |||
The editing there was only to ask questions that I had after reading that apparently vandalized page. I hope that wasn't you that vandalized that page using your IP address. I've disclosed my IP address on my user page. Perhaps you would be willing to do the same. ] 22:52, 23 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
== How to proceed? == | |||
A convincing case can be made that sock puppets or meat puppets have been used here in the past. That has been disruptive; If there is any more of it, I think the next step has to be formal action. | |||
It's not my place to insist that other editors agree to anything; But there are conditions that need to exist, just for any of us to be able to work here. I think some of those conditions are: | |||
*No sock-puppetry; | |||
*No changes without consensus; | |||
*Sign all comments; | |||
*Be brief. | |||
I may have moved too fast in suggesting edits before there was a consensus. The first thing I think we need to know is, do people think there should be any changes at all right now? Or would it be better to let everything stabilize for a while? I would appreciate it if everyone interested would reply with their opinion. Thanks, ] 18:56, 23 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
:Mr Harrison: since you seem clearly not to be a sock-puppet, I hope that your suggestions will be taken more seriously by Davidpdx and those that seem to agree with him. He wrote somewhere that he has requested help in resolving these issues. I wonder if the edit war won't heat up again if we leave this alone. I think it is better to take a paragraph at a time and let Davidpdx and others showing an interest to give their reasonable input for not using your first draft suggested above. I noticed that there have been others besides those claimed to be engaging in sock-puppetry that have edited the version opposed by Davidpdx, however, it could be they were only editing the last version without making comparision. ] 22:52, 23 October 2005 (UTC) | |||
::Tom, I agree with what you are saying in principal. However, as I have said if recent history continues to be true the same things will take place. I hope you had a chance to look through the history as I have suggested. | |||
::I think what this will set off is more reverts by Johnski (aka KAJ/Samuelspade, etc) in which he will suddenly claim he has 7-10 people who support his version that don't exsist. It is not just me that is skeptical, but other users as well. You'll find quite a few other users that are going to oppose the changes Johnski will start to push. He'll state over and over again that I'm unwilling to work with him, but it is indeed he who reverts without consensus. | |||
::When you try to work with someone who doesn't follow the rules, then why bother? ] 03:53, 24 October 2005 (UTC) |
Latest revision as of 19:27, 19 February 2024
Please stay calm and civil while commenting or presenting evidence, and do not make personal attacks. Be patient when approaching solutions to any issues. If consensus is not reached, other solutions exist to draw attention and ensure that more editors mediate or comment on the dispute. |
This article was nominated for deletion on 6 September 2008 (UTC). The result of the discussion was keep. |
This article must adhere to the biographies of living persons (BLP) policy, even if it is not a biography, because it contains material about living persons. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libellous. If such material is repeatedly inserted, or if you have other concerns, please report the issue to this noticeboard.If you are a subject of this article, or acting on behalf of one, and you need help, please see this help page. |
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Archives |
The Ruse That Roared, Washington Post
Much, but not all, of this Washington Post article is reproduced on the Quatloos page on DoM; that can be treated as reliable. For information only, I include an unreliable source (hosted on the Dominion of Melchizedek's site and which has been altered by them, with the addition of bracketed comments): link to the waybacked copy. Bromley86 (talk) 08:06, 26 February 2015 (UTC)
Newspaper articles not currently used
Bromley86 (talk) 16:33, 26 February 2015 (UTC)
Official website
Just a heads-up for any other editors who are tempted to add information that's taken directly from, and supported by a cite to, the official website: it's not a reliable source. If you want to add information, you'll need to find a nice, reliable secondary source, which is most likely to be a news article or something like Quatloos that's been accepted over on WP:RSN. Court documents will do, at a push (there's an argument that, if it hasn't been reported elsewhere, it's not weighty enough to merit inclusion, and there are possible BLP aspects when linking to court documents).
Obviously, there's no problem with including the single link to the official website in the Ex Links section. Again though, that link really should be to www.melchizedek.com, even if it's apparent that it's changed. The reason is, we have reliable secondary sources that state that's the right site (Quatloos and Global Pirates: Fraud in the Offshore Insurance Industry) and, with a scam that exists purely on the web, we really do need a reliable source for this. Bromley86 (talk) 20:45, 26 February 2015 (UTC)
Relatively recent activity involving DoM companies
It's possible that the Ronald Allen convicted of insurance fraud in 2010 was related to DoM. Certainly, Cliffview Pilot says so. Not sure if they're reliable, and they don't really make a decent case, so I've not added it to the article.
A detailed summary of DoM c.2008, linked to by someone heavily involved in Quatloos, can be found here. I've not evaluated it for reliability, but it may have some useful stuff in it. Bromley86 (talk) 11:41, 3 March 2015 (UTC)
Meatpuppets
Just a reminder...
Dominion of Melchizedek and associated articles, shall be semi-protected. If necessary, Johnski (talk · contribs · deleted contribs · nuke contribs · logs · filter log · block user · block log), or any other editor believed by an administrator to be a sockpuppet or meatpuppet of Johnski, may be blocked indefinitely by any administrator. The article may be unprotected (and reprotected) at the discretion of any admin who deems it safe to do so. Misplaced Pages:Requests_for_arbitration/Johnski/Proposed_decision Davidpdx (talk)
External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,
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- Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.occ.treas.gov/ftp/Alert/98-38.txt
- Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampbarrett/2010/10/08/boy-do-we-know-tzemach-ben-david-netzer-korem/
- Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.dallasobserver.com/1996-05-02/news/scam-without-a-country/full
- Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.justice.gov/usao/fls/PressReleases/101206-02.html
- Attempted to fix sourcing for http://www.courthousenews.com/2009/06/15/SEC_Ties_Gold-Mining_Shares_to_Empty_Shell.htm
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Bias of Editors
Bromley86 is a contributor and an editor of this page who continually changes information back to his original edits without due respect for a realistic analysis of the current Status of the Dominion of Melchizedek. This page has been skewed and bias for many years and only purports negative information on the state from over 10 years (ago as of 2016).
There is no new information about the current administration of the Dominion of Melchizedek under Prime Minister David Williams and other Members of the Body-Politic, their positive activities in humanitarian efforts, or the removal of all former members; including the Founder's who turned over all title, claim, and right to the Dominion of Melchizedek.
Further, this particular user and editor of the page has shown he is not competent in his understanding of International law, the Law of Nations, or the proceedure of Nation States in the recognition of foreign States. This is evident in the fact that he/she sources "Quatloos", the Security and Exchange Commission and the Comptroller of the United States in their comments about the current status of recognition of the Dominion of Melchizedek. Those departments/entities have no authority to determine the Status of any foreign State. Such powers reside exclusively with the State Department of the United States and similar high offices of other States.
Finally, the major source used, Quatloos has dozens of missing or dead links. To use Quatloos as the sole source of relevant, up to date, and fair analysis of a State is bias and arbitrary.
This is one way the introduction could read... It could be amended, however, the current introduction is not fact, unsupported, and should not stand if this page is going to be reflected fairly and properly.
"The Dominion of Melchizedek (DoM), Is a micronation formed in the 1990's and has undergone major transformations as the current Members continue to learn, understand, and apply international law so the State can effectively and peacefully co-exist among the Family of Nations. Former Members of the Society, including the founders have been removed by the current Members of the Body-Politic and although there have been reports of fraud perpetrated by the Dominion of Melchizedek in the 90's and early 2000's, there has been no such reports since 2012 under the current administration of the DoM."
Bssmith117 (talk) 16:24, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- You are repeatedly adding a section to the lead which is both a promotional whitewash, and unsourced. You clearly have some COI with the subject of this article: your editing history spans several years, with no other edits. Just what is your connection to this group? Are you aware that WP sourcing policy applies equally to editors with "inside knowledge", and the rest of us. Andy Dingley (talk) 16:28, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- What aspects of the introduction do you consider "Promotional whitewash" and "Unsourced"? The Micronation was formed in the 90's (recognized that is), The removal of the founder of the Dominion of Melchizedek is sourced on the States Website, if you can find any allegations of fraud or illegalities of the State since 2012, then that particular statement would be proven false I suppose. The Statement about the current Members continuing to learn, understand, and apply international law to peacefully co-exist is based on learning and knowing the mindset of the current Head of State of the Dominion of Melchizedek, Prime Minister David Williams. His information is readily available on-line.
- As for "Promotional Whitewashing" and "Unsourced" content in the lead, there is no proof which substantiates the current lead on this page. I have attempted to find where this statement is made in the Quatloos article cited. There is nothing of the sort. Two wrongs do not make a right. If you can proof that the statements made by me in the lead are in error, by all means, it should be updated to reflect the facts. Just as the current lead should be updated to reflect the facts. Accusations can go both ways, which is why it is important to stick with facts and reliable sources. Bssmith117 (talk) 16:44, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- Please note that, per the manual of style, the lede should introduce and briefly summarize the article. As it currently stands it does that quite well, and there is no need to defend any of the charges within the lede.
- If there is consensus that we need to defend against some of the charges of fraud, or soften their blow, let's find independent reliable sources on that topic and write a new section about the current administration of the DoM, since 2012. Bradv 17:13, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- Please Note, per The manual of style, "The lead is the first part of the article that most people will read. For many, it may be the only section that they read". You state, the introduction does a good job with introducing the facts presented on the page, however, nowhere in the article does it state that 1) the individuals charged where not charged as Members of the Dominion of Melchizedek but rather, All individuals charged with fraud or other such criminal activities were charges as US Citizens (as they should be since those individuals were, in fact, US Citizens because they never properly naturalized into the State per the procedures laid out by the United States or international conventions. 2). The introduction is misleading because nowhere in the article cited does it make the statement which is being made in the introduction. Further, Quatloos is not an authority on which States/Societies are considered recognized or unrecognized. Quatloos is a website, not a government or an agent of the US Government or any government, regardless if they purport to be attorneys. Likewise, Other sources such as the Security and Exchange Commission and the Comptroller of the United States have no authority to determine whether or not a State has recognition or exist. Per the Montevideo Convention on the Rights and Duties of States (Article 3) (which the US is signatory to); "The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states. Even before recognition, the state has the right to defend its integrity and independence" 4). The Dominion of Melchizedek has been recognized by multiple countries, some of which is even cited within this page.
- ″According to the Washington Post, the Central African Republic extended diplomatic recognition to the DoM in 1993, but the Post article went on to remark, "...you get the feeling that the Central African Republic would recognize the State of Denial if it had a letterhead." An article in the Quatloos! the online anti-fraud site noted that: "Melchizedek has apparently obtained some sort of recognition from some smaller states ... all of which are notable for their corruption. Claims that the DoM has received recognition from any major government are pure lies.″
- The Washington Post was correct in its reporting that the Central African Republic extended Diplomatic Recognition to the DoM, Everything else is an opinion of the editor of the Washington Post and the editors of this page. More importantly and to the point, those comments have no bearing on the political relationship between the two States. Further, the statements credited to Quatloos is also an opinion. The Fact is that the DoM has been recognized in various capacities by various states and yet, the introduction still leads with the statement that the Dominion of Melchizedek is "unilaterally declared, internationally unrecognized micronation" (which "unrecognized" is spelled incorrectly).
- As for writing a new section about the current administration, That is preferable. However, this requires the willingness of the editors and monitors of this page to be willing to address the bias and double-minded opinions being perpetrated on the entire page and to update the entire page to reflect a more neutral and accurate history of the Dominion of Melchizedek (a video recorded history of the DoM by the two longest Members of the DoM can be found on its Official Website under the notice section). The fact is, that the Dominion of Melchizedek is recognized and since the current Head of State, David Williams has taken over the State in 2012, there has been no reports of fraud, deception, nefarious activities or the like. This should be addressed in the introduction if a reader is going to get a full picture of the micro-state and its current activities in the international community.
- As for providing a reliable source, what do you suggest? Are letters from foreign Governments thanking the Head of State of the DoM for their assistance during a health crisis considered an independent and reliable source of information? How about the many websites, interviews, and articles that speak about David Williams and his years of educating individuals in the area of international law and the principle of the Right of Self-Determination? When you are not actively out seeking press, but focused on building a State, where do you find a reliable source? The website of the Dominion of Melchizedek is not considered a reliable source, yet I wonder how many other official government websites are likewise considered unreliable sources! Bssmith117 (talk) 18:44, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- I wouldn't focus too much on the lede. As I mentioned, it is meant to summarize the article, and to do it well. We can't add any content into the lede that does not already exist in the article.
- If you feel that there is a side to this that is misunderstood or underrepresented, gather some sources and put together a draft section. No, the government slash website of DoM is not considered a reliable source, but if what you say is true then there should be newspapers or books that portray the DoM in a positive light since 2012.
- On the other hand, if such sources are unavailable, then it will be impossible to write such a section. In that case the article will likely remain as it is, a fairly accurate summary of the sources that are available. Bradv 19:00, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- You say "I wouldn't focus too much on the lede". umm, the lede is the most important part! Why wouldn't I focus on it? Did you actually read my response? The DoM has been recognized. Yet the lead, as well as other information inaccurately reports the opposite. The section under recognition even states the DoM has been recognized not only by the Central African Republic but other smaller states! This makes the lede inaccurate; not to mention double-minded and contrary to the facts presented within the article itself!
- When you say "fairly accurate", in whose opinion? I have been accused of having a POV conflict of interest, yet "fairly accurate" means nothing. Something is either accurate or it is not. With regards to recognition, I have added many links from various documents provided by foreign governments to the Dominion of Melchizedek on Treaties of Peace and Recognition, however, Those links are always taken down and I am told they are not reliable sources simply because those documents are housed on the DoM's website.
- The problem, at the end of the day, is simple. The editors of this page and the public at large are highly ignorant of international law, the Law of Nations, and how this Planet actually operates. It is not understood how Nations recognize other nations or who in a government has the authority to take such action, most people have never heard of the right of self-determination or actually exercised said right, and most are completely ignorant of their own history. This page paints the Dominion of Melchizedek in a purely negative light. It does not keep the third party sources of foreign government documents when added. It does not keep in mind that all nations/states/societies all have had checkered past, including the United States. The Founders had to fight a war. They had to borrow money and go into debt. They had to trade and get recognition from the pirates in the beginning because they couldn't get recognition from the more notable states at that time (barbary treaties). Heck, they had to completely reform their Government because the Articles of Confederation was a complete failure. This is just the facts because creating a new society is not an easy thing to do. People make mistakes just like Societies do.
- You can find documents from the DoM's website which provide sources of foreign governments recognizing the DoM. You can find Letters from Liberia as late as February of 2015 thanking the DoM for helping during a national crisis. These documents, whether Misplaced Pages wishes to acknowledge them or not, clearly show that 1) the State is recognized as a separate state by other governments, 2) the state is very much real, not a fantasy, nor an online phenomenon, and 3) the lack of news on the DoM and its activities is proof that the state, under its current administration is not involved in any activity which would cause government agents to go after its members or peak the interest of the media. It is well known that negative news is the best form of news and positive news is boring news.
- At the end of the day, these dialogues contribute to the public record of the State doing what it can to correct the misinformation and the skewed bias nature of the Misplaced Pages page known as the Dominion of Melchizedek. I am still waiting for proper answers to the questions I have put forth over the past couple of years and still waiting to see who, as an editor on this page, actually have the credentials to discuss international matters with regards to self-determination and the recognition of states/societies.
- @bradv, How much of the material, sources, and factual truths provided by the various sources which contribute to the contents of this page have you personally gone through and vetted? Bssmith117 (talk) 19:53, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- It is not Misplaced Pages's job to decide international policy, and it is not the job of individual editors to argue about international policy. It is our job to go through reliable sources, summarize them, and gather the sources together into an encyclopedia.
- From the statements you have made here and on your talk page, I'm beginning to think you are not here to help build an encyclopedia. You are here to promote the Dominion of Melchizedek, and convince people that it is a real country.
- It is not, and even if we say it is on Misplaced Pages, it still won't be. Bradv 20:40, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- I can't speak for Bradv, but in my case 100% of the existing cites and can state that they accurately support the points made in the article. I've also had a quick look, for the purposes of this discussion, at DoM's mentions in the online press 2012 onwards:
- So there's no ability to add anything about the current activities of DoM as, at best, it's morphed from an entity notable for being involved in scams to a non-notable entity. That morphing, should it be the case, does not mean the article needs to be deleted, as the historical situation is still notable. Bromley86 (talk) 20:58, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- Bradv, you mention "it is not the job of Misplaced Pages or the editors to decide international policy" I agree one hundred percent. You nor this site, have that authority or knowledge base to make such determinations (it is evident in your responses). Yet, almost immediately after your statement you follow up by making an assumption on international policy by assuming the State doesn't exist, which is an opinion not substantiated by any reliable and verifiable source. This is a violation of Misplaced Pages's policies and procedures! You don't have the right to voice your opinion. You only have the permission to add verifiable information.
- Furthermore, you are making assumptions and presumptions to my motives for engaging in the correction of facts and verifiable information presented on this page. You have proven, based on your off hand comments that you do not have a neutral point of view on this page because you keep interjecting your bias assumptions and opinons. I have maintain one firm position which is that the lede to this page is unverifiable and inaccurate not only because of the source that was cited, but because of the source presented within this article by other editors which state that a "reliable" source; Washington Post, indeed adminted that the DoM has received diplomatic recognition. Regardless of the opinion of the editor of the article sourced about the reasons the Central African Republic or any other state would engage in recognizing the DoM (diplomatically or otherwise), this is a factual event. Two facts are verifiable as cited in my previous response on the Rights and Duties of States..."The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states. Even before recognition, the state has the right to defend its integrity and independence". This is international law and is agreed to by all states. Furthermore, Article 6 of the same International treaty states "recognition is unconditional and irrevocable". I don't know about you, but that sounds pretty straight forward and specific to me. Considering the State has received communications from a foreign Government as late as February of 2015, and considering there are numerous documents from other states engaging in Treaties of Peace and Recognition, your comment that the state "still wouldn't exist" or any editors comment that the State is unrecognized is a complete lie! It is something you want to believe but does not fit the reality at hand.
- You can make whatever statement of assumption you wish about my motives, but it should be clear to any neutral party that reviews this dialogue, I am pointing my responses and my focus of facts presented on this page with third party source material that Your Government and every other Government know, understand, and abide by. I am also pointing out violations of Wikipedias own policies regarding verifiable sources. "All material in Misplaced Pages mainspace, including everything in articles, lists and captions, must be verifiable.".
- @Bromley86 - This also includes @Bradv; Just because someone writes and article and they are considered third-party from the Subject of the page and Misplaced Pages, does not mean that the Source is accurate in what they present. Bromley86, you cited numerous articles that were posted after 2012, yet all these articles merely mention the name Dominion of Melchizedek! Seriously,
- your first Article references a woman who has had no affliation with the DoM prior to 2006. Anything she has done personally, does not automatically tie to the State! Who knows why this particular individual decided to write this article in 2013, 3 years after the event allegedly occured?
- Your Second article is a blogger who decided to write a historical peice on other micronations because of an indivdiual trying to claim a track of land for his daughter! (more than likely her source for the DoM was this page). It is a one paragraph, mentioning facts she found interesting!
- Your Third article has got to be a joke if you are including this as a reliable source. The only mention of the Dominion of Melchizedek is the fact that this man "Alleged to have ties to the Dominion of Melchizedek". Ok. People alleged things all the time. Doesn't mean they are true! That is why in a court of law, allegations must be verified by facts!
- Your Fourth article again has only a mere mention of the Dominion of Melchizedek in relation to a group attempting to exercise its right of Self-Determination, unfortunately, they are following the path of the DoM early on which is the lack of understanding "naturalization of citizens".
- Your Fifth article only has this mention "scams (like the Dominion of Melchizedek, which sold fake passports at inflated prices)". Of course, this allegation is address in the history of the DoM put out by the State itself. The man who was arrested for creating fake passports was not only caught creating fake passports for the DoM but multiple nations. He was not a "member" of the DoM nor any other state he was selling passports of! Criminals don't care about things like that! There are thousands of people who sell fake passports of any state to any person dumb enough to pay for them.
- Your Sixth article only states this..." In addition, he is said to have shares of a fictional bank in the "Dominion of Melchizedek" ok. where is that proof? Again, people can and will say anything. Just because something is said, does not make it true.
- Your final two articles 7 mentions the DoM in passing and 8 is a link that goes to a subsription page which is a violation of wikipedias external link policy..notabley number 6.
- Bottom line is that I keep hearing about reliable sources, crediable sources. yet you present these articles which are a joke at best. If anything, it shows that people who write about microstates will continue to write about the Dominion of Melchizedek based on its history because they have no other information to go by. By and large, it is due to the information on this page since anytime someone hears about the Dominion of Melchizedek, they will look it up on Misplaced Pages.
- I see you took the citation down off the lede. That is the first step. however, per the policies on Misplaced Pages and lede to pages, "As a general rule of thumb, a lead section should contain no more than four well-composed paragraphs and be carefully sourced as appropriate." As the Lede stands, it is one blanket statement that has no verifiable source. The lede should also "Like in the body of the article itself, the emphasis given to material in the lead should roughly reflect its importance to the topic, according to reliable, published sources.". Since there is no reliable, published source verifying the lede, it stands to reason, it must be changed and updated to reflect an accurate discription of the topic at hand. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bssmith117 (talk • contribs) 22:40, 28 July 2016 (UTC)
- I wasn't providing them as references in articles, merely pointing out that there's been no mention in news sources of the DoM in a manner which would support the sorts of changes that you would like to make. Thank you for making my point in detail!
- Regarding the Lead, it's fine as it is:
- The Dominion of Melchizedek (DoM), is a unilaterally declared, internationally unrecognised micronation - all mentioned in the Body and referenced, with the exception of the actual word "micronation". I'll have a look at making sure that's in somewhere.
- known for facilitating large scale banking fraud in many parts of the world during the 1990s and early 2000s - again, covered in the body and reffed, although I see none of our current refs/points relate to the naughties, so I'll remove that part. Bromley86 (talk) 02:46, 29 July 2016 (UTC)
Fraud
Just visited DOM's website. A purported "photograph of Melchizedek" looks like an island in Fiji! (Cannot identify which one it is — but I'll try to find out) David Cannon (talk) 10:07, 30 December 2016 (UTC)
Johnski Redux
It appears once again Johnski and his meatpuppets have started to push their propaganda on the DOM article. Please be aware this went through arbitration many years ago and the result was the banning of of Johnski and ALL of his known meatpuppets. This page can be semi-protected by an administrator and new meatpuppets can be banned. Davidpdx (talk) 13:47, 27 June 2019 (UTC)
- Diffs? Andy Dingley (talk) 15:06, 27 June 2019 (UTC)
- Andy, I'm not sure what you mean. Davidpdx (talk) 13:11, 28 June 2019 (UTC)
- Where are these "meatpuppet edits"? Who is "Johnski"? Andy Dingley (talk) 13:16, 28 June 2019 (UTC)
- They are the edits being done by unregistered users. Johnski was (is) someone who is directly involved in DOM who along with other people are making a concerted effort to add unsubstantiated claims. https://en.wikipedia.org/Wikipedia:Requests_for_arbitration/Johnski/Proposed_decision Davidpdx (talk) 01:54, 29 June 2019 (UTC)
- Where are these "meatpuppet edits"? Who is "Johnski"? Andy Dingley (talk) 13:16, 28 June 2019 (UTC)
- Andy, I'm not sure what you mean. Davidpdx (talk) 13:11, 28 June 2019 (UTC)
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