Past
As in every (free software) project, Debian has problems. Specially, there were 2 big problems:
- A: We are not good acknowledging, accepting and integrating new members in a good way.
- B: We have some people accumulating too much power.
Present
In case this was not enough, the people creating the problem B) decided to fix the problem A) totally on their own in a way that makes both A and B worse.
People with too much power are winning. A lot of of the average contributors have good points about all this, but they already gave up (this is a hobby for most of all!) and do nothing because they are already too frustrated. Some try arguing and discussing, but it is not going anywhere because people of the problem B are playing to ignore everything, so you can not argue with silence.
Some people is eating this poisoned cookie, they accept these changes
because finally we will be able to integrate (someway) in the project
translators, artists, etc, with the cost of change badly another stuff
like DM, in the way the people of the group B like.
The proposal or policy is presented as a whole, take it all or leave it.
Future
This proposal or policy will be implemented with some minor changes resulting of "listening" people, then this people causing the problem B, will say this proposal was widely discussed since it was changed because all the discussion.
Ah, and release Lenny sometime too.