Consensus Be Damned!
Or so our very own Greg says...well almost says, in his My Word column in the Times- Standard today. It's not available online yet but I believe it's pretty much along the line of what he has on his blog.
So, I say Democracy be damned! and Greg says Consensus be damned! Can't we just all get along?
Maybe we can get together and vote on this: Should Democracy, Consensus, or both be damned? I don't know. I'll have to put up a poll here asking the question. Problem is, what if there's a tie vote?
Then we'll have to get an independent person to mediate the issue. Question is: Should that person be elected, or appointed?
posted by Fred Mangels @ 10:13 AM
21 comments
21 Comments:
And why in the devil did Greg invoke Saddam into local politics? Is Virginia going to use chemical weapons or WMD on anyone who disagrees with her picks???
No she actually said out loud-How am I ever going to pick someone we can all agree on? That is the person she's looking to appoint.
Greg shut up!
Thanks for the question, 10:39. In context, Saddam was mentioned as a recent and obvious example of consensus decision-making run amok. No attempt was made to compare Mayor Bass with Saddam. When I was in college I couldn't afford to eat at a nice place like OH's TowneHouse, so I stopped by to purchase a couple of baked potatoes. You know what? They didn't charge me for those spuds, and I have never forgotten.
Sure, I supported Peter LaVallee. I've known him for years and he did a fine job as Mayor. Though she was not my personal pick, Virginia seems unlikely to use WMD on anyone...maybe a baked potato.
The My Word column is duplicated on Greg's List for anyone who wants to read it themselves.
Greg and Carol Ann -
Boo
Go back under your rocks now (or under your bridges.
Consensus is often times useless. There's rarely a time when a large group of people can agree on any one thing. To me it seems like consensus could easily be regarded as tyranny of the minority.
I agree with 5:09, and it's a bridge.
5:47 wrote, "To me it seems like consensus could easily be regarded as tyranny of the minority.".
As can elections.
Fred, When you write that elections can be regarded as a tyranny of the minority, are you referring to the minority of Registered Voters who actually vote in our elections?
I'm speaking of one person in a group who either doesn't understand what's going on or is too mentally incompetent to make a decision holding up the entire decision making process. Some people want and need to be sheep, its a mistake to let those people into any kind of position of power.
you mean people like fyhre pheonix of the arcata greens?
you mean people like fyhre pheonix of the arcata greens?
7:27 wrote, "are you referring to the minority of Registered Voters who actually vote in our elections?".
Oh, I suppose, although actually I misread what I quoted. I thought he wrote "majority".
A lot of it has to do with the ability of people to think and uphold correct values such as honesty, justice, rationality, etc.
If ten people are in a room and 8 of them agree child molestors should be thrown in jail and two are child molestors and don't like that idea but demand consensus. That means the 8 people who are just have to compromise with teh two molestors.
In a compromise between food and poison the poison always wins.
Where is the element of common sense in this discussion? You do not compromise between food and poison or to jump of a cliff. For those of you that have left your common sense somewhere in a political extremist handbag, perhaps you should consider that most folks see through this ploy, and will not fall for the dictates of the extreme left or right.
To seek the Center is one of courage, and personal integrity. Many of our Country's founders had this element of personal common sense.
“I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else where I was capable of thinking for my self. Such addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a part, I would not go there at all”. Thomas Jefferson.
Excuse the typo in Jefferson’s quote in the last sentence. Should be Party instead of Part.
You cannot compromise with evil.
Altruism does not mean kindness or consideration for others. What altruism preaches is that man must sacrifice himself for others, that he must place the interest of others ABOVE his own interest, that he must live for the sake of others.
I think it was Jeff Leonard who said all the council will be compromising to find a consensus opinion. At least two up there understand what needs to be done-I hope the rest 'follow' by leading.
Anyone who thinks these five people cannot find one person from the second ward to do the job--is probably not going to be very happy with any candidates who may or may not show up to run in case of special election.
Greg shut up!
Was not a question.
Maybe not, but "And why in the devil did Greg invoke Saddam into local politics?" and "Is Virginia going to use chemical weapons or WMD on anyone who disagrees with her picks???" are questions. In fact, they are misleading questions.
Wonks: it has been an interesting couple of days. Writing about the misuse of consensus decision-making models has brought heat from the right as well as from friends to my left. Many groups use consensus models. I left room for that in my comments, but argue against the use of consensus as a substitute for majority rule in governmental decision-making.
The need for good government does not "go away". Good people (as we have been told by Howard Dean) need to "show up". Born in Eureka, EHS '70, HSU '74 - it's too late to go away.
Cobb is NOT a Green
I guess the ultimate govenmental decision making is The Supreme Court, which is appointed...
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