Chris Hedges article

[alanjjohnstone]

It is worth a read. No doubt we can all find flaws within it but I find it overall quite positive and a reminder that change takes places in ideas.

 

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/30-6

[ALB]

I see he again raises the question of the limitations of "consensus" decision-making:

Quote:

Many found that consensus, which worked well in small groups, created paralysis in groups of several hundred or a few thousand.

By co-incidence somebody gave me the other day a copy of Workers Solidarity, an anarchist publication from Ireland, for Jan/Feb last year which, perhaps inadvertently, made the same point:

Quote:

The consensus process that successfully prevented groups or political parties from packing assemblies to further their own ends also caused some problems. A proposal to work with the Dublin Congress of Trade Unions (DCTU) to organise a march was blocked at a GA by a small number of people. This created a rift and some people went on to do this work on their own.

The fact is that, except on procedural or non-controversial issue, consensus decision-making tends to favour "the tyranny of the minority". Better to stick to the old democratic method where the minority has its say but the majority has its way.

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