The IPCC climate-change propaganda is the most ambitious political program to which consensus methodology has yet been applied. The goal is little less than control and suppression of the entire world coal, oil, and natural-gas energy system. Not only would this provide enormous political power to world bureaucrats and politicians, but it would also provide pseudojustification for world population control (spelled "genocide'' if one looks closely at Africa and other developing regions). Enviro leaders have repeatedly stressed that they view abundant, accessible energy supplies as a global threat. The "consensus process,'' as it is lovingly called by bureaucrats, functions at the local level just as it functions internationally. Two years ago a local farm family told me that the enviros were bragging to them that farming in this region would soon come to an end. This optimism was based upon a consensus process that had been launched by a regional bureaucracy that calls itself the Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG). The goal was to close all farming,
With great fanfare, RVCOG launched its program in which the citizenry would rise up and, by consensus, seize control of the local environment (and implement a 17-page document already written by RVCOG). First, two public meetings were held. Then 12 committees were formed with names such as Emergency Committee, Forest Committee, and Fish Committee. There was, noted the farmers, no agriculture committee. The 12 committees each elected a chairman and vice-chairman to serve on the "coordinating committee.'' The chairman of the coordinating committee was to rule the "process'' at the side of RVCOG's enviro bureaucrat. All committee proceedings would be by "consensus'' in order to project an image of unanimity.
The coordinating committee included primarily professional agitators, amateur enviros, and welfare cases. A few ordinary citizens were included by accident or as protective coloration. All was in readiness for the first big event - the first coordinating committee meeting. The Chairman had already been informally chosen (but was still partially incognito due to an apparent inability to shave or endure a haircut).
I first learned of this event when a neighbor suggested that he and I attend the meeting. We were not among the invited 24, but, in the initial disorganization and socializing, no one seemed to notice two additional faces at the table. To my astonishment, however, my neighbor's first action was to complain that he had not been sent a meeting notice. He claimed to be vice-chairman of the Agriculture Committee (which did not exist). Moreover, the RVCOG bureaucrat apparently decided that another spear-holder from the community would do no harm and allowed him and his newly-created committee to stay. As introductions became more formalized, I whispered to my neighbor, "who am I?'' "You're the chairman of the Agriculture Committee,'' he replied. On this basis, we stayed in the room and endured a couple of hours of pontification by RVCOG about how and what was to be done.
With the group hypnotized or asleep from this experience, the bureaucrat announced that it was time for election of The Chairman. The chosen luminary was duly nominated, but, just as nominations were being closed with only one nominee, my neighbor nominated
me. Now fortunately I live in a different world from most of those people and none of them knew me. Moreover, there must have been some dissension in the enviro ranks, because, when the votes were counted, I was elected - a dark hour for consensus in the Rogue Valley.RVCOG had advertised this new consensus group all over Oregon, so it could not be stopped. Moreover, their 17 pages of rules allowed for only one vote - election of the chairman. All else had to be done by consensus. The chairman and the few ordinary citizens would not "conses'' to his removal. Weekly proceedings became so unruly with Rumplestilskin-like enviros trying every form of disruption to get me out of that chair that the meetings became community spectator events.
Their best shot came one night when they packed the room with enviros from all over Southern Oregon (even including a reporter from the
Chicago Tribune to chronicle the event). Forewarned, however, we had arranged the tables with my back against the wall (the defeated candidate for chairman liked to get behind me at the meetings) and three tough Oregonians on each side of me. Our plan was that, no matter what happens, nobody leaves his chair. We didn't, and they lost. After about a year, it was discovered that the 17 pages also contained no limit to the number of committees that the chairman could recognize. I recognized 10 more sets of chairmen and vice-chairmen; RVCOG's consensus group was outvoted (the first vote was to vote) by the combined group of 46 people; and the enviros withdrew.Unfortunately, the international "consensus builders'' are not so incompetent. The methodology is, however, the same. Originate an agreement that serves their purposes; choose a consensus group that is easily controlled; have the consensus group endorse the original agreement; widely advertise the agreement of the consensus group with the implication that it represents the views of the larger body of people from whom the group was selected; and use the manufactured appearance of unanimity to suppress dissent by peer pressure.
The operative phrase in the report quoted above is "the world's scientists have reached a consensus.'' Sure they have - all 140 of them!
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Vol. 22, No. 3
Newsletter: Access to Energy Newsletter Archive Volume: Issues Issue/No.: Vol. 22, No. 3 Date: November 01, 1994 02:33 PM (For actual publication date see newsletter.) Title: Consensus
Copyright © 2004 - Access to Energy Newsletter Archive
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