-------- Original message --------

From: Edward Low <edwardlow@riseup.net>

Date: 12/7/17 5:03 PM (GMT-08:00)

To: cypherpunks@lists.cpunks.org

Subject: What is consensus?

There is a question I would like to send to the list and get some feedback.

As far as I was told, consensus is a way to reach a decision without the
need of voting, so there is no majority nor minority, no one can impose
their ways even if they are majority so no lobby and no forcing.
Clearly, education is needed for that, so everyone understands the need
of giving up a little bit in order to make it work for the common project.

Lately I've been seeing consensus described as voting system, with
majorities and minorities. My english is short, so maybe there is a word
to describe consensus as a no-voting system to reach a common solution?

Thanks

E. Low

--
Edward Low
edwardlow@riseup.net
Libertalia (Madagascar)

Consensus implies everyone agrees. Using OccupyWallStreet as example of how it fails when there isn't some sort of at least general agreement, the the BLOCK in the consensus system they used was based on Spanish anarchist unions who were in general avreement on a goal, and a block STOPPED the process until whatever issue the blockung party brought up was resolved.

At Occupy there were so many political interests represented that the BLOCK, it was felt, was being used to disrupt, and it was modified to basically mean you were voting yourself out of the process unless you withdrew the block...

Which turned the process into mob democracy where the largest faction won in spite of problems perceived by people blocking, and OFC, the largest factions were typically scumbag prog-libs.