Using the Delphi Technique to Achieve Consensus [or How the Left builds consensus]

Eagle Forum ^ | November 1998 | Lynn Stuter

[labette]

"..Considering the number of non-cons, barely-cons and liberal-cons that have appeared on FR recently, and the number of Rudy boosters..."

Have we been infiltrated at FR? ... Definitely.

Because of the sheer numbers, it's hard for Free Republic to be our exclusive hide-a-way. Before we can expose, confront, and defeat a corrupted idea, It can be helpful to learn the ways of the enemy. {"My people perish for lack of knowledge."}

I can be a very slow thinker. What better way to sharpen one's skills than a written forum where there is time to review and ponder upon points and counter-points??

Also, thanks for posting this. I've been "Delphied" before, too.

[Antoninus]

There are a number of infiltrators on this board who masquerade as 'questioning' conservatives purely aiming to divide us and to get each other to fight with each other. They're probing to find out what works, what doesn't, what makes us fight amongst ourselves and which of their lies will work.It is very subtle and, now, they will be 'funded' to maintain this strategy throughout the next election at which time they won't need it anymore because they will have all three branches.

Worth repeating.

I'm sure the boss is aware of this stuff, but I'm pinging him anyway.

[darkangel82]

They're called seminar posters and DUmmy trolls.

[Antoninus]

Many thanks for a fascinating reply. I have long held that critical thinking bears the same relationship to Critical Thinking as libertarian does to Libertarian. If it's certified and wrapped in a package it probably isn't entirely the real thing.

Critical Thinking is just like every other phony term that has emerged from Marxist academia. It's double-speak and accomplishes the exact opposite of what it appears to mean when applied in the "proper" fashion.

[Antoninus]

I live in NJ. Yes, the way they handled the McGreevey story was absolutely amazing. He knew exactly what speech to deliver to garner sympathy. The Democrats are very talented at being spin doctors.

I wasn't evern referring to the speech. That was disgrace enough. I was referring more to the way the media played it. I remember one newscast in my area where they were "gauging public reaction" and they had one vox pop after another saying, "Hey, it's no big deal. Too bad he resigned."

I think I literally threw my shoe at the TV that night.

[GOPJ]

These are old ideas - ancient mind control techniques. Leftist would rather use them than have an open and honest debate. In essence, they cheat. But the hints on how to work against the set organizations are excellent. A book on how to fight totalitarians is in here somewhere...

[KOZ.]

thanks for posting.

[68 grunt]

... known as "facilitators" or "change agents," ...

They're fifth columnists and agent provocateurs. I call the California 'facilitators' the ilk herd. I like my analogy. They've got a couple of bulls and a few cows, and one confused cow who wants to be a bull. The rest are just the herd, too dim to realize they are just followers, encouraged because they help the division.

Thanks for the thread, the more people who realize that there really are 'facilitators' the better off we will be.

[vox_freedom]

Certain religion forum posters come to mind?

True, and your question deserves my Bingo of the week.

[Antoninus]

Thanks for the thread, the more people who realize that there really are 'facilitators' the better off we will be.

That was the point. Hopefully lots of people will read this and think twice about some of the more obnoxious posters on FR.

I notice that I haven't seen any of the most egregious offenders on this thread....

[grey_whiskers]

Excellent link.

C.S. Lewis made reference to this technique (though not by this name) in his novel That Hideous Strength:

"Both, honey, both," said Miss Hardcastle. "Don't you understand anything? Isn't is absolutely essential to keep a fierce Left and a fierce Right, both on their toees and each terrified of the other? That's how we get things done. Any oppostition...is represented as a Left Racket in the Right papers and Right racket in the left papers. If it's properly done, you get each side outbidding the other in support of us -- to refute the enemy slanders. Of course we're non-political. The real power always is."

Cheers!

[Colorado Buckeye]

Bump for a good post and a good read. I have heard radio shows wherein this technique was discussed but it's good to have a refresher course.

[higgmeister]

"Living in Clearwater, all I can say is that the technique is misnamed. The "Hubbard Technique" seems more appropriate."

I agree. We have used Group Multi-voting for years in Quality Assurance or Process Improvement to focus on a target area worth pursuing. That was done with ideas contributed to the floor and documented by a peer for a short discussion and Multi-voting to reach consensus. A hidden ballot destroys the group participation and consensus.

The Delphi Technique's isn't supposed to be used in a group dynamic. The PMI definition specifically states that it should have an anonymous response.

Delphi Technique:

An information gathering technique used as a way to reach a consensus of experts on a subject. Experts on the subject participate in this technique anonymously. A facilitator uses a questionnaire to solicit ideas about the important project points related to the subject. The responses are summarized and are then recirculated to the experts for further comment. Consensus may be reached in a few rounds of this process. The Delphi technique helps reduce bias in the data and keeps any one person from having undue influence on the outcome.

In a face-to-face group this whole purpose of focused information gathering with less bias is corrupted.

The evil here appears to be in the contract facilitator that is simply dancing with those that brought him to the dance.

[redgolum]

Book mark.

My wife recently ran into this in one of her groups at school (she is a teacher). They are tying to work around the no child left behind law, and were using the Delphi method to reach "consensus".

Unfortunately, many of the teachers in the room were familiar with what was going on and turned the tables on the presenter. It sounded pretty funny.

[THEUPMAN]

bump for reference later .

I've seen this in action in the zoning and planning process.
I couldn't put my finger on it but I knew it was happening.

thanks for the info

[Old_Mil]

Bump...you're right. One of the key points is to see "who congregates where". The Rudy supporters are regulars on other policy threads where they typically take up the banner for liberal positions (pro-gay, pro-illegal immigration, etc).

[Crawdad]

btt

[itsahoot]

Once you're aware of it, this technique is really obvious when others use it.

Can you say "Public Education?"

[DBeers]

Interesting.

Will incorporate into my 'toolbox'...