> There is alot of nonsense on the left about consensus being
> "undemocratic," either from people who secretly prefer a hierarchical
> system or from those with bad group experiences.
And there are a lot of people with bad group experiences with consensus.
But you didn't mention those who secretly prefer hierarchy and therefore choose consensus, either. I suppose consensus can work fine in smaller groups--like a group of 5 roommates sharing a household, where it seems like possibly the only reasonable way to conduct affairs.
But for other, larger groups it cedes an extraordinary amount of power to a minority (in many cases to just one person) allowing them to railroad almost anything the majority prefers. That's one of the largest problems with capitalism and other authoritarian systems.
Modified forms of consensus are better inasmuch as they more closely approach democracy, just like modified forms of any system are better inasmuch as they're more democratic.
Brian