We’ll give the “Terroristic speech as defined by the state of Pennsylvania” a rest for today, and instead give you some common sense.
Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. Whenever you hear the consensus of scientists agrees on something or other, reach for your wallet, because you’re being had. “Let’s be clear: the work of science has nothing whatever to do with consensus. “Consensus is the business of politics. Science, on the contrary, requires only one investigator who happens to be right, which means that he or she has results that are verifiable by reference to the real world. In science consensus is irrelevant. What is relevant is reproducible results. The greatest scientists in history are great precisely because they broke with the consensus.
Found and stolen from Samizdata.Net
Head over there for a link to the article.
I believe Margaret Thatcher said that consensus is the lack of leadership.