The Dynamics of the Delphi Technique
The following is based on the principles found in Beverly K. Eakman's fabulous book, How to Counter Group Manipulation Tactics, the Techniques of Unethical Consensus-building Unmasked. She states on page 2 that "it is easier to control a group that it is to control a single individual." This is applicable to the sincere truth-seeking individuals on the Internet. Eakman, on the same page also states, "The group is used by the provocateur to help combat any person viewed as adversarial - via isolation, ridicule, ostracism, and finally by overwhelming the adversary through 'mob censure.'" We see this in video presentations, in Internet forums and on radio shows. One of the most-used tactics is to claim that the skeptical independent thinker is resorting to ad hominem attacks when he or she questions the claims of the provocateur or the "group." The Delphi Technique, established by the government, is about creating uniform herd-mentality thinking. On page 3 of her book, Eakman says that "the provocateur gets the group to do the dirty work." He/she uses "mob censure" which can be very brutal.
Peter Klein's video:
This is a very obvious example of ridicule. I listened to just the audio of this segment without looking at the video. I did not perceive any inappropriateness on Dr. H. Wayne Carver's part. We do not know how long the press questioned Dr. Carver, Connecticut's Chief Medical Examiner, who stated that this was probably the worst that he had seen and the worst that any of his colleagues had seen. What motivated the video maker to isolate this particular out-of-context segment and then add text bubbles to tell us what to think about what he was saying. Dr. Carver, who functioned in his position for about 35 years, must have been very proficient. He had just performed autopsies of seven first-graders, which, even for an ME must have contributed to mental state at the time of the press conference. He said that each victim had three to eleven wounds a piece. Demonizing people is a favorite Delphi tactic; it takes the focus off of real evidence and allows them to avoid legitimizing their spurious claims. The press conference took place on December 15, 2012; CNN filmed it.
Connecticut State Medical Examiner Dr. H. Wayne Carver
addresses the crowd