Unanimous by Robert Service

Unanimous
by Robert Service

They call me Old Unanimous
Because I never disagree;
In any argumentive fuss
I side with the majority;
Feeling I'm overage to fight
I find conciliation best,
And in the choice of left and right
I take the way that's easiest.

They see my enigmatic smile,
My folded hands, my face serene;
They little know that all the while
My mind incredibly is mean.
My heart's revolt they cannot guess,
As in my secret soul I cuss -
And yet I always answer: "Yes,
Consider me unanimous."

So when it comes to Yea and Nay
I'm always ready to agree;
It's so much simpler to obey
Than buck the family decree.
"Old Grandpa is so sweet," they say,
"So quick to click with all of us;
We love him well" - I grin: "Okay!
I reckon it's Unanimous."

Marginally related to an issue with which I have been wrestling of late - the implications that arise when 70% of a stakeholder group have no interest in a particular outcome and therefore fail to participate or simply go along. The outcome is then determined by a 30% minority and the reality is that even for the 30% who care, probably 20 of the 30% are indifferent except to the obvious evidence. It is only the 5%ers at either end of the spectrum who are passionately devoted to a specific outcome. The outcome for the 90% is determined by the ideological 10% rather than the evidence based 20% or the 100% who might be affected.