Sunday, June 25, 2006
Voting and Democracy
I have a lot of things to snipe at in this MyDD post, but you can't bitch at the central thesis: there are fundamental flaws in how we conduct elections, and the fact that we refuse to fix these obvious problems indicates that we are dominated by an elite class who do not value democracy.
I've been meaning to talk about this for a while, because it touches on a bugbear of mine: conspiracy theories. Look, we do not NEED to prove that all the Diebold machines are rigged to make the case that voting in our vaunted democracy is a fucking mess. No. All we need to do is point to Blackwell and Harris, and make the almost obscenely obvious point that INVESTED PARTISANS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RUN THE FUCKING ELECTORAL MACHINERY. HOLY TITS! WHY IS THIS EVEN A FUCKING QUESTION?
I mean, Jesus FUCKING Christ! It is absolutely insane that this should be allowed to happen. We do not need to prove a mysterious conspiracy -- it's right out there in the open. We have what, checks and balances for everything but who controls how we vote? Are we mentally ill? Are we that obscenely hypocritical?
Let me rant: WE DO NOT NEED A FUCKING CONSPIRACY THEORY ABOUT VOTING IN AMERICA TO PROVE THAT IT'S FUCKED UP.
We need to point to Blackwell and Harris.
That should be sufficient. Sheeeeit.
Why do we need to search for buried mysterious truths when the public record is as appalling as it is? I just don't get it.
I have a lot of things to snipe at in this MyDD post, but you can't bitch at the central thesis: there are fundamental flaws in how we conduct elections, and the fact that we refuse to fix these obvious problems indicates that we are dominated by an elite class who do not value democracy.
I've been meaning to talk about this for a while, because it touches on a bugbear of mine: conspiracy theories. Look, we do not NEED to prove that all the Diebold machines are rigged to make the case that voting in our vaunted democracy is a fucking mess. No. All we need to do is point to Blackwell and Harris, and make the almost obscenely obvious point that INVESTED PARTISANS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO RUN THE FUCKING ELECTORAL MACHINERY. HOLY TITS! WHY IS THIS EVEN A FUCKING QUESTION?
I mean, Jesus FUCKING Christ! It is absolutely insane that this should be allowed to happen. We do not need to prove a mysterious conspiracy -- it's right out there in the open. We have what, checks and balances for everything but who controls how we vote? Are we mentally ill? Are we that obscenely hypocritical?
Let me rant: WE DO NOT NEED A FUCKING CONSPIRACY THEORY ABOUT VOTING IN AMERICA TO PROVE THAT IT'S FUCKED UP.
We need to point to Blackwell and Harris.
That should be sufficient. Sheeeeit.
Why do we need to search for buried mysterious truths when the public record is as appalling as it is? I just don't get it.
# posted by Thers @ 12:50 AM 
Comments:
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I'm sorry, you have used capital letters which Martin Peretz at the New Republic tells me is the sure sign of someone who ought to be dismissed forthwith.
I would say that you don't need to prove that the electronic voting machines are rigged to show that our elections are utterly compromised. The Republicans' systematic campaign of vote and voter suppression makes Diebold a handy backup plan at most.
I would also say that the frame the Dems should be using is not, "We don't want to get ripped off again", but rather, "Don't you *want* everyone to have confidence in the outcome of the elections? Don't you *want* America to be a model of what democracy should be? And if not, *why* not?"
Voting and media are my two hot-buttonest issues, because they are the mechanisms of accountability that prevent democracies from turning into dictatorships. And they're both in the tank.
Voting and media are my two hot-buttonest issues, because they are the mechanisms of accountability that prevent democracies from turning into dictatorships. And they're both in the tank.
Another thing that you could point to is the appaling apathy of the American electorate; and their inability to put two and two together.
And I agree w/ NYM. Using caps is very unbecoming, Thers. You look like a crazy.
And I agree w/ NYM. Using caps is very unbecoming, Thers. You look like a crazy.
I'm sorry, you have used capital letters which Martin Peretz at the New Republic tells me is the sure sign of someone who ought to be dismissed forthwith.
If not immediately committed. Not that there isn't ample evidence of this already.
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If not immediately committed. Not that there isn't ample evidence of this already.
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