Arguably, in the last century the biggest "hole in the ballot box" was the "information to voters" bit of democracy - the "media" - in fact, what number of people in the states - or the world - are aware that the president/vice-president hopes of the USA Greens were BOTH women - ( also both black, by the way) - or of what Ron Pauls alternate G.O.P campaign actually stood for.
But the biggest problem in these current campaigns is certainly the "opaque", easy-to-tamper-with computer-voting-machines. Actual computer experts of ALL politics agree about this when they have the information - in fact some of the most serious scientists trying to get the attention of the world to these abuses were from the GOP too. Its like a bike shop refusing to flog bicycles with square wheels despite the fact that customers might buy them.
This weeks news that the last Administrations dodgy "computer operator" has got onto the payroll of the present GOP team is FAR from good news.
The media distortions, the possible rigging of opinion polls, the tendency against actual policies-discussions, the "subtle twists" in allegedly friendly press - to both campaigns ( the people actually at the back of much of this interference ARE fighting this campaign policy by policy at the same time as they try to ensure that the public see it as cartoon against cartoon) - all of these are problems - that get worse - but the crux of all this is the computer-votes.
Global pressure, 7 weeks from the election, DOES have a serious hope of making a difference.
There are a lot of good, serious bits of background information out there - yes, amidst the chaff- but worth looking!
Comments
Hide the following 5 comments
please
15.09.2008 18:12
MSM propaganda and the independnet press coverage on these issues-without it being
constanty in our faces.
we are not all trained monkeys and mostly this news is something that everyone
can make their minds up on.
so pls- stop the caps.
C. http://www.anticapsonfreemedia.org
(I will not read anything else that is C_A_P_P_E_D into hyperbole)
C
Keep out
16.09.2008 10:21
Peter Piper
PLease rethink
16.09.2008 11:00
Think about it.
Is each word spelt perfectly?
What about the spacing?
Worth a bit of follow up.
I researched it a bit.
A BUNCH OF SHODDY TECHIES ARE ABOUT TO TRY TO DEFRAUD THE USA - THEN USE IT AGAINST ALL OF US.
( local people involved )
mmmm
yes.
thought about it.
big letters.
cheers
rethinking, pleased
Let's send over some observers
16.09.2008 12:09
The point of the article above was that people in the US would *not* really be getting to decide who they want to represent them.
Where a country seems unable to hold a fair election, impartial observers from outside the country should help ensure that it is truly democratic - whether that's in the DRC, Zimbabwe or the good old USA.
I don't think Indymedia UK should be swamped with coverage of the US election. It's a bit weird there's been nothing about a more pressing political development for those of us in the UK: the lurch to the right by the Liberal Democrats (but, hey, I realise that I should put up a posting about that myself, rather than complaining).
But the US election will have a big effect on the UK, particularly if McCain wins as he is even more hawkish than Bush (cf "McCain: Myth of a Maverick")
It's going to be funny to see the backflips some people are going to have to perform if McCain wins the popular vote, but Obama wins because of the states where he has won.
Norville B
the "remember each eleventh" campaign had a bit about that last election too -
17.09.2008 17:31
PS why did this months (september08) posting from there disappear from these newswires, ditto a comment about that (quite different) october 11 demo bit .
If there are paid internal indymedia censors about, two things.
1 Who by ?
2 You missed a bit - I'm pretty sure this piece is from them too.
. . . . 4 puzzler