I had to start there, simple because it'll start my more conservative friends foaming at the mouth.
4 years ago, it was Florida, hanging chad and misleading ballots. Whatever. This year, it's Ohio and electronic voting machines with no paper trails…
Kerry Won
By Greg Palast
TomPaine.com
I'll go ahead and say it now (and attempt to beat you guys to the punch). Whatever. It doesn't matter that the polls showed Kerry winning in key states, it doesn't matter that votes haven't been counted, it doesn't matter that the election's been stolen once again… even if you believe all these things are true, it doesn't matter. We're tired, no one wants to hear it and I sincerely doubt that any legitimate challenges will come out of these allegations. Bush is President for 4 more years and those of us bothered by that fact are going to have to get over it and move on.
What DOES matter, and is vital to understand, is that this is not a partisan issue and it doesn't simply affect this election or Liberals/Democrats/Conservatives/what have you.
This is what it's about:
The Ultimate Felony Against Democracy
By Thom Hartmann
CommonDreams.org
I don't give a damn what your politics are, you should be bothered by the idea that elections in this country are taking place and there is NO WAY to validate whether the votes have been counted, whether they've been counted correctly or whether they've even been recorded.
It doesn't matter that the accusations right now are that conservative corporations have stolen the election. It matters that ANY corporation (or individual or whatever) COULD have stolen this, or any election. It matters that there's no paper trail. It matters, simply, that it COULD have happened, because we've abdicated control of our voting process to companies and individuals that will almost certainly have their own agendas and over whom we have no oversight, control or authority.
Am I cynical and lacking in trust of my fellow man? Absolutely. And you're a fool if you're not bothered by this.
Am I Chicken Little, screaming that the sky is falling? I doubt it.
(Just to add a little fuel to the fire, try this one on for size:
Machine Error Gives Bush Extra Ohio Votes
By John McCarthy
The Associated Press
That's the AP, guys. Not some "wacko liberal propaganda" site, as I'm sure someone's going to label my other two references. 4000 extra votes is only a couple of decimal points away from changing the whole election. It's simply a matter of degree.)
It doesn't matter whether the guy you wanted got elected this time. Next time, maybe it won't be. But it won't matter, because we don't have even the pretense of control anymore.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
If the power to change the vote at will isn't enough for you… what is?
4 years ago, it was Florida, hanging chad and misleading ballots. Whatever. This year, it's Ohio and electronic voting machines with no paper trails…
Kerry Won
By Greg Palast
TomPaine.com
I'll go ahead and say it now (and attempt to beat you guys to the punch). Whatever. It doesn't matter that the polls showed Kerry winning in key states, it doesn't matter that votes haven't been counted, it doesn't matter that the election's been stolen once again… even if you believe all these things are true, it doesn't matter. We're tired, no one wants to hear it and I sincerely doubt that any legitimate challenges will come out of these allegations. Bush is President for 4 more years and those of us bothered by that fact are going to have to get over it and move on.
What DOES matter, and is vital to understand, is that this is not a partisan issue and it doesn't simply affect this election or Liberals/Democrats/Conservatives/what have you.
This is what it's about:
The Ultimate Felony Against Democracy
By Thom Hartmann
CommonDreams.org
I don't give a damn what your politics are, you should be bothered by the idea that elections in this country are taking place and there is NO WAY to validate whether the votes have been counted, whether they've been counted correctly or whether they've even been recorded.
It doesn't matter that the accusations right now are that conservative corporations have stolen the election. It matters that ANY corporation (or individual or whatever) COULD have stolen this, or any election. It matters that there's no paper trail. It matters, simply, that it COULD have happened, because we've abdicated control of our voting process to companies and individuals that will almost certainly have their own agendas and over whom we have no oversight, control or authority.
Am I cynical and lacking in trust of my fellow man? Absolutely. And you're a fool if you're not bothered by this.
Am I Chicken Little, screaming that the sky is falling? I doubt it.
(Just to add a little fuel to the fire, try this one on for size:
Machine Error Gives Bush Extra Ohio Votes
By John McCarthy
The Associated Press
That's the AP, guys. Not some "wacko liberal propaganda" site, as I'm sure someone's going to label my other two references. 4000 extra votes is only a couple of decimal points away from changing the whole election. It's simply a matter of degree.)
It doesn't matter whether the guy you wanted got elected this time. Next time, maybe it won't be. But it won't matter, because we don't have even the pretense of control anymore.
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
If the power to change the vote at will isn't enough for you… what is?
Comments
You still have conservative friends? That shows a healthy degree of tolerance on both sides of the friendship I think. That...or you work together and have little choice but to get along!
Chris