[lbo-talk] "US inspires world with attempt at democratic elections"

[B.]

US Inspires World with Attempt at Democratic Election
TheOnion.com
November 8, 2004

NEW YORK — Observers from around the world report that
they were inspired and moved by America's most recent
attempt to hold a public election in accordance with
the standards of a democratic republic.


"After all of the recriminations, infighting, and
general madness before the election, the people of
this fractured nation still found the courage to show
up at the polls," said Anas Salman, an Afghan U.N.
official who was in New York during the American
electoral experiment. "More than half of America's
citizens—a large portion of them women—made a valiant
attempt to choose their own leader, even though there
was no guarantee their votes would be counted. It was
truly inspirational."



In the weeks leading up to the election, both of
America's political parties alleged fraud in voter
registration. Additionally, experts debated the
reliability of electronic voting machines, which
experienced problems in trial runs and leave no paper
trail. Election officials also bemoaned many states'
use of outdated punchcard machines.

Considering such disputes, Salman said he was "touched
and gladdened" that voter turnout for the U.S.
election nearly approached voter-turnout rates for
Afghanistan's first popular elections in October, when
69 percent of citizens cast ballots.

"True, voter turnout in many parts of the world tops
90 percent," Salman said. "But it's understandable
that the rate is lower in countries such as
Afghanistan, where the government has raised fears of
possible terrorist attacks at the polls. Our people
showed great courage."

The last American presidential election, held in 2000,
was also rife with problems. Myriad scandals arose
concerning alleged fraud and ballot tampering.
Although the Democratic candidate won the popular vote
by a margin of half a million votes, the Republican
candidate won the presidency with a strenuously
disputed 537-vote lead in Florida, a state governed by
his brother.

"Despite the specter of corruption in 2000, and even
though the procedural problems which surfaced during
the previous election were never remedied, the
American people chose to put their faith in the system
once again this year," said Joseph Mtume, a Kenyan
diplomat who traveled to Ohio to view America's
democratic proceedings. "You can't help but feel
touched by the determination of these citizens who put
their doubts aside to collectively participate in the
democratic process. All this in a nation divided by
war, where dissent is widespread and the rift between
citizens has rarely been higher. It was truly
stirring."

Carlos Cruz, an Argentinian diplomat who observed the
election in Miami, said he was profoundly moved by
America's democratic election.

"With my own eyes, I saw people from all walks of life
waiting in long lines to cast their votes, and very
few of them were turned away," Cruz said. "They
believed in the democratic process, despite the
existence of racial gerrymandering of the sort most
recently seen in the redistricting of U.S. House seats
to negate the impact of Hispanic and black voters in
Texas."

Cruz said he was impressed that average citizens still
participate in the "current money-dominated electoral
process," even though legislators have largely ignored
their repeated calls for campaign finance reform.

"Their wide-eyed earnestness was humbling," Cruz said.
"Truly, my heart leaps up. I can only hope that, under
such demoralizing circumstances, my countrymen would
similarly rise together to try and make democracy
work."

The multinational watchdog group Organization for
Security and Cooperation sent 600 official observers
to monitor proceedings, from countries as disparate as
North Korea, Syria, and China. Many reported that they
came away deeply touched.

"To see a country with such overwhelming
problems—problems that affect every last citizen—have
so many of its voters feel that they can still
influence their leadership... words fail me," said Dae
Jung Kim, a North Korean OSC delegate. "Certainly, my
report to my own government will emphasize this. I
will recommend that my leaders implement such American
election-time strategies and tactics as would fit the
North Korean model of personal freedom, such as their
elegant Electoral College and the inscrutable voting machine."

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"I'm not too worried by hegemony / I know the cadre will look after me" - Magazine, "Model Worker," 1978