Operation Blame And Fear
Published October 29, 2006
Obviously, the genius of the Republican formula for winning elections is utter simplicity: Transference of blame, and the establishment of fear. They screw up, blame someone else, and then hide behind Jesus. Their core voter base, the Cretin Fundamentalists need only to be reminded that good Christians are always right. So if something goes wrong, it's the fault of the fallen, no matter how obvious the lie. And as for fear, if terrorists don't do the trick, there's always the homosexual threat.
The ongoing nightmare of Iraq is the fault of Al Qaeda, Iran and Syria. Katrina is punishment for homosexuality and southern decadence, and its aftermath is the fault of lazy and criminal black people. Clinton is to blame for bin Laden remaining free and the North Korean bomb. Social decay, the soaring divorce rate, an epidemic of single mothers, and sexually transmitted diseases are the fault of the homosexual agenda and gay marriage. The Foley scandal and cover-up is the fault of the Catholic Church, Jack Daniels, and a cabal of undercover gay Democrats who infiltrated the Republican party.
So who will the Republicans blame on November 7 for the next election disaster? Latin America's numero uno friend of the axis of evil, the president of left-wing Venezuela, that's who. Hugo Chavez.
According to The New York Times, the notion is being floated that many of the electronic voting machines that will be used on November 7 are under the sinister control of Chavez who hopes to destabilize our election and therefore our society.
Fortunately, Bush will hold us together as he did post-9/11, especially if the vote turns out "badly," and he and his courts need to step in with a fix.
After the obscene and clear failures of the election system to deliver an accurate and trustworthy count in 2000 and then again in 2004 and, even though the White House and the Republican congress have had six years to fix the faulty machines and flawed collection systems, we're still crippled by questionable technology and incompetent personnel. A cynic might argue that this allows the party in power an effective means to stay in power.
Of course, one of the easiest ways for a corrupt, power-hungry government to stay in power is to rig elections. We condemn nations around the world for this practice but stand as the ultimate role model for it. And when the victims of fixed elections in other nations take to the streets and stage mass demonstrations, we applaud them, but when the victims of fixed elections in the United States protest, we call them enemies of stability, democracy, and sore losers.
And it may be that 2006 will be an even worse nightmare than 2004 or 2000.
With the promise of faulty electronic voting machines throughout the nation, complex and indecipherable voting procedures in other parts of the country, and incompetent and confused poll personnel in most parts of the country, the likelihood of a clean election seems to be as likely as peace in Iraq.
And does our President speak out on this abomination? No. He's waiting to see the results first.
- Operation Blame And Fear
- Published: October 29, 2006
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Politics
- Filed Under: Politics: Elections and Candidates, Politics: U.S.
- Writer: Richard Rothstein
- Richard Rothstein's BC Writer page
- Richard Rothstein's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
I would use the word pathetic to describe this article, but since it's 3 syllables I guess I'm not allowed to.
Dave
Good stuff, Richard. It boggles the mind that this country's current hackable voting methods, after several years of messing around (by sheer stupity or conspiring design) may be reduced to the level of a fourth rate country.
Good article, Richard.
Dave, like it or not, the voting process of this country IS and has been corrupted and the voters defrauded since the 2000 elections at the very least. 2006 promises to be just more of the same, a prelude to a probably real whammy & crisis in the almost certain attempt of the Rovian GOP/neocons to hijack the 2008 presidentials as well. As pointed out in the article, the federal and state elections boards have had SIX years to mandate fixing this problem, and NOTHING has been done. In Maryland, indeed, the problem has gotten so bad even the governor has urged voters to use paper ballots to avoid the Diebolds, which have repeatedly been proven to be susceptible to hacking & "fixing". No one in power has put pressure on Diebold to force them to cooperate in investigating the accuracy or security of their voting machines - which Diebold has repeatedly refused to do, citing industrial "secrecy". They value their industrial secrecy over national security, and no politician or party calls them on it? I'd industrial secrecy THEM all the way to bankruptcy, if I were in congress or the white house! It says volumes to me that none of the current incumbents of either is willing to do so, the GOPs because any lack of security can only work for their good, and the Dems because ... they're so damned spineless & feckless none of them can get up the gonads to demand an investigation/testing & make it STICK!
I can only hope that what I perceive as the public showing signs of becoming restive over this sort of shenanigans bodes ill for those in either or both parties in the upcoming elections of 2006 & 2008, in that if it isn't fixed, the incumbents surely WILL be!
Talk about fearmongering. This bullshit about the voting machines and everyone being disenfranchised and elections being rigged. THAT is the real fearmongering, because it's a threat that isn't proven and isn't real, and impacts every one of us in a much more immediate way than terrorism does.
Dave
And of course, who could be more of an expert on the subject of fear, than one who lives in a fortified compound...?
Oh Dick you are so right!
Ohhhh...how are we supposed to have a fair election when we the democrats are walking aroound so afraid we all have shit in our pants!
Is dispicable how these Cretin Fundamentalists Christians are! Why cant they be more like us Democrats who either beleive in nothing except that "Bush Lied" or in our support of interspecies marraiges! Yes we democrats have nothing to fear except our own beliefs and our anti-chritian rants if Jesus really is gonna judge us!
From The Left- JustOneMan
This article is pure rubbish. The liberals wanted voting machines to ensure accurate voting...then all of a sudden they change their mind accusing republicans of rigging elections thanks to ignorant people such as RFK Jr.
I am sorry...but if you don't know how to use a punch-card voting machine....a technology that has been around for umpteen years...you shouldn't be voting and you don't have a valued say in our nation's politics. People such as these that have their votes discarded because of their lack of common sense absolutely deserve it. Applying the ideology of Charles Darwin...sometimes I wonder how these people lived to be 18 to go out and vote...even drive a car to go vote. That scares me.
I strongly disagree with Rothstein. The countries mentioned are threats to national security. Clinton DID create a big mess for Bush II to mop up. Liberals call our congress a "do-little congress," yet they had a president in office who accomplished nothing in eight long years. All I know is that we havent been attacked in 5 years and my taxes are low. Seems to me like the congress is doing a fine job.
Homosexuals are indeed a threat to our nation's morality. They are not normal and will never BE the "norm." They have no values. Why should the other 90-95% of the country change their way of life and their moral values for such a small population?
The few homosexuals I have met have a helluva lot better values than those of most of the "good, Christian" congressmen & white house maggots I've read/seen/heard of so far. At least the homosexuals don't go around presenting themselves as the "Party of Family Values" ... yeah, if you're a pederast in the Mafia, I suppose these good Christians in congress & the White House exemplify Family Values. They never DO specify WHICH family, do they? Not for nothing is the biblical term "publican" i.e. a posturing hypocrite, part of the RePUBLICAN name, and the current crop so ably carries it out, don't they.
I have little use for the values you espouse here, steve. Elitism, selfishness, and hatred of anyone different from you are all unpleasant values indeed.
Nancy. The bible was written in hebrew and greek not latin and 'publican' is a latin word. The normal use of the term is for someone who runs a bar.
steve. You're creepy. Seek therapy.
Steve: I'm curious to know how you feel about Jews, gypsies, the handicapped and blacks. I also wonder if your anger stems from not having naturally blond hair and blue eyes?
Being conservative is a crime on blogcritics! Simply because I disagree with homosexual ideals does not mean I'm a racist. you were so quick to jump the gun calling me a nazi...but you failed to notice that to be a homosexual; you can come from any "walk of life." Homosexuality is simply a mental disorder. the neurons/neuro-transmitters are not firing properly in their brains. It is a learned behavior. you arent BORN with it.
Since you are obviously Jewish; how did it feel calling me a nazi? did that give you any sense of retribution?
Now Steven...
When I first joined Blogcritics I was just like you. a free thinking, opinionated conservative. But dear fellow I have joined the other side and my life is so much less complicated. Now that I am a left wing Democrat all I have to do to "win" an argument is say a few key phrases..
1."Bush lied!"
2. "You are an anti-semite"
3. "You are a racists"
4. "You are homophobic"
5. "Its americas fault these things are happening"
You see I no longer have to be bothered with facts, morals or ethics. Its so easy! Best of all, I dont have to think anymore I just have to follow the aforemention script!
Someday when you are ready to forsake your realiance on facts, morals,ethics or belief in God...only then will you understand how we on the left think!
From The Left...JustOneMan
In other words...the symbol for their party should be a sheep...not a goat!!! I will mull this idea over. Thanks for the advice! I am frusturated with handling the vast responsibility of being a free thinker. You are right...but in joining the dark side; it would be too hard to relenquish my political ideology only to follow that of Kerry or Kennedy.
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Yes, Richard, what poses as public discourse (about public issues) is beyond lamentable. But this is not just the Republicans (though I think they excel at it) who scare and distract:it's the entire pathetic political culture, as I've discussed.
As for the rigged elections, they're as rigged as the process for becoming a legitimate candidate. Ever seen that video entitled "Spin?" Where to begin with all this? It's structurally rotten.
Jayson Harsin