Nobody Won! The mask has fallen off. The facade of democracy we citizens of the United States live under has cracked. One corporate candidate has won the popular vote and another is ready to assume the presidency. The last time the rulers were so freaked out was during the Watergate crisis. Just like then, talking heads in their media speculate about what could happen while politicians and establishment wise men put their faith in a system so corrupt and non-representative that close to half of those eligible didn^t bother to vote. Meanwhile, those who did vote only to find out their vote doesn^t really count grow angrier and more frustrated that the world^s greatest democracy denies their decision in the ballot box. One has to admit that there^s a bit of humor in the situation. Russia^s leader Putin has offered observers from his country in what can only be a clear dig at the presumptuousness of the American government^s perennial insistence in sending its electoral observers anywhere around the globe to insure ^fair^ elections. Italy^s newspapers call the U.S. a banana republic, pointing out that the only other countries that have electors who can overrule the popular vote are those run by the military. Being a permanent fan of Nobody^s candidacy, I^m happy that s/he^s still winning as of this writing. Seriously, this crisis among the rulers is a graphic example of the failure of the corporate republic government. It is the perfect time to point out that U.S. elections have never been free and have been controlled since their inception by the wealthy to insure their continued dominance. From the slaveowners and wealthy northerners who insisted on the Electoral College in the first place to today^s paid-off legislators who refuse to pass meaningful laws ending corporate contributions, the electoral system in this country insures that the people will never have a real choice of candidates. Like Watergate, the current electoral crisis is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg and is more the concern of those who have a vested interest in the outcome. Still, it is too important to ignore. The fact that millions of Americans who believe in the system enough to vote are discovering for the first time that their vote really doesn^t count is a big step forward. Add to that the irregularities in the ballots and the count that seemed to effect mostly African-American precincts and one can only be amazed at the brazenness of the system in its denial of the right to vote. This election proves more than any that I can remember how little voting has to do with true democracy. It is up to us to bring this point home, especially in light of the opportunity their system has handed us.
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