Louisiana Shuts Down Voter Registration Site For 'Scheduled Maintenance' On National Voter Registration Day (nola.com) 233
mabu writes: National Voter Registration Day, earmarked to call attention to encouraging more people to register to vote, is a pinnacle of many state's voter registration drives. Unfortunately in the state of Louisiana, its secretary of state Kyle Ardoin, decided this was a great time to shut the web site down for "scheduled maintenance." As a result, people who tried to register to vote online, on one of the most visible days of the registration drive, were denied the ability. "Ardoin's apparent decision to shut down the website raises concerns about ongoing efforts to suppress voter turnout during a heated election season in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic," reports NOLA.com. New Orleans' mayor Latoya Cantrell called the move "Unacceptable."
"Ardoin, a Republican, has sparred with Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards over absentee voting -- both in federal court and in the court of public opinion," NOLA.com adds. "A federal judge in Baton Rouge recently overturned efforts by Ardoin and GOP lawmakers to roll back previously expanded absentee voting in Louisiana. The judge's ruling, if it stands, would allow Louisiana voters to cast absentee ballots if they are concerned about COVID-related health risks associated with voting in-person. The ruling effectively reinstates the absentee voting rules that applied to the statewide primaries held in July and August, which came off without a whiff of 'voter fraud.'"
"Ardoin, a Republican, has sparred with Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards over absentee voting -- both in federal court and in the court of public opinion," NOLA.com adds. "A federal judge in Baton Rouge recently overturned efforts by Ardoin and GOP lawmakers to roll back previously expanded absentee voting in Louisiana. The judge's ruling, if it stands, would allow Louisiana voters to cast absentee ballots if they are concerned about COVID-related health risks associated with voting in-person. The ruling effectively reinstates the absentee voting rules that applied to the statewide primaries held in July and August, which came off without a whiff of 'voter fraud.'"
Maybe in preparation for the rush? (Score:5, Informative)
It's up and looks like it's working now. What we need is a closed-loop test of someone actually registering, waiting a half an hour, then logging back in and checking that the site reports that they are in fact registered to vote. It's not like anyone's out of the woods yet.
two parties (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Funny I do not see these problems in blue states.
Re:two parties (Score:4, Insightful)
The idea that they need a "majority of votes" to win is outdated. Now, the requirements are friendly judges, disenfranchisement, strategic voter suppression, ballot nullification, and if need be, militias at polling places. Oh, and gerrymandering. I forgot gerrymandering.
We have entered an era in the US where elections no longer matter. They're just for show and an ego boost for tyrants (see, Russia, Belarus, etc).
Re: (Score:2)
It's being reported that the GOP is considering simply ignoring the votes cast and telling the Republican leaders who instruct the electoral college votes for their state to vote for Trump regardless.
Re: (Score:2)
Reported where?
It's being reported that the Democrats are going to wait for the result in each state then somehow magically find a few vans full of postal ballots that just hadn't arrived yet and are somehow just the right number to assure that enough voters in each state voted Democrat to deliver a clean sweep across the country.
I give that report more credibility than yours, as it has just as much evidence and also follows an established pattern in a small number of ballots.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:3)
If Trump does abuse the Electoral College to try to remain in power it could be the end of it. Assuming the Democrats win in the end they will doubtless want to reform the system and I think many Republicans will have a hard time resisting those calls after such a blatant power grab.
Have you met today's Republicans? None of them would resist, whatsoever. So long as the power grab results in their team accruing more power, they're perfectly fine with it, regardless of the tactic, or the morality thereof. They have substituted zealotry for principles. It never ends well.
Re: (Score:2)
it's a mystery to me how the country bifurcates in such a way, why some policies get grouped as being one one camp and others the other. It seems though that the policies are driving it, because clearly there is little thought to how a portfolio of policies can be adopted to win the majority of votes but rather how can the voting system be tilted to allow the most extreme possible set of policies be enacted.
It is pretty clear to me why that happens: If you nicely demonize the other side, nobody looks at your own screw-ups and mistakes. While the left is guilty of this as well, it is a traditional right-wing staple. Note that _both_ large parties in the US qualify as "right-wing" and they are both doing it. To the massive detriment of the country, but that is what happens if you have a political "elite" that only cares about power and has not even a concept of honor, integrity or duty anymore. You people should
That may be the most Louisiana thing (Score:5, Insightful)
Sad thing is the number of
And since I've got Karma to burn I'll add that it's odd how it's always the Red states doing this sort of thing while the Blue states encourage voting. Serious. It is. Always. It's to the point where you can't really vote R and really pretend you're in favor of Democracy. Picking and choosing who gets to vote isn't democracy, it's oligarchy with more steps.
Re:That may be the most Louisiana thing (Score:5, Informative)
Actually faking or suppressing, say, a million votes without it being obvious is impossible. But creating the belief of this in a large swath of the electorate is very, very easy to do, simply by repeating it often enough.
Trump is again working hard at this today:
https://www.independent.co.uk/... [independent.co.uk]
The problem is not discrediting the vote (Score:5, Insightful)
This is by design. One of the main goals of the Republican party is to get people to disengage from politics. To make politics a dirty, stressful thing full of hate and bigotry and stress. Then people will cede control of government to them just so they don't have to deal with it themselves.
It's a strategy summed up by "Government is the problem, not the solution". That lie is powerful, and it's made the GOP extremely powerful. So much that a country founded on religious freedom is on the verge of becoming a fascist theocracy.
Re: (Score:3)
It seems Slashdot has turned into a pro Trump anti intellectual site. Probably because the young slashdotters of 20 years ago are in their 40s now and only care about their tax cuts and nothing else? Who cares if you have a job or your country falls apart. After all that capital gains tax cut will trickle back to you any day now ...
You know what GOOD THING TRUMP has done? It exposed the GOP for who they really are today to the average low information non involved voter. People are outraged on Facebook and o
The Trumpy /.ers are fewer than you think (Score:3, Insightful)
I've mostly written those guys off. There are better
Re: The Trumpy /.ers are fewer than you think (Score:5, Insightful)
Most conservative slashdotters were, fifteen years ago, quoting Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman. When the housing crisis demonstrated what a joke their ideas were, they shifted to anti-Obama positions. Notice that most of them do not actually defend Trump, they provide counterattacks to any criticism of him. These are people who have spent so much time defending the indefensible that it has become a sort of rhetorical exercise that is detached from any moral, ideological, or pragmatic considerations. Once their libertarian ideas were exposed to be absurd, they ceased to believe in anything. There is great power in not believing in anything because it allows for immense flexibility when engaging in debate.
In other words, they are nihilistic trolls and it tickles them pink that a nihilistic troll occupies the White House.
Re: (Score:3)
That's the alt-right playbook. Never play defence, just change the subject by attacking something else.
The best way to deal with it is to give a single sentence rebuttal and then go back to the real issue. Don't get sucked in to defending against faulty logic and rhetoric. For example if they go off on a rant about all the terrible things that the other side has done pick one, debunk it with a link and leave it at that. Go back to discussing the thing that makes their side look bad.
Re: (Score:3)
Since Slashdot did something about the bots and the sock puppet accounts a lot of the formerly prominent right wing posters have disappeared. It was always a small number of people, they just cheated the system to appear much more popular than they really were.
Re:That may be the most Louisiana thing (Score:5, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
It could get very messy if both the election and the SCOTUS pick are contested at the same time.
Re:That may be the most Louisiana thing (Score:4, Insightful)
I can't see any alternative but for the Democrats, should they win, to increase the number of justices to 11 and select a bunch of young liberals for the posts. If they don't and things like bodily autonomy and marriage rights are removed they will never be forgiven.
Re: (Score:2)
More like the smart people found better things to do than post here.
Re: (Score:2)
Oh goody, and alt-right troll (Score:4, Informative)
Anyway for anybody reading olddoc's post the Green Party in Wisconsin & Pennsylvania both have strong ties to the GOP with a lot of their funding traceable back to Republican donors. Moreover they never run candidates in local elections, just the national and high level state ones where they can spoil. Finally they had a mountain of obviously fake signatures and filed their lawsuits just before mail in ballots went out.
In both WI & PA Green Party's actions were a transparent attempt to delay early voting so that the Republicans could suppress the vote. RI Green Party knew that would happen so they refused to run a candidate this year.
Green is Red. If you want viable third party you need Universal Vote By Mail, Automatic Voter Registration and Ranked Choice Voting. Green knows this but doesn't fight for those things. Green is Red.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Democracy works a lot better when you exclude all the people who might vote against you.
Incompetence? (Score:2)
Republicans all criminals! (Score:4, Interesting)
As far as I am concerned they are a group funded by Russia to divide and harm the national interests of the United States. Everything they have done has either hurt this country or helped Russia somehow. What is even more frightening is groups like the Christians Coalition and NRA have been hosted in Russia and received money to subvert democracy.
They will not stop at undermining people to vote. They will get rid of your healthcare. They will incite racism and anger for political points. They have have their own propaganda network Fox News which tell lies 24x7 like Joe having dementia or towns being burned to the ground with edited footage. Portland for example is not burned and was violence free because far right wing nuts and Homeland security got involved.
We need to vote them all out. If you are a Republican join the Lincoln Project and you will find other like minded conservatives who agree with me. Redrawing districts in gerrymandering and fucking with voting machines is enough for me!
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re: (Score:3)
I still see a downtown. I still see businesses existing there fine. Ask anyone who lives there? When Trump supports shot paintballs and assaulted them after Fox News reported anarchy then the violence started.
Re:Republicans all criminals! (Score:5, Insightful)
I really want to see how Republicans are going to explain this one.
Reporter: "Win, lose or draw in this election, will you commit here today for a peaceful transferal of power...?"
Trump: "We're going to have to see what happens... Get rid of the ballots and we'll have a very peaceful -- there won't be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation."
Video: https://twitter.com/snigskitch... [twitter.com]
Secretary of State IT? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Secretary of State IT? (Score:4, Interesting)
Yup, my first thought was that there were some IT guys down in the dank basement who said "No one told US it was Nation Voter Registration day! We've had this shutdown scheduled for over 17 years now! And can you shut the door, the light is hurting our eyes."
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
More to the point, on what fucking grounds did that news article blame him?
The evidence that he was involved is a news article claiming he was involved. That article cites no sources, even anonymous ones, and points out that they've had no information from him or his office.
If voting wasn't important (Score:4, Insightful)
Republicans wouldn't work so hard to prevent people from doing it.
*shakes head sadly* (Score:2)
Civil War Clock Ticks (Score:2)
steps of evil (Score:3)
This is the first step of 'evil government', the independent arbiters refusing to label their paymasters and colleagues (notably police) as malicious or incompetent. Worse, police endangering the people is not a crime.
I've mentioned the second step before: Multiple overlaps of the tiers (local, state, federal) of government bureaucracy.
Own it (Score:5, Insightful)
It is clear that Republicans can only cheat to win an election. They should just come out with it and own it instead of using mealy-mouthed technicalities and excuses.
But that would require a certain degree of honesty. Something they are unfamiliar with, and anyway, why start now? That, and schoolyard name calling is all they are capable of.
Re:Own it (Score:4)
There really ought to be consequences.. (Score:5, Insightful)
There really ought to be consequences for this type of behaviour - inhibiting the democratic process is arguably treasonous, and if people who did this went to jail, I'm pretty sure they'd think twice about what they're doing.
here come the guns (Score:4, Insightful)
Trump has just said he wants his courts to "throw out the ballots". He's got President for life envy from watching, and being compromised by, Putin.
If Trump's win is legit then four more years of incredible corruption and business as usual. If Biden wins Trump won't leave. If the far right have taken over enough of the judiciary to give him quasi legal cover he'll invalidate as many votes as necessary to give himself a victory. There will be massive peaceful demonstrations by well meaning liberals. The liberals will be attacked by ad hoc street level Republican goon squads, get beaten up periodically and be blamed by state TV for trying to overthrow Trump. Trump will call the liberals "insects" and "less than human". Then it will get quiet for a while ... then sectarian paramilitary civil war, slow at first, nasty. Shortages, starvation, death squads in the next couple of years. No one wins.
A republic if we can keep it. Right now, doubtful. Say goodbye, America
This is probably the last chance for the USA (Score:5, Insightful)
I take no joy whatsoever in watching the US democracy crumble into fascism right in front of my face. I'm not surprised it's happening, but I'm shocked by the speed of it.
Re:Wrong! (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Wrong! (Score:4, Interesting)
OR... 'scheduled maintenance' is the default error that shows up when your back end crashes because it can't handle the capacity and you don't want to admit that you as the IT boss didn't do proper capacity planning.
Just saying, I would not attribute to 'malicious' that which can easily be accounted for by 'stupid' or 'indifferent' both of which are much more common.
Re: (Score:3)
Re:Wrong! (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
You have the IQ of a tree frog.
A human would know that yesterday was before this minute.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
Re: Wrong! (Score:2)
I don't care how long registration is available for. Childish, malicious retaliation against the judge's decision remains childish and malicious.
You want to talk unbelievable? That anyone would make excuses for it.
I don't make excuses for Democrats retaliating, because excuses are also childish. And we are supposedly the adults in the room.
Act like one.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Have you heard of National Voter Registration Day before this minute? I'll bet a paycheck you hadn't.
How much do you owe him? I'm guessing you're a wino posting from the library. Nobody with income would make a bet that moronic.
Re: (Score:3)
There are 364 other days of the year that the site can be taken down for "maintenance". I suppose it is just coincidence that they chose the one day promoted as voter registration day to do the "maintenance".
Who cares if you had heard of Voter Registration Day before this minute? There are other people out there that did hear about the day and I'm sure some of the actually tried to register on that day only to find out that the registration site was down. Just because the site was only down for one day (a f
Re:Wrong! (Score:5, Insightful)
> Republican politicians have no obligation to participate in the Democrats' get-out-the-vote effort. In fact, they would be fools to do so.
They would be statesmen to do so.
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Wrong! (Score:5, Insightful)
It's only partisan if participating in democracy is partisan, and Republicans think that their party will always be the less popular option with individual humans...which would be interesting things to openly admit...
Re:Wrong! (Score:5, Insightful)
"Uhh. Voting is partisan. That's the whole point."
Individual Votes are partisan. The idea that whether or not people should vote is partisan, should NOT be.
"No, just that winning a majority of a wider electorate would require them to shift their policies toward the center."
That's basically admitting that they don't represent that majority of elgible voters.
"But it is silly for them to complain that the Republicans aren't doing it for them.. But it is silly for them to complain that the Republicans aren't doing it for them."
That circles back to the first point -- whether voting is a partisan issue... or put another way:
I think the best ideas should win an election; and that those ideas should be convincing to the majority of the eligible voters. So I genuinely and uncynically want everyone who can vote to make an informed choice and vote, and will act towards that outcome.
If that increases my party's chance of losing, then my party SHOULD alter its platform, and even its candidates, because it's not presenting a path forward that represents the wishes of the majority of those it seeks to govern. If my party is not willing to alter its platform, then it is should lose.
Re: (Score:3)
The idea that whether or not people should vote is partisan, should NOT be.
Perhaps it shouldn't be. But it is.
Republicans are more likely to register and more likely to vote.
They benefit from anything that narrows the electorate, including barriers to registration and even bad weather on election day.
That's basically admitting that they don't represent that majority of elgible voters.
Duh. That would be like admitting that water is wet.
But elections aren't decided by the majority of eligible voters, only by the majority of actual voters, and for presidential elections, not even that.
I think the best ideas should win an election; and that those ideas should be convincing to the majority of the eligible voters.
People don't vote for ideas. They vote for their interests.
So I genuinely and uncynically ...
Your lack of cynicism
Re: (Score:3)
"Your lack of cynicism is naive."
Not really; I know full well the disconnect between my idealism and reality. :)
But I'd still rather pursue my ideals then suppress a voter.
"People don't vote for ideas. They vote for their interests."
I think "good ideas" tend to be in the common interest; so they aren't really necessarily at odds with "self interest".
But sure, absolutely, some people vote for ideas. Some people vote for their interests. And Some people actively vote against their interests because ... well..
Re: (Score:3)
Deciding on election day that maybe you should get off your ass to vote is a prime example someone that doesn't really care.
If you don't really care, you shouldn't be voting as you sure as heck won't be making an informed decision.
You also need to register. And double check your registration hasn't been cancelled by your state government, which is run by the party opposing yours.
Also there's a pandemic going on, so voting comes with a 1% chance of death, because the opposition decided mail-in voting was fraud.
Re:Wrong! (Score:4, Informative)
People don't vote for ideas. They vote for their interests.
Ha! Republican voting is all about identity politics, i.e. people voting identity against their own interests. Your lack of cynicism is naive!
And yeah, if you under-resource democratic-leaning voting places, when it rains they have lower turnout because its harder to get out of the rain. You are quoting the results of successful voter suppression as if it proves that there is no voter suppression. Nobody is erecting barriers to registration that mostly impede republican voters. The barriers are chosen based on how they will effect the turnout. I'll say it again... Your lack of cynicism is naive!
Re: (Score:2)
Your lack of cynicism is naive.
You can puff out your chest all you want, but the pendulum swings, and oh is it going to crash back on you dumb fucks hard.
Re: Wrong! (Score:2)
No, voting is not partisan.
Parties are, but voters are capable of voting on issues and not people or sides.
Re: (Score:2)
No, just that winning a majority of a wider electorate would require them to shift their policies toward the center.
So they truly believe that their platform is not what the people want but they intend to ram it through anyway?
Seems a bit dictatorial.
Re: (Score:2)
So they truly believe that their platform is not what the people want but they intend to ram it through anyway?
Most people would not consider getting a majority of actual votes cast to be "ramming".
You could just as easy say that Democratic efforts to drag apathetic people to the polls is "ramming".
Re: (Score:3)
Most people would not consider getting a majority of actual votes cast to be "ramming".
Notably, Trump didn't manage to do that last time. W. managed it once, but only once.
It becomes ramming when they resort to actually trying to hamper the process of voting and undermining confidence in the electoral process. That's ripped right out of the banana republic playbook. Fidel would be proud.
One would call the Democrat's efforts confidence that their platform at least better approximates what the people want.
Re:Wrong! (Score:4, Insightful)
>> If Democrats want to go out and register voters, they are welcome to do so.
>> But it is silly for them to complain that the Republicans aren't doing it for them.
Are you deliberately misdirecting? The particular issue here is the downing of an online voter registration portal on the day of an awareness blitz. That's disgusting behaviour.
I'm so glad voting in Australia is compulsory. If you don't submit a valid excuse for not voting then you get whacked with a fine. Not huge (maybe ~$USD30) but a fine nevertheless.
Re: (Score:2)
That's disgusting behaviour.
Some see disgusting behavior.
Others see shrewd politic'n.
Democrats view politics as a game with rules.
Republicans see politics as war, where winning is all that counts.
Re:Wrong! (Score:5, Insightful)
Some see disgusting behavior.
Others see shrewd politic'n.
Democrats view politics as a game with rules.
Republicans see politics as war, where winning is all that counts.
True. The way I think of it is Democrats are trying to play a good game, while Republicans are trying to hack the game. There's a similar dynamic with the mainstream left vs. right parties in many countries.
And to carry the analogy further, it makes more sense once you understand that the democrats'/left goal is to enhance and evolve the game, while the republicans'/right goal is to degrade and break the game. The republicans/right only pretend to be "good sports" at certain periods in history when they're on the defense - obviously the Trump era is a period of no-holds-barred offensive play.
And of course "the game" is democracy.
https://pages.gseis.ucla.edu/f... [ucla.edu]
Re: (Score:2)
So what you're saying is that a healthy democracy with well engaged citizens would never elect a Republican?
Are you SURE that's what you want to put out there?
Re: (Score:2)
Too late. He did.
Re: (Score:2)
So what you're saying is that a healthy democracy with well engaged citizens would never elect a Republican?
Perhaps.
But Democrats rely on voters that are not very engaged and need cajoling just to get them to even register.
Republican voters tend to be more engaged.
Are you SURE that's what you want to put out there?
I'm a registered Democrat. So why should I care if you have a negative opinion of Republicans?
Re: (Score:2)
That must explain why I got mail from both the state _and_ the Republican party encouraging me to get an absentee ballot! /s
Re:Wrong! (Score:4, Interesting)
That must explain why I got mail from both the state _and_ the Republican party encouraging me to get an absentee ballot! /s
You got those mailings because they identified you as someone likely to vote Republican. Perhaps because of your zipcode or neighborhood. Or perhaps because many of your Facebook friends express conservative opinions.
I am pretty sure the Hispanic neighborhood on the other side of town didn't get those mailings.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Democrats benefit from registering more voters. Republicans lose.
And whhhhhhhy do you think that is? Because the majority of citizens in the country actually realize how horrible the GOP is?
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Well, yes. It has always been easier for white people to register and vote. They don't put obstacles to voting up in rich suburban neighborhoods and rural jurisdictions. Also, voting demographics have always skewed older, so more registered voters are old. So the pool of unregistered voters, whether through malice or apathy, always tends toward Democratic demographics. They'll register Republicans in these campaigns because they'll still register more Democrats overall - it would put some people off if it w
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
So...you're saying that more people voting is an inherently DEMOCRATIC PARTISAN effort. As in there are more Democrats. As in when there are more Democrats and they proceed to vote...that Republicans lose...
So...Republicans are justified in suppressing ways that people can vote?
If you're actually endorsing that as a legitimate argument, you're just nuts.
Re: Wrong! (Score:2)
Childish retaliation is childish.
The only people I should ever have to explain that to are children. Your choice as to how old you act.
Re:Wrong! (Score:4, Informative)
It was down last night for a couple hours for long-scheduled maintenance.
No.
It is indeed down every night for maintenance, but that's not what this article is about. This is specifically about the website being taken down on national voter registration day.
NOLA.COM is bad, but it's child-site The Gambit is far-far-left leaning. You're all lying hacks!
Other sources:
https://www.newsweek.com/louis... [newsweek.com]
https://www.wwltv.com/article/... [wwltv.com]
https://www.newsbreak.com/loui... [newsbreak.com]
https://cenla.craigslist.org/p... [craigslist.org]
https://www.ktbs.com/news/la-v... [ktbs.com]
Re: (Score:2)
? Re:Wrong! (Score:4, Informative)
"It is indeed down every night for maintenance"
Why lie about something that's trivial for anyone to check? https://voterportal.sos.la.gov... [la.gov]
I'm puzzled about what statement you think is a lie. The site you link (the same as the site given on the post I was replying to) says "The Office of Motor Vehicles performs system maintenance from 1 to 4 a.m. CST every day." I consider 1 to 4 am as "night", and "not being able to complete processing" sounds like "down" to me.
And, in any case, this isn't even the system outage we're talking about-- the system was down Sept. 22 other than the nightly maintenance.
Re:Authoritarian regimes (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
No, just by strangling the USPS.
Re:Authoritarian regimes (Score:5, Insightful)
You either don't understand the history of your own country, or you're being disingenuous.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
"Of course, when we were in HS (1980) we all thought Orwell was writing was about the Soviets, oh wait...."
The book about the Soviet Union was Animal Farm , not 1984
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
"Orwell, himself a democratic socialist, modelled the authoritarian government in the novel after Stalinist Russia" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Words like "Ingsoc", "proles", "The Party" do tend to give it away a bit.
Re:Authoritarian regimes (Score:5, Informative)
Show me a Democrat that is even on the same level of Trump? I don't recall Democrats involved in voter suppression since the KKK days when the Democrats were the conservative party of the south.
I only see Republicans as the problem as every Democrat has not tried to ask for foreign interface and stopped people from voting.
Trump fakes ability. Many people believe. (Score:2, Informative)
A Catalog of Trump's Worst Cruelties, Collusions, Corruptions, and Crimes [mcsweeneys.net]
From page 44 of a book by Mary L. Trump, Donald's niece:
"Donald's growing arrogance, in part a defense against his feelings of abandonment and an antidote to his lack of self-esteem,
Re: (Score:2)
Putin and Trump thank you.
Re: (Score:2)
The entire leadership of the DNC comes to mind
Gonna need some citations there, champ. Here's a good format you can copy https://www.mcsweeneys.net/art... [mcsweeneys.net]
Re:Authoritarian regimes (Score:4, Insightful)
Sad right-wing troll is sad.
Why lie about something anyone who cares about or who has 30 seconds on their hands can google? No ballot boxes were ever found floating in SF Bay. Lids? Yes. Are you unaware that box lids blown by the wind are not the same as ballots?
The fact that you're going to lie about boxes of ballots to to try to pull a whataboutism that occurred in one place in the US a couple of decades ago and try to make that equivalent to what is happening in the US now is really fucking sad. Even if what you said happened was true, the scale is nowhere near equivalent to the current scale, to the point of being irrelevant.
The fact that you need to lie about something that even if true would be irrelevant is mind-boggling. If that's the best you can do, you really need to reconsider your position. When all the facts are stacked against you and even your lies fall flat on their face, how do you cling to that position?
Re:Authoritarian regimes (Score:5, Informative)
Orwell was writing about the general trend in the 30s towards totalitarianism. Back then, between the devastating effects of the European wars that conflagrated into WWI, and the US-born Great Depression, a bunch of oppressive regimes sprung up across the place and mostly cooperated against movements for more democratic systems. But that was the primitive road to totalitarianism, which was quick and easier to establish, but harder to maintain, especially in the presence of competition.
The guide book for a stable, scientifically based caste system is "Brave New World", enhanced by modern economics, which is a guide for totalitarianism with soft gloves that is run by an oligarchy by modifying the preferences structure in the heads of the subjects, so that they make the "right" choices themselves.
As is obvious from the way things go in certain "democratic" oligarchies, this is a much more viable model.