Global
When British economist and public intellectual John Maynard Keynes wrote his famous essay entitled “The Economic Consequences of Mr. Churchill” in 1925, the British economy was still suffering the consequences of WWI, and was slowly sliding into the worst economic depression in world history. Today, as the Great Recession continues to devastate millions of people’s lives in the United States, Americans will decide in a matter of days whether they want Mr. Obama to continue on as President for another four-year term, or elect Governor Romney to replace him in the White House. As an economist who is committed to social justice, I would like to offer a brief assessment of President Obama’s economic policies during his first term, and speculate on the likely direction that the U.S. will take under a second term Obama administration versus a possible Romney White House.
The Free Press has obtained internal memos from the senior staff of the Ohio Secretary of State's office confirming the installation of untested and uncertified election tabulation software. Yesterday, the Free Press reported that "experimental" software patches were installed on ES&S voting machines in 39 Ohio counties. (see Will "experimental" software patches affect the Ohio vote?).
Election Counsel Brandi Laser Seske circulated a memo dated November 1st renewing the already shaky justification for installing software made by Election Systems and Solutions on vote tabulation equipment used in 39 Ohio counties. The letter to Ohio Secretary of State personnel Matt Masterson, Danielle Sellars, Myra Hawkins, Betsy Schuster, and Ohio's Director of Elections Matthew Damschroder, clarified the dubious justification for not complying with the legal requirements for the examination of all election related equipment.
Election Counsel Brandi Laser Seske circulated a memo dated November 1st renewing the already shaky justification for installing software made by Election Systems and Solutions on vote tabulation equipment used in 39 Ohio counties. The letter to Ohio Secretary of State personnel Matt Masterson, Danielle Sellars, Myra Hawkins, Betsy Schuster, and Ohio's Director of Elections Matthew Damschroder, clarified the dubious justification for not complying with the legal requirements for the examination of all election related equipment.
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand's popularly elected, pro-U.S. government suffered a rude wake-up when thousands of people gathered on Sunday (October 28) demanding the military stage an immediate coup.
"I would love to see a coup, because I know this puppet government is here to rob the country," said retired Gen. Boonlert Kaewprasit, the self-declared leader of a new, attractive, anti-government group called Pitak Siam, or Protecting Siam.
Siam is Thailand's pre-1939 name, and is often used for nostalgic, commerical or other reasons.
"If I had the power, a coup would have been staged by now," said Gen. Boonlert, 69, while calling for the protest which was held in Bangkok's prestigious Royal Turf Club stadium.
With his slick black, front-wave hairstyle and frequent big grin, Gen. Boonlert is suddenly the jittery government's newest enemy.
He projects himself as a defender of the nation and its monarchy, and has powerful connections among politicians who opposed Thailand's elected governments in the past.
"I would love to see a coup, because I know this puppet government is here to rob the country," said retired Gen. Boonlert Kaewprasit, the self-declared leader of a new, attractive, anti-government group called Pitak Siam, or Protecting Siam.
Siam is Thailand's pre-1939 name, and is often used for nostalgic, commerical or other reasons.
"If I had the power, a coup would have been staged by now," said Gen. Boonlert, 69, while calling for the protest which was held in Bangkok's prestigious Royal Turf Club stadium.
With his slick black, front-wave hairstyle and frequent big grin, Gen. Boonlert is suddenly the jittery government's newest enemy.
He projects himself as a defender of the nation and its monarchy, and has powerful connections among politicians who opposed Thailand's elected governments in the past.
With election day less than a week away, the spectre of another stolen election is upon us. The airwaves and internet are at last filling with discussion of this possibility.
When the first stories were broken by a handful of us after the fiascos of Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004, there was a stunning silence, followed by a wide range of attacks. Today the warnings about the possibility of another election theft are taken with increasing gravity.
The question is deep and profound, with a huge body of research and writing surrounding it.
But among the many concerns, two are key: massive disenfranchisement, and manipulation of the electronic vote count.
DISENFRANCHISEMENT:
When the first stories were broken by a handful of us after the fiascos of Florida 2000 and Ohio 2004, there was a stunning silence, followed by a wide range of attacks. Today the warnings about the possibility of another election theft are taken with increasing gravity.
The question is deep and profound, with a huge body of research and writing surrounding it.
But among the many concerns, two are key: massive disenfranchisement, and manipulation of the electronic vote count.
DISENFRANCHISEMENT:
Why did the Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted's office, in an end run around Ohio election law, have "experimental" software patches installed on vote counting tabulators in up to 39 Ohio counties? Voting rights activists are concerned that these uncertified and untested software patches may alter the election results.
During the 2004 presidential election, the Free Press reported that election officials observed technicians from the ES&S voting machine company and Triad computer maintenance company installing uncertified and untested software patches on voting machines in 44 Ohio counties prior to the election. Software patches are usually installed to "update" or change existing software. These software patch updates were considered suspect by election protection activists, in light of all the voting machine anomalies found during the 2004 election in Ohio.
Here are some things anyone can do on Election Day:
Document any of these things and let the Free Press know during the day or immediately after the polls close:
1) Do all machines work at the beginning of the day? Were there any problems getting them to work?
2) Did any technicians come in to do any "service" on the machines during the day?
3) Are people being turned away from voting for any reason? Are many people made to vote provisionally for any reason? How many? What are the reasons?
4) Are there any people hanging around wearing suits, not identifying themselves, or challengers intimidating people, challenging their right to vote, or otherwise interfering with voters? Please take photos of them and their automobile license plates.
5) Lists of who voted are posted at 11am and 4pm at polling sites. Do those numbers match the print-out at the end of the night?
6) VERY IMPORTANT: At close of polls, the pollworkers are required to print out and post the results on the outside of the door for the public to view. Document through a photo and/or write down the final polling site results: how many people voted, who they voted for.
Document any of these things and let the Free Press know during the day or immediately after the polls close:
1) Do all machines work at the beginning of the day? Were there any problems getting them to work?
2) Did any technicians come in to do any "service" on the machines during the day?
3) Are people being turned away from voting for any reason? Are many people made to vote provisionally for any reason? How many? What are the reasons?
4) Are there any people hanging around wearing suits, not identifying themselves, or challengers intimidating people, challenging their right to vote, or otherwise interfering with voters? Please take photos of them and their automobile license plates.
5) Lists of who voted are posted at 11am and 4pm at polling sites. Do those numbers match the print-out at the end of the night?
6) VERY IMPORTANT: At close of polls, the pollworkers are required to print out and post the results on the outside of the door for the public to view. Document through a photo and/or write down the final polling site results: how many people voted, who they voted for.
This video is a follow-up to John Ennis' documentary "Free For All" about the 2004 stolen election in Ohio:
Struggle – Watch if for Free
Kickstarter (61 minutes, Documentary, Directed by Roger Hill with The Columbus Free Press)
Trailer:
Video:
Kickstarter (61 minutes, Documentary, Directed by Roger Hill with The Columbus Free Press)
Trailer:
Struggle Kickstarter Trailer from MentalRev Productions on Vimeo.
Video:
Struggle from MentalRev Productions on Vimeo.
Interview by Joan Brunwasser
My guest today is Harvey Wasserman, co-author of "Will the GOP Steal America's 2012 Election?" Welcome back to OpEdNews, Harvey. We spoke about your new book at the beginning of September. But election-related stories seem to be breaking all the time. Can you bring us up to speed? Are we worse off than we were in 2000, 2004 or 2008?
Well, it's the best of times, it's the worst of times.
On the one hand, much of the media and even the Democratic Party has picked up on the nation-wide Jim Crow campaign being waged by the Republicans to disenfranchise as many suspected Democrats as possible. According to the Brennan Center at NYU, this could mean ten million or more Americans will lose their vote.
Back when we first started writing about such things, we were attacked by the Democrats and even much of the left media. Now it's being taken seriously. Even the New York Times has covered some of it. And many of the laws enabling this mass disenfranchisement have been overturned by the courts.
My guest today is Harvey Wasserman, co-author of "Will the GOP Steal America's 2012 Election?" Welcome back to OpEdNews, Harvey. We spoke about your new book at the beginning of September. But election-related stories seem to be breaking all the time. Can you bring us up to speed? Are we worse off than we were in 2000, 2004 or 2008?
Well, it's the best of times, it's the worst of times.
On the one hand, much of the media and even the Democratic Party has picked up on the nation-wide Jim Crow campaign being waged by the Republicans to disenfranchise as many suspected Democrats as possible. According to the Brennan Center at NYU, this could mean ten million or more Americans will lose their vote.
Back when we first started writing about such things, we were attacked by the Democrats and even much of the left media. Now it's being taken seriously. Even the New York Times has covered some of it. And many of the laws enabling this mass disenfranchisement have been overturned by the courts.