Privatized Democracy: Why On Earth Do Private Companies Hold So Much Sway

[Wilms]

Privatized democracy
Sancho's problem exposes flaw

Opinion

snip

Why on earth do private companies hold so much sway - with relatively little oversight - in a process so central to democracy?

State governments have long recognized that regulation of private utilities is necessary to protect consumers from unfair practices. Is it not similarly important to hold more accountable companies that provide the technology used to cast and count ballots?

snip

Yet, the same state government that certifies three companies doesn't require as a condition for their doing business in Florida that no county supervisor be left high and dry. Whatever their problems with any supervisor - in this case, the one who administers elections in the state capital, no less - private companies should not be permitted to potentially undermine the voting process and the rights of citizens.

snip

"Private companies that are not accountable to the United States of America ought not be controlling how Americans vote and how their votes are being counted," he (Sancho) said.

"The right to vote of every Leon County citizen is being obstructed by these three companies, and the state has no responsibility to ensure that the citizens of Leon County can vote? Excuse me, but I think there is a problem with this model."

http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060320/OPINION01/603200306/1006/OPINION

[Fridays Child]

1. To answer that question, the author might want to look up fascism.

People had better wake up before it's too late.

[glitch]

8. They've changed the definition and eliminated the corporatist emphasis

They did that in the 80s. If you find a pre-80s dictionary, the definition is much more definitive: the merger between corporate power and state power. As Mussolini originally stated.

Interesting question: why did they feel the need to redefine fascism in the 80s?

[Fridays Child]

9. Because the fascists realized that world domination needed a new package.

So they had the most dedicated corporatists on the planet, the executives of Madison Avenue, come up with a new marketing plan.

Now, let's return to consuming and stop worrying about abstract and meaningless intellectual exercises.

[glitch]

10. Indeed. We need a pacman smiley face to show endless happy consumption. nt

[nicknameless]

2. "The right to vote of every Leon County citizen is being obstructed by

these three companies..."

Choose your poison:
Have your right to vote be obstructed by their refusal to sell their voting machines,
OR have your right to have your vote counted be obstructed by the use of their voting machines.

Lose-lose. :(

(Edited for clarity)

[ClintonTyree]

3. Follow the money......

ALWAYS follow the money. The reason becomes crystal clear after you've done that. These companies are HUGE donors to the GOP and I'm sure, but have no proof, that certain concessions were made. Like guaranteeing election wins. Follow the money.

[MelissaB]

4. Recommended

:kick:

[Time for change]

5. Sancho is a hero

To answer the question, "Why on earth do private companies hold so much sway - with relatively little oversight - in a process so central to democracy?", the answer is that we no longer live in a democracy. GW Bush is assuming dictatorial powers, little by little. And J Bush in Florida essentially assumed dictatorial powers in 2000 in order to get his big brother selected President in the first place.

There is way too much apathy in this country.

[Amaryllis]

12. I think more ignorance than apathy. And a lot of people are upset but

dont know what to do. I talked to someone like that yesterday. Told her waht I was up to with ER and she was really interested; didnt know about fraud but was really worried about teh direction things were going but had no idea what she could do about it.

[izzybeans]

6. Libertarians have been blind to "corporate governance"

freely submitting themselves to fiefdoms while fighting against the one form of governance with the power to protect them from exploitation. "No regulation because we need "free markets" built on the backs of a highly constrained labor force".

privatization is what anarchy would look like, except of a war of all against all, we have Exploitation, monopolization, broken communities, etc. Individual liberty has been forfeited to corporate control.

[Canuckistanian]

7. True Libertarians are a dying breed

There are lots of people who call themselves Libertarians but they're mired in the definition of the word as it was back in the '60's.

Do you shop at Walmart? Do you vote Republican? Do you believe in the Iraq war as a just solution to ME problems?

Then you're just another cog in the machine. All is going according to plan.

[Amaryllis]

11. Go here for audio link of Thom Hartmann and Paul Lehto on this topic:

Hartmann and Lehto on the Corporate takeover of America’s elections at the Unitarian Church in Portland on July 16, 2005.

Thom Hartmann...about 33 minutes


www.PhilosopherSeed.org/realaudio/thartman.ram


www.PhilosopherSeed.org/mp3/thartman.mp3


Paul Lehto....about 32 minutes

www.PhilosopherSeed.org/realaudio/plehto.ram

www.PhilosopherSeed.org/mp3/plehto.mp3