Pseudemocracy

The house organs of our pseudemocracy have been working very hard this election cycle to routinize and thereby normalize the public's expectations of voting irregularities. But those of us who recall what it was like to live in the U.S. before the coup of 2000, remember that, back then, news media reminded voters on election day to get out and vote, and they informed voters as to the hours during which local polling places were open. And that was it. Stay tuned for full election coverage after the polls close.

Now, we are warned repeatedly in advance that voting irregularities are to be expected, and advised to take a Rumsfeldian "stuff happens" approach to the denial of the franchise. We are assured that voters have "rights," that there are lawyers for both parties (since we have a 2 party system--which is, as a practical matter, a monoparty with a liberal and a conservative wing, more like the Soviet politburo) on site, etc., etc. But we are never told what remedy we have if our vote is not counted. The reason for this is both simple and obvious: we have no remedy.

Full re-counts and re-scheduled elections with outside observers--perhaps from the EU or the Scandinavian democracies, or maybe Venezuela, where democracy appears to be functional--are really the only acceptable remedies and are also options which are never put on the table. To suggest that the fox is not the appropriate overseer of the hen-house is to insult the fox--something us chickens had best be careful to avoid.

Expect that there will be key races tonight where the results will be too close to call. Expect confusion, claims and counter-claims. Expect questions raised as to the ambiguity of reading "voter intent" from a ballot. Expect hand-wringing, excuses, blame placed on computer malfunctions and the inability of voters to understand the process. Expect the kind of government that we in the Benighted States have come to deserve.

But don't forget to hope for the best, regardless.