Orwellian Society and Voter Fraud

[FOTD]

A friend in France writes:"You guys and your Orwellian society.... This is how the Republic was lost. No one is going to fix it for you. You are going to continue to get the government that you deserve ... until you do something about this.

Sorry for getting all preachy, but my neighbors continue to ask me about this and I have no answers for them. It would be easy to say to them that my countrymen are simply too stupid and lazy to do anything about it, but I am not convinced that is the case... yet.

If you enjoy being ruled by fascist weasels... read no further. Fox News will tell ye all ye need know. Go back to sleep now. Rant over."




Sequoia warns Princeton professors over e-voting analysis

http://www.news.com/8301-13578_3-9897597-38.html

"Sequoia may have something to worry about. Felten and his graduate students were able to hack into a Diebold machine, and Appel bought some 1997-vintage Sequoia machines online and concluded they "can be easily manipulated to throw an election."

Our Constitution states votes shall NOT be counted in secrecy. Where can it be said that these machines protect our rights as citizens? Time and again it they have been shown to come up with different results than the exit poles indicate would be likely, which in a Third World Country is grounds to de-certify an election entirely. This is exactly why the Election Equipment and the software that runs it must be publicly owned and maintained. No private parties, no trade secrets.

[YoungTulsan]

The media has taught me that as soon as I see the word "France" I am supposed to ignore whatever is said and make some joke about cheese, wine, and surrender.





(Yes I am making light of an Orwellian aspect of our society)

[Ed W]

Sequoia used the threat of legal action to get Union County in New Jersey to withdraw permission for an independent research group to examine the machines for vulnerabilities after errors occurred in five counties.  Sequoia claimed the errors were caused by poll workers but in the absence of any independent corroboration, we're supposed to accept Sequoia at their word.  Basically, they're saying, "Trust me!" which should have any reasonable person running for the door.

LINK

[Wrinkle]

The lawsuit probably could've been expected.
However, the idea that vote-counting computer code is proprietary and trade secrets owned by the company producing the machines is where the flaw lies.

We need Open-Source code to run voting machines.
Counting votes is just not that complicated for anyone to claim ownership.

Let the public do Open-Source development of the code and officials spec machines which are designed to run it.

[cannon_fodder]

So using 2008 technology they could hack 1997 computers?  Amazing.  My cell phone could probably  out perform my 1997 laptop (seriously, it'd be close).

You have being going on and on and on and on and on about Diebold for 4 years now, probably longer.  There is evidence that the election COULD be rigged if someone had the desire to do so and a large enough force to get the job done and open access to the machines and the votes were not verified and then the machines were reset before anyone looked at them.  Great... and I could bring down the BOk center with a Cesna if I wanted to, had a pilots license, stole some TNT, blah blah blah blah blah.

The fact remains there is no evidence suggesting such a thing happened.  Sure some on the board where Republicans, the machines were not perfect, and the polls were off - so what?  It means the system needs to be improved and probably should include a paper trail.

Current technology is trying to curb the need for secure elections with the demands of a 200,000,000 person voting block. I'd be happy to go back to the way our founders did it, a non-secret ballot.  Sign your name next to your vote (they raised hands in community meetings) to help ensure such conspiracy theories die (interesting side note, if the software running it was open source it could be EASIER to manipulate).  

Sorry to be the voice of reality, but there is no evidence of a grand conspiracy.  There is evidence that the system is imperfect and needs vast improving and careful watching, but such should always be the case.  I'm happy to support and insist rigorous review, constant improvement, and severe punishment for any fraud .  But we had the review and no overt fraud was found.
- - -

Seriously, it's time for a new conspiracy theory.  Diebold.  The Supreme Court stole the election. Halliburton started the war.  911 was an inside job (oh yes, I remember you making that argument AOX), and George Bush eats babies.  

[rwarn17588]

^ +1

[Gaspar]

^+2

. . .but FOTD did provide evidence of your last statement.