What Are Elections Good For ? Which Elections do the most good ?

Well naturally the shocked reader thinks I have lost faith in Democracy. Most (2 out of 3 this aint the daily Kos) shake their heads (snorting at my pc ossity too) thinking "Democracy is better off without the dubious support of someone who abandons her after Bush's second election. The third (Arwen) understands that I live in Italy and have also endured to victories of the Cassa della Libertà, but is still appalled.

Some might hope to defend me noting that there is a big difference between elections and Democracy and that Saddam Hussein won many elections. Obviously these charitable saints would say (if one of that heavenly host would answer when I call out) he is just saying that fraudulent elections are worse than no elections.

But, oh over charitable angels, my answer to the second question is that the elections which do the most good are blatantly fraudulent elections. I mean it.

Think. For some reason people will suffer under dictatorship for decades but have recently risen again and again when the foolish dictator attempts to steal an election. Thus I think that this is the best news I have read in weeks.

I prefer not to make predictions and so I dare not predict that Belarus will fail to follow the path of the Ukraine of the Orange revolution, Giorgia and the rose revolution*, and Kirgizstan the Tulip revolution. Democracy offended again and again rising up only when the insult of a fake election is added to the injury of dictatorship.

Dare I hope that Putin will claim to have won 90% of the votes in the next election ?

Hell so long as I am dreaming I might as well dream that George Bush decides that, given the unique threat posed by a guy with a beard in a cave who is so evil and powerful that he makes Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin seem like feeble saints, the Commander in Chief Clause outweighs the 22nd amendment and then claims that only Katharine Harris is elegible to vote. Damn for all I know that would wake American Democracy from its slumbers.


* If he lived in Italy Dave Barry might ask if this is a good name for a rock band whose lead singer is a certain Italian pop star who doesn't seem willing to recognise that, while San Remo is San Remo, her career is over.