Until Jackson's election (1828), the USA was not an electoral democracy. (Even after that, it was limited to White males.) From 1828, there would be some rough practice until the adoption of the secret ("Australian") ballot around 1890, but the weak powers of government made the losses tolerable. If you had trouble with the local political leadership, it was easy to get a new start a few towns away. (Though the division of the country into political monocultures would contribute to one bloody civil war.)
Today, the government is much more powerful, and public ballots of those who vote wrong will be a permanent part of the Internet, attracting enemies wherever they might try to go
In Stalinist Russia, publicly declaring your vote helped ensure an edifying 100% majority for the Party's candidate. Nevertheless, under the free-est constitution in the World, a screen was made available behind which antisocial elements could scratch out printed names.
In the USA, I would not expect 100% pluralities in public ballots, if only because different communities might unanimously support opposing candidates. Nevertheless, some would feel pressured to vote against their conscience and/or interest by employers, officials controlling government services and benefits, nursing home managers, church officials, gang leaders, etc.
Also, of course, votes could be bought.
Re: the National Guard is *trained* in crowd control...
The "Posse Comitatus Act"I https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act
prohibits deployment of the regular Army in domestic disputes, something they are not trained for, and which could have a shattering effect on unit cohesion. I suspect Defense Secretary Esper got an earful of this from senior military officers.
What's new is that it is on camera, and leading directly to prosecution of the cops responsible. In the pre-video age, it would have been hushed up, and union arbitration would have gotten the cops their badges back.
Hugo S Cunningham (profile), 28 May 2020 @ 11:13am
Re: Re: Not Article 25, my booboo:
The Vice President can remove him with the concurrence of the Cabinet. If he contests the removal, then the VP would need the backing of 2/3 of both houses of Congress, something he would be likely to get in the case of a genuinely lunatic President.
Hugo S Cunningham (profile), 28 May 2020 @ 11:02am
Re: Re: Re: Free speach is getting silly.
They would rather have Trump steer the ship of state in circles, than have Obama steer it in a direction they oppose. But in the Covid-19 crisis, the lack of a sane captain carries real costs.
I agree it is ridiculous to charge Google for providing a service.
Nevertheless, I would be willing to pay a modest charge (a penny?) for each article I read not covered by a subscription. Perhaps, as part of my monthly access, I would have a $20 allowance (not refundable, not to be carried over) I could allocate to non-subscription articles. Is there any way this could make economic sense?
Hugo S Cunningham (profile), 17 Apr 2020 @ 11:01am
Re: Re: but what if ResMed is right?
Your original fear is correct. Not all covid19 ventilator patients recover. Even if a CPAP ventilator works exactly as promised and approved by the best experts, if a patient dies from other causes, predatory lawyers can still look for juries eager to embrace quackery on behalf of a sympathetic plaintiff. (Look up recent jackpot verdicts against the manufacturer of Round-up.) Only Congress (or perhaps the Administration under emergency powers) can give CPAP's manufacturer the legal immunity it needs to consider this proposal.
A single envelope could contain enough weaponized anthrax spores to wipe out the entire population of Chicago 17 times over. You can't be too careful...
Hugo S Cunningham (profile), 13 Apr 2020 @ 11:27am
Frontier values!
Randolph Scott and John Wayne didn't need this fancy computer stuff, and the sandal-wearing hippies who come along with it. The next thing you know, they'll be selling marijuana to schoolchildren!
Despite the marginal irritations left over from the Patriot Act, we were a remarkably free society by historical standards. World War II restrictions were far more severe, but were dismantled postwar.
On the post: Study Shows Major E-Voting System Open To Numerous Hacking Attacks
Re: Re: Re: Re: Abolish anonymous voting
Until Jackson's election (1828), the USA was not an electoral democracy. (Even after that, it was limited to White males.) From 1828, there would be some rough practice until the adoption of the secret ("Australian") ballot around 1890, but the weak powers of government made the losses tolerable. If you had trouble with the local political leadership, it was easy to get a new start a few towns away. (Though the division of the country into political monocultures would contribute to one bloody civil war.)
Today, the government is much more powerful, and public ballots of those who vote wrong will be a permanent part of the Internet, attracting enemies wherever they might try to go
On the post: Study Shows Major E-Voting System Open To Numerous Hacking Attacks
Re: Re: Abolish anonymous voting
In Stalinist Russia, publicly declaring your vote helped ensure an edifying 100% majority for the Party's candidate. Nevertheless, under the free-est constitution in the World, a screen was made available behind which antisocial elements could scratch out printed names.
In the USA, I would not expect 100% pluralities in public ballots, if only because different communities might unanimously support opposing candidates. Nevertheless, some would feel pressured to vote against their conscience and/or interest by employers, officials controlling government services and benefits, nursing home managers, church officials, gang leaders, etc.
Also, of course, votes could be bought.
On the post: Nextdoor Is Courting Cops And Public Officials Using All-Expenses-Paid Trips To Its Headquarters
Re: Re: Re: Re:
I despise rioters and looters as much as you do, but your heavy-handed sarcasm was enough the first time.
On the post: Nextdoor Is Courting Cops And Public Officials Using All-Expenses-Paid Trips To Its Headquarters
Catching thieves and vandals is a major good.
Also, having the facts behind an alleged assault.
But exclusionary rules could be negotiated for things that are not law enforcement's business, or shouldn't be (eg victimless offenses).
On the post: Nextdoor Is Courting Cops And Public Officials Using All-Expenses-Paid Trips To Its Headquarters
Re: Re:
Your gramophone record is scratched.
On the post: The Military Is Being Tapped To Handle Domestic Protests, Something It's Not Really Equipped To Handle
Re: the National Guard is *trained* in crowd control...
The "Posse Comitatus Act"I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act
prohibits deployment of the regular Army in domestic disputes, something they are not trained for, and which could have a shattering effect on unit cohesion. I suspect Defense Secretary Esper got an earful of this from senior military officers.
On the post: The Military Is Being Tapped To Handle Domestic Protests, Something It's Not Really Equipped To Handle
Re: Re: Re: Re:
What's new is that it is on camera, and leading directly to prosecution of the cops responsible. In the pre-video age, it would have been hushed up, and union arbitration would have gotten the cops their badges back.
On the post: Italian Public Prosecutor Says Project Gutenberg's Collection Of Public Domain Books Must Be Blocked For Copyright Infringement
The wheels of justice turn slowly...
but grind exceedingly fine.
At last someone acts on behalf of all the Italian scribes thrown out of work by the original Gutenberg's hellish invention!
On the post: When The Problem Isn't Twitter But President Trump
Re: Re: Not Article 25, my booboo:
The Vice President can remove him with the concurrence of the Cabinet. If he contests the removal, then the VP would need the backing of 2/3 of both houses of Congress, something he would be likely to get in the case of a genuinely lunatic President.
On the post: When The Problem Isn't Twitter But President Trump
Re: Re: Re: Free speach is getting silly.
They would rather have Trump steer the ship of state in circles, than have Obama steer it in a direction they oppose. But in the Covid-19 crisis, the lack of a sane captain carries real costs.
On the post: Philippines Government Uses Cybercrime Law To Arrest A Citizen For Calling The President An 'Asshole'
Re: Tagalog for "*sshole"?
You mean, like a google search for "santorum"?
But anyone orchestrating a Google bomb would need to be very careful not to enter the Philippines, or to have vulnerable relatives there...
On the post: Deputy Shoots Family's Terrier; Complains About Cost Of The Bullet
Re: Re: Re: The brave boys in blue
But there is a vaccine you can take after getting bitten. It is highly effective, unless you wait too long.
On the post: Canadian Publishing Group Says France Has The Right Idea, Presses For Its Own Google Tax
Charge reader directly?
I agree it is ridiculous to charge Google for providing a service.
Nevertheless, I would be willing to pay a modest charge (a penny?) for each article I read not covered by a subscription. Perhaps, as part of my monthly access, I would have a $20 allowance (not refundable, not to be carried over) I could allocate to non-subscription articles. Is there any way this could make economic sense?
On the post: Over-The-Air Updates Could Turn Millions Of Inexpensive Devices Into Much-Needed Ventilators To Treat Seriously-Ill COVID-19 Patients -- If Manufacturer Helps
Re: Re: but what if ResMed is right?
Your original fear is correct. Not all covid19 ventilator patients recover. Even if a CPAP ventilator works exactly as promised and approved by the best experts, if a patient dies from other causes, predatory lawyers can still look for juries eager to embrace quackery on behalf of a sympathetic plaintiff. (Look up recent jackpot verdicts against the manufacturer of Round-up.) Only Congress (or perhaps the Administration under emergency powers) can give CPAP's manufacturer the legal immunity it needs to consider this proposal.
On the post: Your Tax Dollars At Work: Cops Arguing They Thought A Small Envelope Might Have Contained A Weapon
Re: Cops who lie under oath...
A single envelope could contain enough weaponized anthrax spores to wipe out the entire population of Chicago 17 times over. You can't be too careful...
On the post: Want To Know Why U.S. Broadband Is A Bad Joke? Take a Close Look at Frontier Communications
Frontier values!
Randolph Scott and John Wayne didn't need this fancy computer stuff, and the sandal-wearing hippies who come along with it. The next thing you know, they'll be selling marijuana to schoolchildren!
On the post: How Steak-umm Became The Tweeting Voice Of Reason In A Pandemic
If Trump were CEO here, this advertising exec would be fired
It does not matter whether or not the media buzz sells steak. A Trumpish CEO would resent any attention not directed to him personally.
On the post: Florida Atlantic University Suddenly Decides Owl Tutoring's Name Is Trademark Infringement After Over A Decade
Let them sue Hooters!
On the post: FBI Says It Will Only Accept Snail Mail FOIA Requests Until Further Notice, Due To Coronavirus Concerns
With all the talk about computer viruses...
the FBI can't be too careful these days...
On the post: Governments Around The World Are Tracking Their Citizens' Movements To Prevent The Spread Of COVID-19
Re: Re:
Despite the marginal irritations left over from the Patriot Act, we were a remarkably free society by historical standards. World War II restrictions were far more severe, but were dismantled postwar.
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