Ah, no, Teribus, we aren't getting ready to have an election "nexr year", or this one for that matter. We are getting ready to have a sham. The votes are to be counted electronicly with no paper trail by Diebold, whoes CEO has promised to return Bush to the White House.

Meanwhile, America is so gerimandered that 90% of the contests are predetermined...

Now if you call that democracy, you missed a few finer points of the elements needed to have a successful democracy. Throw in Tom Jefferson's warning that democracy was dependent on an informed electorate and given the manipulation of *inform*ation and I'd argue that, at least in the US, democracy is broke and it wouldn't appear that the rulers have any incentive to fix it...

Now, as fir yer "wina few, lose a few" attitude toward establishment of democracgies you argue that the British expiriement in thde 20's failed because they didn't have the right Ieaqis involved. What makes you think that the US has done any better?

Bobert