I considered ignoring you because of your invariable support of rightwingers and fascists and invariable slandering, distortions, lies and propaganda against leftists.
But elections are too important a matter to let this BS of yours stand, about Venezuela's election system, especially here at DU, which became a major forum for election reform.
1. A 100% recount is not necessary in an electronic system with paper ballots, that does an automatic audit (comparison of ballots to electronic totals) of from 52% to 55%, more than five times the audit needed to detect fraud in an electronic system.
Know what the automatic audit is in OUR electronic systems? For the sake those who care: Half the states in the U.S. DO NO AUDIT AT ALL (because they have no ballot TO audit with) and the other half do a miserably inadequate 1% audit. In the case of half the states in the U.S., "recounts" are a joke. They merely regurgitate the numbers produced by ES&S/Diebold (which has a 75% monopoly on U.S. voting systems, all run on 'TRADE SECRET' code). In the other half of the states, recounts generally only involve a 3% audit--and that's if you have the money, lawyers and political clout to even get a recount.
2. A 100% recount WAS DONE anyway, in the Maduro-Capriles special election--waste of time though it was. There was no fraud. Most of Capriles' election fraud "talking points" were bullshit (and very exposed bullshit, i.e., lies). Maduro won, and though it was close, it wasn't all that close,. There is simply no question who won it.
3. Jimmy Carter recently called Venezuela's election system "the best in the world." He knows what he is talking about. He and his Carter Center have monitored hundreds of elections worldwide, and go in and help set up honest, transparent election systems--and in fact did so in Venezuela. They don't just "drop in" on election day. They have a thorough understanding of every aspect of elections.
4. ALL international election monitoring groups certified this election.
5. ALL Latin American countries have recognized this election and its winner's government as the legitimate government of Venezuela, as has most of the world--except, of course, for the the U.S. government, which is still hoping for destabilization.
6. Maduro supporters were MURDERED--about half a dozen people--and others were beaten up and intimidated or left with burnt out offices or homes--in the Capriles-instigated riots that accompanied his ever-changing demands of the election commission. He got his recount--and rejected it! This is very typical of the rightwing in Venezuela, which has a core of coup-minded plotters always looking for opportunities to repeat their 2002 coup d'etat attempt. They had a similar plot under way in 2006, using a false poll (by a Washington DC polling firm), but were exposed. They thought they had a new opportunity, with a close Maduro vs. Capriles election, but all their conniving has failed, even with U.S. government support (once again). Now they will go into economic ruination mode, as before. They've already started, with the drumbeat of Associated Pukes, et al, articles about the toilet paper shortage in Venezuela, blah, blah, blah. They are a "broken record."
7. Luckily for Venezuela, sanity and democracy prevailed. Their election system prevailed. Their constitution prevailed. Their people, among the greatest lovers of democracy in the world, prevailed.
8. And I must add this: In the recent Gallup Well-being poll, Venezuelans rated their own country FIFTH IN THE WORLD on their own sense of well-being and future prospects. 5th in the world! That is WHY sanity and democracy prevailed in this, yet another destabilization effort, and will prevail in the future, in Venezuela. Life has never been so good. Poverty has never been so low. Education has never been so available. Public participation has never been so high. And opportunity for all has never been so apparent. The bad old days of government shootings of hundreds of protestors, 100% inflation, "neo-liberal" bullshit, rule by the oiligarchy and Exxon Mobile and utter neglect of the poor majority are OVER. Democracy is WORKING in Venezuela and is, at long last, benefiting all of its people. And all because Venezuelans, the Carter Center and others undertook the difficult but essential task of creating an honest, transparent election system! It is no wonder that rightwingers are attacking it, on behalf of the U.S. and its transglobal corporations. Honest elections are the most important requirement of a decent society and a truly representative government--and it is those very things--a decent society and truly representative government--that our transglobal corporations wish to destroy, so they can loot Venezuela once again. Thus, the attack on the election system, and its echoes here at DU, of all places.
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