[stopinsanity16]

(US point-of-view): in case one ignores the blaring media headlines and the incessant political noise on TV and via unsolicited phone calls, I must inform that this is an election year in this country.

There is still plenty of time to mobilize disenfranchised voters to perform a "regime change" to ensure that the people who gave us private jails, funding cuts for schools , increased corporate welfare, "war on drugs", and "tough on crime" hypocrisy are voted out.

[zanny]

The problem we are seeing this election cycle is the undemocratic consequence of first past the post. The American republic has degenerated so direly that, as is par for the course, the American people will once again be given only two choices for president (and likewise, at most two choices in every other ballot position they are eligible in this November, besides the most local of elections) of which very few non-hardline party members will be in favor of.

It should also be very alarming how many primaries in the Democrat primary this year have demonstrated extensive systemic corruption of the party. Be it 7 "random" wins in Iowa, to past presidents using their authority and influence to shut down polling locations in Massachusetts for hours, to just this past week Arizona having its polling locations cut by 70% that produced waiting lines over five hours long, on top of mass relocation of voter registrations and many voters losing their party membership recognition in a closed primary.

While of course I will still vote for every position I can for the person I want to win (and never for the lesser of two evils as I am provided by the establishment) the system is not orchestrated to enable the people to actually do anything any more. It would require a tremendous amount of public action, and for almost all issues - including the ones this article brings to light - Martin Niemöller's quote "First they came ..." rings true moreso today than I could imagine possible. There is tremendous apathy in America, as people only become aware or active when it is too late and their liberties and freedom have already been taken, and for the rest as long as it is not impacting their lives they will ignore it because it is "too much work" to do anything about.

[cnvogel]

    > the American people will once again be
    > given only two choices for president

They might on "final election night", but the same people who will have (most likely) to choose between the lesser of two evils, had the opportunity to nominate different candidates up to right now...

[zanny]

Except not really. We are seeing systemic establishment manipulation of the primaries by both the dems and reps, in both parties to stop Trump / Bernie. On top of that, nothing about these parties primaries needs to be democratic - they are private organizations, they can do whatever they want to nominate a candidate for president. The only democracy we have is that mandated by law, and that democracy has devolved to two choices handed to you by two gargantuan establishment organizations and all the donors behind them.

[eropple]

> Be it 7 "random" wins in Iowa

Programmer rails against randomness because it doesn't suit him. Film at 11.

> to past presidents using their authority and influence to shut down polling locations in Massachusetts for hours

Neither the Boston nor New Bedford locations at which Bill Clinton appeared (and I am setting aside whether it was right for Clinton to do so, because it appears to have not been illegal and the fine for such being all of $20 anyway) were closed at any point. Both remained accessible at all times.

But you know that, or you should if it matters to you.

> just this past week Arizona having its polling locations cut by 70% that produced waiting lines over five hours long

This is the result of the VRA being gutted by the Roberts Court and the Maricopa County government (hint: really really not Democrats) choosing not to establish nearly enough polling places.

But you know that, too. Or you should, if it matters to you. Because you are entitled to your opinions, but you are not entitled to your own facts.