Nov 6, 2024
Well That Sucks 2 - The Sequel
All things Russian = Trump. And Elon Musk.
76 days from today, the American dictator takes power.
Because that's how we do things here:
The worst possible outcome flowing from the best possible system of government.
It's premature to say it's all over, but I'm holding out scant hope for anything better.
I can see a slow (at first), but then accelerating slide into autocracy and the implementation of Trump's vengeance-driven personal agenda, followed by "a time of adjustment" that will look like - and will be sold to us as - "a sensible solution to the terrible problems wrought by that poor unfortunate sick man, who BTW just suddenly went a little nutty - nobody could've seen it coming".
And then we'll be onto whatever the plan is for the removal of the dastardly Trump and the installation of kindly President Vance, who will continue to dismantle the federal government, and sell off the pieces to the friends of his billionaire benefactors, and eventually rewrite the US Constitution according to Project 2025.
And what're we betting that they'll enlist the willing help of Democrats in the House and Senate to impeach and remove? That should give them all the leverage they need against Trump, but more importantly, it gives them some nice political cover because they can say that whatever horrible thing they've turned the US into, they had help from the Dems.
Welcome to the plutocracy
Nov 5, 2024
Overheard
Did you hear about the man
who went to the ER
because he was in dire need
of surgery on his balls,
but the doctors had to consult
their lawyers before
saving his life
and then he died?
Yeah, me neither.
Nobody has.
Ever.
Encouragement
Pro-EU leader wins Moldova election despite alleged Russian meddling
Moldova's pro-EU President Maia Sandu has claimed a second term after a tense election run-off seen as a choice between Europe and Russia.
The Moldovan Central Electoral Commission confirmed Sandu's victory on Monday morning.
Sandu won 55% of the vote, according to preliminary results, and in a late-night speech on Sunday she promised to be president for all Moldovans.
Her rival Alexandr Stoianoglo, who was backed by the pro-Russian Party of Socialists, had called for a closer relationship with Moscow.
During the day the president's national security adviser said there had been "massive interference" from Russia in Moldova's electoral process that had "high potential to distort the outcome".
Russia had already denied meddling in the vote, which came a week after another key Eastern European election in Georgia, whose president said it had been a "Russian special operation".
Stoianoglo, who was fired as prosecutor general by Sandu, has denied being pro-Kremlin.
In a joint statement congratulating Sandu on her re-election, the European Commission and the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell said there had been "unprecedented interference by Russia".
As polls closed, both Sandu, 52, and her rival thanked voters, with Stoianoglo speaking in Russian as well as Romanian. Although Romanian is Moldova's main language, Russian is widely spoken because of its Soviet past.
Turnout at 54% was high, especially among expat voters at polling stations abroad.
Stoianoglo took an initial lead on the night and was the more successful candidate in Moldova itself with more than 51% of the vote. Sandu won in the capital Chisinau, and she was completely dominant among expat voters.
As she overtook her challenger late on Sunday night, there was cheering at her campaign headquarters and chants of "victory".
In a hoarse voice she praised her compatriots for saving Moldova and giving "a lesson in democracy, worthy of being written in history books".
Then, moving into Russian, she said: "I have heard your voice – both those who supported me and those who voted for Mr. Stoianoglo. In our choice for a dignified future, no-one lost... we need to stand united."
Maia Sandu’s foreign policy adviser, Olga Rosca, told the BBC she was proud of the result.
Asked whether she was surprised that Stoianoglo had won in Moldova itself, she said the vote in Moldova and abroad should be seen as one and the same: “We never divide people into Moldovans at home and expatriates - we see Moldovans as one family.”
With elections coming next year she said the president had “clearly indicated she has heard the mood for change. On several occasions between the [two presidential] votes she said the fight against corruption must be intensified and justice reform must be accelerated – she’s committed to this work”.
The final result will be declared on Monday.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Sandu, saying "it takes a rare kind of strength to overcome the challenges you've faced in this election.
"I'm glad to continue working with you towards a European future for Moldova and its people," her message on X said.
Casting his ballot, Alexandr Stoianoglo had promised to be an "apolitical president", and that he had voted for "a Moldova that should develop in harmony with both the West and the East".
Stoianoglo polled particularly well in rural areas and the south, while Sandu was ahead in the cities and with young voters.
After casting her ballot, Sandu had warned of "thieves" who sought to buy their vote and their country.
Presidential national security adviser Stanislav Secrieru said Russia had organised buses and large charter flights to bring voters to polling stations.
Bomb scares had briefly disrupted voting in Moldova, at UK polling stations in Liverpool and Northampton and at Frankfurt and Kaiserslautern in Germany, he added.
A Soviet republic for 51 years, Moldova is flanked by Ukraine and Romania and one of Europe's poorest countries. It has a population of 2.5 million and an expat population of 1.2 million.
Moldova's authorities have long warned that a fugitive oligarch called Ilan Shor has spent $39m (£30m) trying to buy the election for Moscow with handouts to 138,000 Moldovans.
Shor, who is based in Moscow, denies wrongdoing but did promise cash payments to anyone prepared to back his call for a "firm No" to the EU.
Commentators and politicians had warned that a Stoianoglo victory could radically change the political landscape in the Danube and Black Sea region, not because he was some kind of "Trojan horse", but rather because Russia has thrown its weight behind him.
There were queues at polling stations in Moscow, Italy and among voters from a mainly Russian-speaking breakaway region of Transnistria, who had to cross the River Dniester into Moldovan-controlled territory to vote. Transnistria is home to a Russian military base and a huge arms depot.
Moldova's election commission said it was aware of reports of organised and illegal transports of voters by air and land in Russia, Belarus, Azerbaijan and Turkey, and appealed to the public to report further violations.
Although Sandu had easily won the first round of the vote, several candidates swung behind Stoianoglo, although the third-placed candidate refused to back either of the two.
The first round coincided with a nail-biting referendum on backing a change to the constitution embracing the commitment to join the EU.
In the end the vote passed by a tiny margin in favour, and Maia Sandu said there had been clear evidence of attempts to buy 300,000 votes.
Yeehaw And Away We Go
This is where we are because of one small stupid insecure little man, and a host of barely-invisible moneyed interests supporting him thru dis-information and straight up gaslighting - all of whom hate our tradition of democratic self governance, and are working to tear it all down in order to replace it with a good old-fashioned top-down corporate-style plutocracy.
I think we continue to come out of this MAGA nonsense today, by electing Kamala Harris.
But don't start thinking we're anywhere near the beginning of the end. We may not even be at the end of the beginning.
This democracy thing is pretty hard. Because it's a constant struggle for balance between honor and belligerence. Between humans' natural impulse for violence and a more enlightened sense of the greater good.
There's a kind of weird Twilight Zone quality to it - it's somewhere between the lofty summit of our knowledge and the dark pit of our fears.
Fake lord help us find that balance.
Drones and snipers on standby to protect Arizona vote-counters
Razor wire. Thick black iron fencing. Metal detectors. Armed security guards. Bomb sweeps.
The security at this centre where workers count ballots mirrors what you might see at an airport - or even a prison. And, if needed, plans are in place to further bolster security to include drones, officers on horseback and police snipers on rooftops.
Maricopa County became the centre of election conspiracy theories during the 2020 presidential contest, after Donald Trump spread unfounded claims of voter fraud when he lost the state to Joe Biden by fewer than 11,000 votes.
Falsehoods went viral, armed protesters flooded the building where ballots were being tallied and a flurry of lawsuits and audits aimed to challenge the results.
The election’s aftermath transformed how officials here handle the typically mundane procedure of counting ballots and ushered in a new era of high security.
“We do treat this like a major event, like the Super Bowl,” Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner told the BBC.
Razor wire sits atop one of the fences guarding the county's election tabulation centre
The county, the fourth most populous in the US and home to about 60% of Arizona's voters, has been planning for the election for more than a year, according to Skinner.
The sheriff's department handles security at polling stations and the centre where ballots are counted. The deputies have now been trained in election laws, something most law enforcement wouldn’t be well-versed in.
“Our hope is that it doesn't arise to a level of need for that,” he said when asked about beefed-up security measures like drones and snipers. “But we will be prepared to ensure that we meet the level of need, to ensure the safety and security of that building” and its employees.
The election process here in many ways echoes that in counties across the country. Ballots are cast in voting locations across the county and then taken to a central area in Phoenix where they're tabulated. If they’re mailed in, the ballots are inspected and signatures are verified. They’re counted in a meticulous process that includes two workers - from differing political parties - sorting them and examining for any errors.
The process is livestreamed 24 hours a day.
While much of this process remains the same, a lot else has shifted. Since the 2020 election, a new law passed making it easier to call a recount in the state. Previously, if a race was decided by the slim margin of 0.1% of votes cast, a recount would take place. That’s now been raised to 0.5%.
The tabulation centre is now bristling with security cameras, armed security and a double layer of fencing.
Thick canvas blankets cover parts of a parking lot fencing to keep prying eyes out. Officials say the canvas was an added measure to protect employees from being harassed and threatened outside the building.
“I think it is sad that we’re having to do these things,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates.
Gates, a Republican who says he was diagnosed with PTSD after the election threats he received in the 2020 election, doesn't plan to run for office again once this election is over because of the tensions.
“I do want people to understand that when they go to vote centres, these are not militarised zones,” he told the BBC. “You can feel safe to go there with your family, with your kids and participate in democracy.”
Yellow and black rope forms a line where visitors to the tabulation centre must queue to go through a metal detector. Three armed security guards stand near the detector. A black folding table sits nearby with a metal detector wand.
The county has invested millions since 2020. It’s not just security, either. They now have a 30-member communications team.
A big focus has been transparency - livestreaming hours of tests for tabulation machines, offering dozens of public tours of their buildings and enlisting staff to dispute online rumours and election conspiracies.
“We kind of flipped a switch,” assistant county manager Zach Schira told the BBC, explaining that after 2020 they decided, “OK, we’re going to communicate about every single part of this process, we’re going to debunk every single theory that is out there.”
It’s all led up to Tuesday's election.
“We may be over prepared,” Sheriff Skinner said, “but I'd rather prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
Some Maricopa Republicans told the BBC they’ve tracked recent changes and felt there would be fewer problems this election cycle.
“They’ve made steps that I think will help,” said Garrett Ludwick, a 25-year-old attending a recent Scottsdale rally for Trump’s vice-presidential running mate JD Vance.
“More people are also aware of things now and I think there are going to be a lot of people watching everything like a hawk," he said, wearing a Trump cap that read, “Make liberals cry”.
One Republican voter, Edward, told the BBC the 2020 cycle caused him to get more involved. He’s now signed up for two shifts at polling locations in Maricopa County on Tuesday.
“Going to a rally or being upset isn’t going to fix things,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the solution.”
Not all are convinced.
“I still think it was rigged,” said Maleesa Meyers, 55, who like some Republican voters said her distrust in the process is too deep-rooted to believe the election could be fair. “It’s very hard to trust anyone today.”
Results in Arizona often hinge on Maricopa County, giving the county an outsized role in the outcome. Officials here estimate it could take as long as 13 days to count all ballots - meaning the expected tight race in this swing state might not be called on election night.
“There’s a chance that in 2024, the whole world will be watching for what the result is in Maricopa County," said Schira, the assistant county manager.
"Truly the world’s confidence in democracy could come down to this.”
Razor wire. Thick black iron fencing. Metal detectors. Armed security guards. Bomb sweeps.
The security at this centre where workers count ballots mirrors what you might see at an airport - or even a prison. And, if needed, plans are in place to further bolster security to include drones, officers on horseback and police snipers on rooftops.
Maricopa County became the centre of election conspiracy theories during the 2020 presidential contest, after Donald Trump spread unfounded claims of voter fraud when he lost the state to Joe Biden by fewer than 11,000 votes.
Falsehoods went viral, armed protesters flooded the building where ballots were being tallied and a flurry of lawsuits and audits aimed to challenge the results.
The election’s aftermath transformed how officials here handle the typically mundane procedure of counting ballots and ushered in a new era of high security.
“We do treat this like a major event, like the Super Bowl,” Maricopa County Sheriff Russ Skinner told the BBC.
Razor wire sits atop one of the fences guarding the county's election tabulation centre
The county, the fourth most populous in the US and home to about 60% of Arizona's voters, has been planning for the election for more than a year, according to Skinner.
The sheriff's department handles security at polling stations and the centre where ballots are counted. The deputies have now been trained in election laws, something most law enforcement wouldn’t be well-versed in.
“Our hope is that it doesn't arise to a level of need for that,” he said when asked about beefed-up security measures like drones and snipers. “But we will be prepared to ensure that we meet the level of need, to ensure the safety and security of that building” and its employees.
The election process here in many ways echoes that in counties across the country. Ballots are cast in voting locations across the county and then taken to a central area in Phoenix where they're tabulated. If they’re mailed in, the ballots are inspected and signatures are verified. They’re counted in a meticulous process that includes two workers - from differing political parties - sorting them and examining for any errors.
The process is livestreamed 24 hours a day.
While much of this process remains the same, a lot else has shifted. Since the 2020 election, a new law passed making it easier to call a recount in the state. Previously, if a race was decided by the slim margin of 0.1% of votes cast, a recount would take place. That’s now been raised to 0.5%.
The tabulation centre is now bristling with security cameras, armed security and a double layer of fencing.
Thick canvas blankets cover parts of a parking lot fencing to keep prying eyes out. Officials say the canvas was an added measure to protect employees from being harassed and threatened outside the building.
“I think it is sad that we’re having to do these things,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates.
Gates, a Republican who says he was diagnosed with PTSD after the election threats he received in the 2020 election, doesn't plan to run for office again once this election is over because of the tensions.
“I do want people to understand that when they go to vote centres, these are not militarised zones,” he told the BBC. “You can feel safe to go there with your family, with your kids and participate in democracy.”
Yellow and black rope forms a line where visitors to the tabulation centre must queue to go through a metal detector. Three armed security guards stand near the detector. A black folding table sits nearby with a metal detector wand.
The county has invested millions since 2020. It’s not just security, either. They now have a 30-member communications team.
A big focus has been transparency - livestreaming hours of tests for tabulation machines, offering dozens of public tours of their buildings and enlisting staff to dispute online rumours and election conspiracies.
“We kind of flipped a switch,” assistant county manager Zach Schira told the BBC, explaining that after 2020 they decided, “OK, we’re going to communicate about every single part of this process, we’re going to debunk every single theory that is out there.”
It’s all led up to Tuesday's election.
“We may be over prepared,” Sheriff Skinner said, “but I'd rather prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
Some Maricopa Republicans told the BBC they’ve tracked recent changes and felt there would be fewer problems this election cycle.
“They’ve made steps that I think will help,” said Garrett Ludwick, a 25-year-old attending a recent Scottsdale rally for Trump’s vice-presidential running mate JD Vance.
“More people are also aware of things now and I think there are going to be a lot of people watching everything like a hawk," he said, wearing a Trump cap that read, “Make liberals cry”.
One Republican voter, Edward, told the BBC the 2020 cycle caused him to get more involved. He’s now signed up for two shifts at polling locations in Maricopa County on Tuesday.
“Going to a rally or being upset isn’t going to fix things,” he said. “I wanted to be part of the solution.”
Not all are convinced.
“I still think it was rigged,” said Maleesa Meyers, 55, who like some Republican voters said her distrust in the process is too deep-rooted to believe the election could be fair. “It’s very hard to trust anyone today.”
Results in Arizona often hinge on Maricopa County, giving the county an outsized role in the outcome. Officials here estimate it could take as long as 13 days to count all ballots - meaning the expected tight race in this swing state might not be called on election night.
“There’s a chance that in 2024, the whole world will be watching for what the result is in Maricopa County," said Schira, the assistant county manager.
"Truly the world’s confidence in democracy could come down to this.”
Nov 4, 2024
Our Next President
I'm putting this up as a prayer. Just as every vote is a prayer. Every time we get up and go to work, it's a prayer. Every time we look at a kid or a teenager or anyone younger that we are, and wonder about their future - it's a prayer.
We live on the promise of love and the bonds of honor.
🤞🏻😎🤞🏻
Overheard
The greatest challenge
in the age of the internet
occurs when you learn enough
to believe you're right,
but stop before you learn enough
to know you're wrong.
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