"Do not lie, and do not do what you despise" J of N

Unrest in Current Governments

Several things happened this week in two different ways but with similar reactions: governments have changed drastically in two countries and a third has performed as would have been expected - 20 years ago.

Korea - the president was voted out very quickly and very efficiently despite yellow-jacketed wearing protestors not by the people but by its own government: his stated infraction - 'campaigning' beyond the set time limit for elections. The administration has, however, been rocked with scandals and a full reckoning will follow by the ruling party. How this will affect coming elections isn't yet known. However talks between the north and south have already stalled.

Spain - the government was voted out democratically and legally but the election was overshadowed by the terrorist attacks a few days ago. The polls earlier had shown the 'conservative', so called Bush-supporting (Fox news) government ahead and a sure-win. Voter turnout, however, was a higher than expected 75%. With this high number isn't any poll conducted without this knowledge inherantly wrong? Is it possible the people might have voted this way with or without the terrorist attack? Can people really change so drastically over such a small amount of time with all the facts not even known yet?

In Russia Putin has taken steps to insure something similar does not happen. Even so only minutes after the polls closed a fire broke in in Red Square. Had this been a day earlier would the people have voted out Putin despite his controlling the media? The U.S. has condemned Putin for dominating the media so that rivals did not get much of a chance. Voter turnout in Russia was only 51.73%

In the United States we are already hearing tremors that a vote against the current administraiton is a vote for terrorists. Presidential candidates first and foremost are being accused of not being able to attack terrorists. Early commercials feature terrorst attacks as fodder for voting decisions. 170 million dollars is being raised purely for commercials on the radio and t.v. The U.S.'s FCC is run by a son of a member of the current administration.

And its still 9 months before the U.S.election.

[images stolen unashamedly from cnn.com]