From: Bill Stoddard (bill@wstoddard.com)
Date: Mon Dec 11 2000 - 10:51:21 PST
> Note that neither of the two fundamental organizational systems in this
> country -- companies, that are basically hierarchies, and families,
> which often operate by consensus -- use democracy. That's because it is
> so horribly inefficient, and so difficult to get anything done. But,
> that's the way it should be (IMHO), because when governments get too
> efficient, bad things often happen. (Insert Godwin's Law reference
> here.)
>
YES! Totally agree!
>
> Like most prescriptive opinion pieces, Dan Kohn's promotes a good idea
> but
> doesn't suggest how we get there from here.
Sure it does. Dan is stating the problem is primarily with the use of outdated
technology. I agree. If the technology were such that recounting n times (by
hand and machine) would yield the exact same results, we wouldn't be in the
mess we are in now. This is an easy problem to fix. Both parties are being
pricks and half the population will feel cheated no matter who eventually
prevails, but don't trash the whole system because of a failure of technology.
If we have a president (Gore or Bush) by the inauguration date, we can declare
the system a success. Not pretty, perhaps even not totally fair by many
measures, but a success.
Bill
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