F I D O  N E W S --                   Vol.12  No.35    (28-Aug-1995)
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|       | (*) |  \   ))      |        Donald Tees      1:221/192       |
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|             (jm)           |     Newspapers should have no friends.  |
|                            |                    -- JOSEPH PULITZER   |
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                         Table of Contents
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1.  Editorial.....................................................  1
2.  Articles......................................................  2
     Why Voting Is a Farce in Fidonet............................  2
3.  Fidonews Information..........................................  3
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                             Editorial
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  Only one article this week, not much to say. Here is the
snooze.
FidoNews 12-35                 Page:  2                    28 Aug 1995


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                              Articles
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Why Voting Is a Farce in Fidonet
Bob Germer, 1:266/21

Region 13 is having an "election" to replace our recently departed
Region Coordinator. The "election" is being held by a person shown
in the nodelist as the "Region 13 Election Coordinator".

Why do I use quotation marks around the word "election" you may
well ask. It is because this is not an election as defined in any
dictionary of the English language, as defined by any decent human
being truly determined to insure that everyone has a voice and a
vote, as defined by the most basic human decency.

The "Election Coordinator" (funny that I can't find reference to
this position in Policy 4) is the hand-picked puppet of the lead-
ing candidate for the R13C position. The leading candidate is
widely believed to have been instrumental in forcing Mike Walsh
to quit as R13C although there is only rumor to support this claim.

However, the R13 "Election Coordinator" made sure that he let the
nets where his puppetmaster had significant support know about the
"election" well before those nets where there was likely to be
opposition were notified.

Then he published rules which would have the Region nominate
candidates, discuss the election, and vote all in less than 30 days!
He didn't care that for the first 15 days many nets hadn't yet
HEARD there was to be an election. He did modify the time table
to allow an additional SEVEN days!

Sysops, including myself, who dared to point out that this was
unfair to those nets who hadn't been connected, that people were
on vacation in August, that 37 days to run a Region-wide election
was too short, etc. were cut off from the echo in which the
candidates were to declare their candidacy, discuss the issues,
answer questions, etc.

Moreover, this "Election Coordinator" when he put out the rules did
not divulge HOW sysops were to cast their ballots. There has been
no notice in the 'Snooze. There has been no netmail. Those nodes
who are cut off by the unilateral action of the "Election Coor-
dinator" have no knowledge of where or when to send ballots, who
the candidates are, what their positions on issues are, etc. We
have no way of knowing what must be contained in our ballot.

But the hand picked dufus who the leading candidate anointed
acting RC refuses to rule on the complaints lodged against this
high-handed "Election Coordinator" who acts as if he is the law
unto himself.

If this were an "election" in a Nazi, Third World, or Communist
FidoNews 12-35                 Page:  3                    28 Aug 1995

Dictatorship, one could expect such actions. Afterall, people
like Hitler, Idi Amin, Joseph Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Ho Chi Minh,
Musolini, etc. perfected such tactics to make sure that the
chosen few controlled all elections. However, this is supposed
to be Fidonet in a democracy where the right to vote is a
paramount right.

So, as long as little dictators are allowed to hold sham "elections"
and appoint non-existant titles, there can be no democracy in
Fidonet. As long as people who dare to show that the King is
naked are silenced without recourse, using the words Fidonet and
democracy in the same sentence is obscene.

If the small minded, twisted, demented *C structure wishes to keep
Fidonet as an oligarchy (which any rational being reading Policy 4
must realize was the intent of the Founder and the authors of
Policy 4) all well and good. But at least have the decency to
admit that there is no democracy in Fidonet. Stop the lies with
these false "elections", empty words about sysop rights, peans
to open exchange of ideas, etc.

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                         Fidonews Information
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------- FIDONEWS MASTHEAD AND CONTACT INFORMATION ----------------

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FidoNews 12-35                 Page:  4                    28 Aug 1995

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