Welcome to the 20th Century, America...

Though it seems like it probably will be another example of fabrication and rubber stamping, this welcome sign of international cooperation and, shall we say, "law enforcement" seems to me to be a step in the right direction. I have a few suggestions of where to deploy monitors -- shall we say, oh, Ohio (where the manufacturer of Diebold's voting machines said that he would do what it takes to deliver Ohio to Mr. Bush) and Florida (whose administration's criminal malfeasance in the last election seems to put any other voting shams to shame (are you listening, Chicago?)). I'm sure there are other states that could do well to have some monitoring, too, though it's always hard to figure out where the next electoral fraud will be perpetrated. It is laughable that anyone (as is quoted in the article) could say that we've been holding free elections for over 200 years (yes, free if you were white and male, perhaps). And the flip side being that it seems to smack of "me thinks he doth protest too much," when you complain about having a foreign auditing company (not the military, more like a bunch of accountants) taking notes on your electoral process (as in, "what do we really have to hide?" And apparently, the answer would be, "a lot."). Wouldn't this, rather, be a shining opportunity for America to stand up and show that it does actually hold free elections, as proclaimed by an international monitoring group? But, no, showing ourselves as the shining example of democracy (that we think we are) is still a bit of a stretch for those who might feel this is an intrusion, as opposed to a cultural exchange (which is what it should be...we'll see as to whether it actually transpires that way). My guess -- no. But, hey, I'm cynical.