Silence of the Scams - Psychological resistance to facing election fraud

[Guest guest]

C

Mon, 18 Apr 2005 23:16:09 -0400

Silence of the Scams - Psychological resistance to facing

election fraud

 

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=20738

 

 

 

Diane Perlman: 'Psychological resistance to facing election fraud'

Saturday, April 16 @ 08:36:34 EDT

Topic: Election 2004

 

The Silence of the Scams

 

By Diane Perlman, Newtopia Magazine

 

Few Americans know about the historic event that happened on January

6, 2005, the official date for counting electoral votes. For the first

time since 1877, congressmembers challenged the electoral count.

Representative Stephanie Tubbs-Jones of Ohio, accompanied by the lone

senator, Barbara Boxer of California, led the challenge of the Ohio

vote count. Although massive fraud was reported around the country,

only Ohio was officially cited.

 

It is curious that an issue so profound and consequential is barely on

the radar screens of most Americans, especially those who voted for Kerry.

 

Though we are not certain of the actual outcome, statistically

impossible discrepancies exist between results of exit polls and

official counts in counties without paper trails. Also documented are

patterns of anecdotes about corrupted procedures and accounts of

strange behaviors, phenomena and illegal interventions in Ohio as well

as other places. Many say there is fraud in every election, but there

was far more in 2004 than in any previous year, and if the errors were

random, about half would go in Kerry's favor. Virtually all went in

Bush's favor.

 

But rather than demanding a thorough investigation, the American

people seem eager to forget the incidents and put the election behind

them, thus implicitly supporting such corruption.

 

 

 

A Political Psychological Puzzlement

 

Under what conditions do millions of allegedly " free " people knowingly

acquiesce to being deceived, dominated and deprived of their own

political will? How is it that even those who were politically engaged

for the first time resign themselves to an unjust fate, refusing even

to consider what happened to our country? Why do progressive citizens

actively dismiss and even malign a small group of courageous, devoted

people working day and night on their behalf to uncover, calculate,

analyze, and evaluate the extensive, varied forms of criminal sabotage

that undermined their democracy? How are Americans becoming complacent

with escalating fraudulent activity? In other words, how do so many

people live with the knowledge that they have been tricked before,

were just tricked again--and then submit to life under the power of

those who tricked them?

 

Why were hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians out for days in the

freezing cold, refusing to accept fraud, while Americans are

helplessly colluding with forces of domination? Granted, we face a

conspiracy of silence in the media, a propaganda campaign discrediting

exit polls (which are accurate in counties with paper trails and other

countries), and a dismissal of those who challenge the vote as nuts,

sore losers and " conspiracy theorists. " Censorship, brainwashing and

intimidation create an environment of passivity and fear in subtle yet

powerful ways that keep the system going with the complicity of those

who have been robbed.

 

We must wonder what is going on in the collective psyche that allows

the systematic and progressive usurpation of power.

 

The Dance of Domination

 

The psychology of electoral domination has two parts--what is being

done to people and how they allow it.

 

Psychological techniques, used deliberately, allow many tricks to go

unnoticed and unchallenged. For example, " mystification " is a

plausible misrepresentation of reality in which forms of exploitation

are presented as forms of benevolence. Like magic and the use of

distraction, the issue of voting reform was manipulated and

misrepresented, so people felt calmed by the illusion that the

problems are being corrected. In fact, the exact opposite is true.

Elements of the Help America Vote Act, HAVA (a name as Orwellian as

the Clear Skies Initiative, more accurately should be called " Hide

America's Voting Anomalies " ), includes intrusive identity checks, the

introduction of the " provisional ballot " most of which were not

counted, and the use of electronic voting machines. Each of these was

brilliantly misused for the opposite intention--to corrupt and deny

votes to Kerry in ways people wouldn't notice.

 

The subterfuge was successfully accomplished with use of censorship,

illusion, distortion, brainwashing, propaganda, misinformation,

disinformation, mystification, intimidation, shaming, and domination.

As Bush might say, it was a " catastrophic success. "

 

These techniques combine to form something like a collective hypnotic

induction, which creates an illusion of a consensus that cannot be

challenged. Few have the insight, training or tools to see through the

manipulation. Even fewer have the courage to take on the challenge.

For many, responses to domination may include learned helplessness,

psychic numbing, fear, cowardice, conformity, denial, cognitive

laziness, disbelief, avoidance, and submission to authority. These

items are inter-related and the lists are not exhaustive.

 

Before the psychological explanations, it is necessary to acknowledge

a basic factor: the overwhelming ignorance of the facts that most

Americans have(though subliminal awareness and lack of desire to know

the facts can exacerbate this). Of course if the facts were accurately

reported in the mainstream media, the collective psychological climate

would be conducive to a healthier public response. People accept fraud

for reasons which may be conscious or unconscious. Some of the ways

that they do this are described below.

 

Confusing Outcome with Process

 

Many don't want to deal with the corruption because they believe that

challenging fraud won't change the outcome, so there's no point. This

might be a self-fulfilling prophecy. It represents a kind of immature,

black-and-white thinking, as the outcome is a separate issue from the

process. Even if it doesn't affect the outcome, voter suppression is

criminal.

 

Paradoxically, refusal to examine the process prevents discovery,

which might change the outcome. The Ohio vote challenge required

two-hour debates in the House and Senate. Most Democrats who supported

the challenge, emphatically stated that they didn't expect it to

change the outcome, as if they were intimidated into making that point

first or they would be ridiculed and dismissed. Most Republicans

ignored their actual words and made emotional, even hysterical

accusations of them not accepting the outcome, being sore losers, and

worse. Republicans ignored the issue of voter suppression and praised

Kerry highly for not making a big deal out of this.

 

Numbers, Imagery and Perceptions

 

People believe that Bush won by 3,500,000 votes--a margin too large to

challenge, compared to Gore's 500,000. They are not aware of the long

list of dirty tricks, and knowing of one or two, don't believe they

can add up to 3,500,000. To bring the popular vote to a tie, it only

has to add up to half that, 1,750,000, or an average of 35,000 votes

per state, Correcting for Ohio's fraud could change the electoral

vote. People may believe subliminally that even if Ohio went to Kerry,

the difference in the popular vote is too great. The report of the

Conyers Committee may be the best single summary that we have at this

time to suggest estimates of the numbers affected.

 

Discomfort with Numbers

 

The best evidence for fraud in the 2004 election is statistical,

according to Josh Mitteldorf of Temple University's Statistics

Department. Many are uncomfortable with numerical and statistical

science that quantifies judgments about likelihood. For example,

statistician Dr. Steve Friedman of University of Pennsylvania, and

graduate of MIT found that the discrepancy between exit polls and the

actual vote count in each of three states, Florida, Ohio and

Pennsylvania, is 1 in 1,000,000, but the likelihood of all three

states being discrepant in the same direction is 1 in 250,000,000.

What people heard in the news was a smear campaign invalidating the

credibility of exit polls, even though they are considered highly

accurate, are used in many countries as indicators of fraud, and that

exit polls in counties with a paper trail matched the official vote

count, and in counties where there was no paper trail and evidence of

computer irregularities, the official count was different than the

exit polls and always favored Bush. They even made up fake reasons for

this discrepancy regarding response bias--which did not exist where

there were paper trails.

 

Disbelief

 

Many people don't believe the allegations of fraud because they didn't

read about it in the New York Times or hear it on CNN. (The only

mainstream media to report it was Keith Olberman on Countdown, MSNBC.)

We might wonder about the media censorship on this story and

intentions to promote disbelief in the populous, in addition to ignorance.

 

Conformity and Herd Mentality

 

Because of the media blackout, ignorance, and emotional tone of

reporting, Americans have a false perception of consensus about

objective reality. The majority conforms to this misperception and

most do not have the psychological make-up to challenge the status

quo. The few that are courageously addressing this are not heard, or

else they are severely shamed, ridiculed and viciously accused of

causing problems. Thus, even the thought of questioning is suppressed.

 

Learned Helplessness

 

Psychologist Martin Seligman's theory of learned helplessness explains

how when one's repeated actions have no effect, people learn that what

they do doesn't make a difference and give up, even in situations

where they can potentially make a difference. People worked hard on

this election and believe that they lost. They are burned out. They

feel all their hard work, time, energy and money didn't help so they

don't want to deal with it. Learned helplessness is also associated

with elevation of levels of cortisol and immune

suppression--suggesting it is ultimately not adaptive or healthy to

give up. Conversely, taking action in the face of injustice is a sign

of health, enhanced immune response and can be an antidote to depression.

 

Cowardice

 

It is reasonable to fear sticking one's neck out and challenging the

powers that be. There may be legitimate reasons to be afraid of

individual action, but this becomes part of the problem and rewards

domination. As long as people remain silent and isolated from one

another, we don't realize the safety implicit in concerted collective

action. The safety in numbers can reduce fear.

 

Denial and Psychic Numbing

 

We are comforted with the belief that our leaders are good people who

are protecting us. Many decent, well-meaning people believe the best

about our system of government and democracy and can't believe that

corruption is going on. It is frightening, unsettling, and intolerable

for many Americans to question these core beliefs about our leaders

and to accept the reality of extensive fraud. Also, ignorance is

bliss, but for the moment, and knowledge implies responsibility, which

may be feared and avoided.

 

Denial and numbing--not knowing and not feeling--protect us from this

painful awareness in the present, but they cannot protect us from the

real effects of these hidden realities which render us vulnerable to

increasing domination and danger in the long term.

 

If one is in an impossible situation, these habits serve as survival

mechanisms to avoid the pain of awareness. However, if one can do

something to make a difference, then psychic numbing and denial are

maladaptive.

 

Submission to Authority

 

The thought of challenging powerful, dominating authority with the

prospect of losing is overwhelming. Increasing authoritarianism

reinforces this dynamic in gradual, subtle ways. Some may also be

afraid of challenging a president during a war and falsely believe it

will harm national security.

 

Political Egocentrism

 

Many feel that there is no action that they can personally take on

this level. It is too big for them, so they don't even seek out

information or support or value the work that others are doing on

their behalf.

 

Avoidance and Compartmentalization

 

People want to retreat, to focus on their own survival, family, daily

life and pleasure, which are manageable. They are less focused on the

scary bigger picture. This is completely understandable and even

enviable. Furthermore, those struggling with high unemployment, lower

wages, and other hardships created by the Bush administration are too

preoccupied with their survival issues to pay attention to politics.

In this way, disempowerment of certain segments of the population

works to the administration's advantage.

 

Evolution, Adaptation and Survival

 

All of these reactions are understandable, but all are part of the

problem. In the short run, they may minimize pain, but in the long run

they are counterproductive and serve to magnify and multiply problems

that are not being faced. Such avoidance mechanisms are not adaptive,

as they play into the game of the destructive forces, allowing them to

dominate. The continuation of the processes of systematic domination

requires the ignorance, passivity and complicity of the majority of

decent people, including the millions who supported Kerry. These

people are colluding with their own domination.

 

The Courageous Minority

 

The reactions listed above are completely natural. Carl Jung said that

consciousness is a work against nature. To go against the collective

tide of ignorance, conformity and cowardice is a work against nature

taken on by the courageous few. This collective, archetypal drama

described by Jung was popularized by Joseph Campbell in The Hero's

Journey. The Hero is the one who is willing to take on challenges that

most people fear. According to Jung, the hero archetype represents the

progressive force in society.

 

The people I have witnessed working intensely to investigate and

challenge voter fraud, have a particular psychological profile. They

are courageous and willing to face pain and fear. They call up their

strength to challenge authority, as our lives, our freedom and

democracy depend on it. They are unable to deny what is going on or

remain silent. They are the heroes, in our mythical, archetypal Hero's

journey, willing to face the dragons who are guarding our " National

Treasure. "

 

They are acknowledged in a piece by William Rivers Pitt called

" Heroes " on Truthout.org. Pitt quotes Bob Dylan: " I think of a hero as

someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with

his freedom. "

 

Only by facing the pain can we transcend it. Consciousness is the

first step. Action is an antidote to depression. It would be a sign of

health, freedom, and conscious evolution if more people could muster

up the courage to face the painful truth of what is happening in our

country and support the great work of those courageous souls--who are

not nuts or conspiracy theorists, but evolved, conscious, healthy

leaders taking personal risks and sacrifices to elevate our democracy,

restore our integrity and ultimately to increase our security on the

world stage ... if we let them.

 

*****************

 

Some Links for Detailed Accounts of Voter Fraud

 

For a proper psychological understanding of suppression, it is

necessary to recognize the quantity and quality of information being

suppressed. The extent of fraud and ignorance of it are mind-boggling.

Below are some links with detailed information.

 

Links for detailed information about voter fraud

http://www.auditthevote.org/briefing.jsp

 

 

A Guide to Ohio and New Mexico Recounts: Statistical Anomalies and

Evidence of Voting Machine Malfunction and Fraud in the 2004

Presidential Election January 5, 2005

By: Audit the Vote and Help America Recount

 

http://www.helpamericarecount.org/election.html

Analysis of 2004 Election Irregularities

 

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/123004B.shtml

TV Networks Officially Refuse to Release Exit Poll Raw Data

By Gary Beckwith, The Columbus Free Press, 22 December 2004

 

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0103-32.htm

Thom Hartmann in " Dialing for Democracy--Now Is Critical January 3,

2005, CommonDreams.org

 

http://nightweed.com/usavotefacts.html

20 Amazing Facts About Voting in the USA

 

http://www.votersunite.org/info/mapflyer2004.htm

Partial list of incidents reported in the news

 

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1065

by Bob Fitrakis, Steve Rosenfeld and Harvey Wasserman

 

© Newtopia Magazine

 

Reprinted from Newtopia Magazine:

http://www.newtopiamagazine.net/modules.php?

op=modload & name=News & file=article & sid=12

[Guest guest]

All delusions that Bush won the '04 election, are based on the half-wit

credulity of the masses and on the political fiction provided by media, that are

as deceitful and treacherous as the Bush administration. The notion that Bush

won by 3,500,000 votes is pure fantasy. Anyone that suggests that we ought to

believe any " official " figure we're given by the government in any of the

so-called " red " States, or in any of the so-called " battle-ground " States, in

the current voting environment, must be as gullible as a 5 year old.

 

In spite of overwhelming evidence, of every kind, justifying an investigation of

the '04 election, which this administration, predominantly conservative courts,

and a complicit media, stubbornly refuse to give us, fully 25% of the electorate

do not trust the vote, and suspect it was rigged! 25% suspect it was rigged,

even before there's an investigation! What would happen to the size of that

percentage, if the administration, the courts and media, agreed to an

investigation?!

 

The oft-repeated nonsense, that all elections are plagued by fraud, conveniently

leaves undiscussed the reality that it is the " extent " not the mere presence of

fraud, that should concern us, and that the importance of the extent of fraud,

increases sharply, the closer the election.

 

We don't have " government, " we have tyranny.

 

JP

-

califpacific

Monday, April 18, 2005 8:58 PM

Silence of the Scams - Psychological

resistance to facing election fraud

 

 

 

 

C

Mon, 18 Apr 2005 23:16:09 -0400

Silence of the Scams - Psychological resistance to facing

election fraud

 

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=20738

 

 

 

Diane Perlman: 'Psychological resistance to facing election fraud'

Saturday, April 16 @ 08:36:34 EDT

Topic: Election 2004

 

The Silence of the Scams

 

By Diane Perlman, Newtopia Magazine

 

Few Americans know about the historic event that happened on January

6, 2005, the official date for counting electoral votes. For the first

time since 1877, congressmembers challenged the electoral count.

Representative Stephanie Tubbs-Jones of Ohio, accompanied by the lone

senator, Barbara Boxer of California, led the challenge of the Ohio

vote count. Although massive fraud was reported around the country,

only Ohio was officially cited.

 

 

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