] The plan calls for a media campaign to "generate positive
] public perception" of the companies and to "reduce
] substantially the level and amount of criticism from
] computer scientists and other security experts about the
] fallibility of electronic voting systems."

Brilliant... They publicly announce that they are going to engage in a PR campaign in order to "manage perceptions." Its like having an argument with someone who is mentally retarded. They just don't get it.

There are only two options in this discourse:

1. Computer security experts are satisfied. (You fixed the problem.)
2. Computer security experts are not satisfied. (Democracy is broken.)

There are only three reasons why someone would choose option 2:

1. They are absolutely nuts. (They think the fall of the Weimar Republic sounded like fun and they want to try.)
2. They are involved in a conspiracy. (They ARE the Nazis.)
3. They are mentally retarded. (They have no concept of the history of human societies and so they don't understand what they are creating.)

We all know the option is three. What I just don't understand is why there are so many people who are mentally retarded who are responsible for so many important things today. Its everywhere: Verisign, SCO, Diebold, Enron... Can't think long term. Makes significant strategic miscalculations. Underestimates the consul of intelligent people. Doesn't understand the obvious secondary implications of it's actions. Sees money as an end and not a means. ... Fucking mentally retarded. WHY do we let these people run things?!

This is how societies collapse.
1. People trust the elites because of their demonstrated ability. People stop putting pressure on the leadership.
2. The elites hand the society off to their children.
3. The children have never faced pressure. They are therefore lazy and dull.
4. The children's laziness turns to greed, and people suffer.
5. The situation slowly collapses into violence.
6. The old elites are replaced with a new group of elites who are fresh, hard working thinkers.

This is so well understood that it is now taught in grade school. We don't have to go through this anymore...