[extropy-chat] Politics: US talks of suspending elections

[Adrian Tymes]

--- Samantha Atkins <samantha at objectent.com> wrote:
> I am surprised this topic hasn't already come up
> here.   The US press 
> is full of stories about possibly suspending US
> presidential elections 
> if there is significant terrorism.   There are
> subtexts that they may 
> be suspended even if there is a "credible threat of
> terrorism".

Well of course there's talk of it in the press, after
it's been proposed for other, less democratic nations.
Don't worry about that.

The time to be worried is if people in government
start seriously discussing it, especially if it does
not get strongly and vigorously denounced at the
highest levels that speak about it.  (Disclaimer
added in case a staffer suggests it, his boss shoots
him down, and the matter never reaches the White House
so they remain silent.)

> Call me 
> paranoid, but what is to prevent this administration
> from doing less 
> than it could to stop a terrorist threat if it
> believes it would lose 
> in November?

Honestly?  Mainly the very real threat of impeachment
should such a stunt be tried.  Security is one thing,
but turning the US into a dictatorship in fact?  Even
the majority of Congress has no stomach for that.  (If
they did, they'd have done it already.)  And if the
White House tries to stop Congress by force, they'll
find almost the entire US military suddenly taking
orders from the House and Senate for the duration.