If the whole world could vote....

http://betavote.com/Kind of interesting, don't you think?

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He's not dead. He's electroencephalographically challenged.

Two or three sentences summarizing what is said would be nice here.

In no way should the site be taken seriously. It is not a scientific poll.The site lets you vote based on your country of origin. Basically, it shows that Kerry is favored by every country on the face of the Earth except for Niger.

there is also no verification of the country the votes come from.

It was meant more as something funny to look at.

74% of voters from the United States said Kerry. With little doubt, the number would be closer to 50% among all voters here. That's one indication that this site has been passed around mostly by Kerry voters. Those Bush voters that did see it might not deign to vote, thinking the whole thing was ludicrous and biased because of all the countries voting for Kerry, and would pay no further heed to it-- a self-perpetuating negative feedback loop.A more minor note: The 'statistically even' reading is nonsense without being qualified by a confidence level. Eyeballing the numbers, it doesn't look like the usual 95% to me.This message has been edited by Traz, 10-21-2004 12:34 AMThis message has been edited by Traz, 10-21-2004 12:35 AM

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-Traz

Well, all in all, if you need to be told not to take the poll seriously, then you shouldn't be at EvC at all.

This brings up a different problem as I see it (aside from the problems of statistical validity of the poll). I have been seeing reports of Brits emailing people in Ohio to get them to vote Kerry. There are constant polls in Germany of who should win the election. It is all well and good to have an opinion but do you think any other country in the world would accept the same treatment if say Britain peppered the Bild Zeitung with ads saying throw Schroeder out of office? While I would never overestimate the intelligence or political knowledge of the US electorate, I think people in other countries who know nothing about American history and whose sum total exposure to the US comes by way of perhaps a vacation in Miami beach or watching The Simpsons should spend more time worrying about what is happening in their own countries rather than looking at the US. I get told "how it is" in the US by people in Germany who have never even been in America. The Brits might want to concentrate on finding a viable opposition to Tony Blair and Germany and France would do well to clean up their own disasterous governments. Germany for example, don't they have enough problems of their own without having to look for more in the US?

Mammuthus, Indeed. I think you are underestimating the effect of the US on the world in general, however. This is why people outside the US are attempting to sway voting within it (surely to zero effect, anyway).I'm not sure I would describe Blair's Labour as a disastrous government.Small points, & I confess it would irk me if outsiders attempted to sway voting in the UK.That Bush is globally disliked outside of the US should come as no surprise, really. By Western standards, or rather European standards, he is extremist. He also has more power than any other far right politician, people are neutral to scared of him.Mark

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world; those that understand binary, & those that don't

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Indeed. I think you are underestimating the effect of the US on the world in general, however. This is why people outside the US are attempting to sway voting within it (surely to zero effect, anyway).

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I don't think it is to zero effect. The effect will be to increase George Bush's share of the vote. Those who are aware of it at least will likely react in an "us versus them" way and go with Bush. Also, China has an enormous effect on the world yet I don't see such a concerted effort from outside to modify their government. In fact, regardless of how they act, everyone trips over themselves to increase trade. Same with Russia.

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I'm not sure I would describe Blair's Labour as a disastrous government.

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My bad writing...was meant with regard to France and Germany and not Britain.

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That Bush is globally disliked outside of the US should come as no surprise, really. By Western standards, or rather European standards, he is extremist. He also has more power than any other far right politician, people are neutral to scared of him.

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And this is the problem as I see it. There are more effective ways for non-U.S. citizens to protest yet they won't do it. In the run up to the Gulf War II, millions of people marched across Europe. But did anyone stop protest by not buying American products? No. Half the marchers I saw were wearing clothes with Nike logos and McDonald's was full. Put pressure on American business and business will put pressure on the American government. Money talks. I feel that people will expend energy bitching but will not lift a finger if it might strain them financially or even inconvenience them. Does anyone really think that the Bush administration gives a flying fig if people outside the US (or inside it for that matter) go on the streets and complain about his policies? But I would be willing to bet he might cancel a precious trip to loaf on Crawford Ranch with his Supreme Court buddies if suddenly their was a drop in corporate profits (those that lobby him) as a result as a result of what he is doing.

I didn't march in London to stop Mr. Bush going to war, I marched in London to stop Mr. Blair joining him.Why do you assume an anti-war effort centres on America?

It depends on where you are. Germany and France both had already established that they would not be sending troops. The protests centered on the US. At least some of the British protesters had images and slogans pertaining to the US and not the British government. While not "centering" on the US, it was at least a component of the protest action.

Mammuthus, But wouldn't the moratorium on US goods that you mention create an us & them atmosphere, too?In any case, I'm not disagreeing, I was just adding my two pfennig.Mark

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There are 10 kinds of people in this world; those that understand binary, & those that don't

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But wouldn't the moratorium on US goods that you mention create an us & them atmosphere, too?

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I don't think so. People identify with country but not necessarily with a brand i.e. it appears to be easy to get people (Americans) to fight against Iraq for "honor" and "country". But it would be different if you try telling them to fight and die for Nike. I think back to the 80's and the "buy American" campaigns in the face of cheaper and better japanese car imports (among other things) which were not very succesful.It would also depend on who declares an intention to observe a US goods moratorium. If Jacque Chirac declares it, there would probably be a backlash. If people did it en masse on their own without explicit government support, it might not even get reported. But the lobbyists would take notice and would push the administration if it hurt enough or might themselves switch support since after all, they only care about who can get them bigger profits.In general, I think it is great that people want to voice their opinions about the Bush administration. I think it is a terrible administration. I just think there may be more effective ways of getting their points across than polling who people in Afghanistan would vote for. It may even be counter-productive since it may create a backlash.