[kwlug-disc] Say No To Electronic Voting ...

[Mikalai Birukou]

On 2020-08-20 10:59 a.m., Doug Moen wrote:
> The problem with Belarus is not the use of paper votes. The problem is the constitutional order, where power is vested not in the citizens, but in a strong-man president who is elected at infrequent intervals. This is a holdover from the era of kings, and it is a recipe for corruption, as has been seen repeatedly all over the world.
>
> Once again, I urge you to consider the Swiss constitutional order.
> https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/x6hpkYyzMG6Bf8T3W/swiss-political-system-more-than-you-ever-wanted-to-know-i
>
> Switzerland does not have a strong-man president. Instead, it has a governing council of 7 people, nominated by different parties. The President role rotates between different council members, who each serve one year terms. The President's role is not a powerful one.
>
> A conventional argument I've heard in favour of a strong-man president is that only a strong-man can quickly take the necessary decisions needed in a crisis. The reality is that Switzerland acted significantly more quickly than Canada or the United States in bringing in lock-down rules to deal with the pandemic, and they are now better off as a result.

I will second that "strong-man president" is a myth. In Belarus, all 
measures for protection against pandemic were pushed by society, despite 
strong opposition.

May be need for centralized something existed when the only way of 
information passing was broadcasting from some natural center?