By Andrew Donoghue, 10 November 2003 17:10
NEWS Controversial US documentary maker and author Michael Moore has lambasted electronic voting machines being used in some US states, claiming the technology is inherently open to misuse.
Speaking at an event to publicise his latest book, Dude: Where's my country?, in London's Palladium theatre on Sunday, Moore attacked one of the main US voting-machine manufacturers, Diebold, for its links to the Bush administration. It has been revealed that the company's chief executive Walden O'Dell is a major fundraiser for the Republican Party.
O'Dell came in for criticism recently when he claimed in a letter to be "committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year".
Moore ridiculed the variety of voting technologies used in the US, claiming the pencil-and-paper systems used in countries such as the UK and Canada are still the best method of avoiding vote-rigging.
"In Canada they mark an X in a box, and then people sit and count the votes by hand with representatives of the various parties watching everything. There are hardly any roads north of Toronto but the Canadians manage to get all their votes in four hours after the ballots close," he said.
Jokingly, he asked for someone in the UK audience to explain to him in detail how exactly to put a cross in a box so that he could report the intricacies of the system to US authorities.
Moore also took mobile giant Orange to task after finding the stage for the book-reading event festooned with banners advertising the UK company. The film maker, who is vocally anti-big business, seemed unaware the mobile operator was sponsoring the event until he came on stage and noticed the banners.
Moore twisted one of the 20-foot canvas signs around so that the Orange logo was no longer visible amid cheers from the packed auditorium. He then denied any knowledge of a sponsorship deals with the company.
"Who the hell are Orange - are they some kind of phone company?" he said. "No one sponsors me."
The author, who has seen his personal fortune rocket amid huge sales of his books worldwide, later apologised to the audience for the prominent onstage advertising.
Later in the hour-long event, Moore revealed he is currently filming another documentary following on from the Oscar-winning Bowling for Columbine called Fahrenheit 9/11, which is due for release next summer.
Comments
There are 10 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
Michael Moore is a god. Discuss
2. Dharmesh Mistry
What Moore needs to address is not a solution to a problem, but the problem itself: How to overcome voter apathy.
Everything is open to fraud. People have posted more than one envelope at a time, postal votes carried out by other people, counting falsified....just some examples.
Fact is electronic voting can be safe and secure, just because people have implemented it badly does not mean it doesn't work.
Moore: Stand up and be a window (show the way), it's easy to throw stones!
3. mjjames
<Google mode on>
Did you mean 'Michael Moore is a dog. Discuss.'?
4. L
ANY one who listens to Michael Moore has way too much time on their hands. Why does he have to go over 'the pond' to be heard? Because NO ONE listens to him here! By the way, his 'documentaries' have been completely lambasted by all of his peers. Biased, inaccurate, and just insanely ridiculous. The guy is a nut case!
5. anonymous
Mr Moore is an irreverant loudmouth. Love him or hate him, we need him and people like him so that the rest of the world doesn't take itself so seriously. It can't be bad to question the status quo can it? Keep on rockin' Michael!
6. DG
If noone in the US listens to Michael Moore as L claimed, how come he is one of the biggest selling writers ever and the majority of sales of his books are in the US?
7. Dave Dixon
Mike Mooore's books and films are eagerly consumed by millions, so he is no lone voice in the desert.
People not only agree with him, but are insatiable for the kind of information he has uncovered. You may not like his style, but no one has come forward to say he is wrong.
If it wasnt for Mike Moore, I personally wouldn't have known that the hijackers of the 911 planes were (almost to a man) SAUDIS.
As Winston Churchill said - "The Truth Is Uncontrovertible. Malice May Attack It, Panic May Resent It And Ignorance May Deride It - But In The End ... THERE IT IS"
8. anonymous
Hey dixon,
The only reason you think moore is being taken seriously is because you dont even live in my country. Sure, they are all reading his crap overseas!
You have to learn from moore that almost all the hi-jackers were saudis?? Try watching the NEWS. The news will tell you all that stuff without propoganda.
You sure you are a CEO?
CEOs watch the news unless you are a liberal CEO who likes to keep the truth as far away from them as possible and not watch news.
-That's what it is- I figured it out.
9. Chris Stough
Anyone who believes Michael Moore is a god is ignorant. He makes his movies to make a dollar. He hates his own country which is not that great of a triat in my book. Anonymous from the UK why dont you think of all the times that the United States has come to aid of the UK before you think our country is so terrible.
Michael Moore is a socialist who has no pride for his country.
10. umami bhavanga
How come all the posters from the US on this site are such asshats?
There are lots and lots of us here who are damned glad Michael Moore is able to get his message out. There's good cause to worry that this confederation of crooks will attempt to steal the next election just as they did the last one.