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PERSON PROFILEAnne ApplebaumAnne Applebaum is a foreign affairs columnist for The Daily Telegraph of London. She has written for the American Spectator, National Review, Weekly Standard and other conservative organs. In 2000 she received a grant from the Olin foundation to write a book, officially indoctrinating her into the sponsored conservative movement.
Daily Howler APPLEBAUM’S PIETY! There’s almost no way to be this daft—unless you’re a Washington journalistWe refer to Anne Applebaum’s column in this morning’s Post, in which the siren of ruling-class piety mocks an intelligent Times editorial about our absurd voting systems. Try to believe that a sentient being dreamed up this kooky comparison: APPLEBAUM (11/17/04): Two weeks after the election, the Internet rumor mill continues to spout stories of computer-stolen votes. No sooner are they disproved than others appear. Some are demanding an Ohio recount. Otherwise sober people are asking whether there can be smoke without fire. Last weekend the New York Times published an editorial that found !no evidence! of vote fraud but called electronic voting !a problem! all the same. After all, the editorial noted, there is !no way to be sure! that votes weren't changed !by secret software! inside the machines. If you're tempted to believe that analysis is rational, just ask yourself this question: Are you really sure that your bank isn't using secret software to steal $9.72 from your retirement account every week? And if the answer is no, why aren't you up in arms about that, too? Typing from the far side of Neptune, Applebaum compares our current voting systems with the way your bank is handling your money. Have you checked to see if your bank is stealing your money? the deeply daft columnist types. Could any comparison be less apt? No, you probably haven’t checked this week to see if your bank is stealing your money. But duh! The reason you haven’t checked is obvious—banks provide extensive paper trails, and a major bank would quickly be caught if it swiped that nine bucks every week. (As anyone except a “journalist” would know, many Americans do check their bank statements quite religiously.) And duh! Let’s note another fact which would be obvious to anyone outside Applebaum’s tribe. Here it is: If banks were allowed to run audit-free systems, many banks would of course steal your money!
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