Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
fine documentary focusing primarily on the elections of 2000 and 2004, March 30, 2009
Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections focuses on both confirmed attempts to rig elections and suspected attempts to rig elections right up to the national level of president. Of course, this is a highly charged and controversial subject; and it's primarily but not exclusively presented by Democrats who assert that elections were rigged using electronic voting machines, voter intimidation and other "techniques" to get a particular candidate to win a political election and thwart our cherished democracy. It is important to note that this film was made in 2007 before the recent presidential election. Therefore, this film does not criticize or praise the way the most recent presidential election was handled.
It is absolutely fascinating to see interviews with people who were victimized when they tried to blow the whistle on Diebold, a company that made electronic voting machines but then added extra computer code to "flip" votes. The idea of "flipping" votes is simple. If one candidate gets 51% of the vote and the other gets 48% of the vote, the machine automatically changes it so that the first candidate now has only 48% of the vote and the other now has 51%. We meet and see a computer programmer who testifies before a congressional hearing that he was required to write computer code to make that happen; and it was great to find out that he resigned and even rejected a million dollar bonus to stay with the company.
Another story that was particularly interesting was that of Scott Heller, a night shift word processor at a legal firm that represented Diebold. He discovered documents and information that proved Diebold was rigging votes using code in their computerized voting machines--and wow, how they punished him. At the time this was filmed he was a felon on parole for stealing evidence from the law firm; and of course he did make unauthorized copies of confidential information. On the other hand, however, his attorney points out that this sent a very negative message to anyone who wants to be a whistle blower out there. In addition, we get great interview footage with Bev Harris, founder of Black Box Voting, who campaigns tirelessly for fair vote counting if we use computerized voting machines.
We also meet Bruce Fink, a Republican in Utah who was an elected official--before he was kicked out of office. However, one flaw I found here was a lack of more detail about Bruce's story. I would have preferred the documentary to explain more about how other people were able to get rid of Bruce Fink.
Finally, we see voter intimidation specifically in the national elections of 2000 and 2004. For example, many people in African-American and Latino communities were told that if they didn't go away and park elsewhere they'd get a parking ticket; and in one predominantly African-American district there was no electricity in the building despite the fact that the building just across the street had electricity! Others had to wait up to fifteen hours just to vote when there weren't enough voting machines.
This documentary is somewhat skewed; it usually shows Democrats being shut out by Republicans as a result of faulty voting machines. On the other hand, it does make its point very well and it uses hard facts to back up its assertions. This film should stimulate some lively conversation about a very relevant topic fundamental to our democracy.
|
|
|
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Revolution is Well Underway, August 25, 2008
A revolution is afoot in these United States. But unlike, say, the American Revolution, this one is not of the people. No, it's anything but. This revolution has silenced the people, strangled our democracy and made a mockery of Constitution principles. The revolution? The privatization of the American electoral system.
How did this happen? How did the concept of one man, one vote get so skewed that partisans interests now design machines to register and count votes, in secrecy, with `proprietary' equipment that can't be independently reviewed and verified? How did so many of us become disenfranchised - without even knowing it? It's mind boggling.
And it's at the heart of UNCOUNTED. The film gives historical perspective on how our electoral system was slowly given over to those who do not have the good of the republic in their hearts, but rather see how our system can be manipulated toward their own aims; it lays bare the idea that our elections are fair and reflect the true will of the people; and it proves in all too painful detail how this electoral revolution led to the installation of the most corrupt administration in our nations' history.
Buy it, watch it, show it to your family and friends and everyone you know who cares about our future. Because as UNCOUNTED shows, there is a tipping point, and we may have already passed it.
|
|
|
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Every Candidate Should Own a Copy, August 20, 2008
UNCOUNTED is one of the best overviews of the issues surrounding the creation of the Help America Vote Act and the permutation of our national elections both before and since then.
Every candidate - actually, every voter - should see this film.
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
DVD ~ Kevin Spacey
DVD ~ John McCain
DVD ~ Martin Sheen
DVD ~ Michael Moore
DVD ~ Campbell Scott
