Impromptu heading into a showery weekend

HAZY SUNSHINE PREDOMINATES THE SITUATION HERE IN THE MINNWISSIPPI AS I PREPARE THIS THE LATEST EDITION of my take on the world in its own eclectic way in weblog form.

And before proceeding, a tip o' the hat (so to speak) to Brave New Films for attracting traffic to this weblog significantly yesterday (as in comments about the interconnexion between The Terrible-Tempered Mr. Bang of Indecision 2008 and Rev. Rod Parsley in Open "Please Explain" Letter form). Nonetheless, though, I hope that you visitors will make it a regular habit ... and that you can support it fiscally as much as morally (as witness the online shopping, both in the sidebar and @ the new online mall, Mallratz, and the Virtual Tip Jar).

Thanks again.

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FURTHER EVIDENCE OF HYPERCONSERVATIVE CONTEMPT FOR THE VULNERABLE AND MARGINALISED OF SOCIETY, as in these observations from People For the American Way's Right Wing Watch blog in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision allowing states to require photo-bearing ID as a formality to protect electoral integrity:

The Supreme Court’s decision upholding Indiana’s partisan voter-ID law, like other recent cases with conservative outcomes, received generous praise from the Right. “This victory continues conservatives’ good run of Supreme Court decisions dating back to last term,” wrote Human Events columnist Sean Trende, who called the case evidence that John Roberts’s appointment as Chief Justice “mark[ed] a sea change” in pulling the court “rightward.”

Paul Weyrich praised the Court and called objections to the law—which closes access to the ballot box for many otherwise eligible voters, primarily minorities and the elderly, in pursuit of the phantom threat of voter fraud—“overblown and sensational,” adding, “We do not compel people to vote.” (As Weyrich said in 1980, “I don't want everybody to vote. … [O]ur leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down.”)

And Gary Bauer boldly asserted that “all citizens have photo I.D.s, and the only people who don’t are illegal aliens, who are, by definition, not allowed to vote. The only ones disenfranchised by the photo I.D. requirement are those who should not be voting anyway.”

Of course, by the time Bauer sent that remarkable claim out to his e-mail list, the AP was already reporting on some of these people he said “should not be voting”:

About 12 Indiana nuns were turned away Tuesday from a polling place by a fellow sister because they didn't have state or federal identification bearing a photograph. …

The nuns, all in their 80s or 90s, didn't get one but came to the precinct anyway.

"One came down this morning, and she was 98, and she said, 'I don't want to go do that,'" Sister McGuire said. Some showed up with outdated passports. None of them drives.

They weren't given provisional ballots because it would be impossible to get them to a motor vehicle branch and back within the 10 days allotted by the law, Sister McGuire said. "You have to remember that some of these ladies don't walk well. They're in wheelchairs or on walkers or electric carts."

Speaking of which, Your Correspondent could just imagine certain forces of the Religiopolitical Right cooking up a scam royale come Election Day for no useful purpose other than electoral disenfranchisement of the Lower Classes, with the "generous help and cooperation" of "law-and-order" Zealots and True Believers playing the role of police officers from "Special Branch" or "Secret Branch" (thus explaining their supposedly acting incognito) who can engage in "caging" tactics reeking of crude intimidation.

As is reputedly likely to be the case with Zimbabwe's forthcoming Presidential runoff, as per the BBC:

Zimbabwe's "war veterans" militia plan to intimidate voters by posing as police officers during the presidential run-off, a policeman has told the BBC.

He said they would be based inside polling stations during the vote, whose date has not yet been fixed.

The report came as South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki, the lead Zimbabwe negotiator, prepared to hold talks with Robert Mugabe in Harare.

Mr Mbeki has previously played down talk of a crisis in Zimbabwe.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) says its supporters are being systematically targeted by the "war veterans" and other supporters of President Mugabe ahead of the run-off.

A trade union official on Thursday said that 40,000 farm-workers and their relatives had fled their homes because of violent attacks.

The government has in turn accused the MDC of staging political attacks, while saying the extent of the violence has been exaggerated.

But a South African election observer has said that the violence makes it impossible to hold a run-off.

'Uniforms issued'

The BBC's Orla Guerin met the police officer deep in Zimbabwe's bush, as he was afraid of being identified.

"The war veterans will be wearing police uniforms," he said.

"They will be given ranks and force numbers. They'll be part and parcel of the police deployed in every ward. So when people come in to vote they will see war veterans from their area in among the police, and they will be intimidated."

He said that preparations were at an advance stage - that the order to issue uniforms had already been given by provincial police headquarters.

Though opposed to the plan he said he was powerless to stop it, because if he objected he would be risking his life.

"Anything can happen," he said.

"You can be abducted, or just disappear, or your family can be endangered. You never know who is watching you. You can't trust anyone in Zimbabwe."

He also said the police had been told to go out and campaign vigorously for Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, and to remind people that they won the country's freedom with the barrel of a gun.

"They are trying to threaten people into voting for them, so they do not get off the throne," he said.

"Zanu-PF are determined to continue ruling the country, and continue destroying it."

According to this officer, there are many in the junior ranks of the police who talk privately about the need for change, but dare not speak out.

He said no-one could be certain of attitudes among the senior commanders, because they had benefited greatly under the ruling party.

Many of those who fought in the 1970s war of independence went on to become police officers and soldiers and remain deeply loyal to their war-time leader, Mr Mugabe.

But many of the so-called "war veterans" are too young to have fought in the war.

National unity?

The MDC has still not said whether it will take part in the run-off.

It says its leader Morgan Tsvangirai won the first round outright and should be declared president.

South Africa's leader is in Zimbabwe, after he sent a fact-finding mission there.

He is meeting President Mugabe and other Zanu-PF officials but not the MDC.

Mr Tsvangirai is in South Africa and has not been home for a month, amid fears for his safety.

The MDC believe Mr Mbeki favours a government of national unity.

They reject this, unless Mr Mugabe steps down and are unhappy with the South Africa-led mediation.

According to the official results, Mr Tsvangirai gained more votes than Mr Mugabe but not the 50% needed for outright victory.

The run-off is supposed to be held within 21 days of the publication of the results - last Friday - but the electoral commission head has reportedly said it could be delayed for up to a year.

And a reminder: If you get word of campaigns of electoral interference, intimidation, "caging" or other unlawful tactics, freecall 1-866-OUR-VOTE; also, contact local law-enforcement agencies. Such acts, deeds or exploits, regardless of the excuse, are penal offenses.

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IN A NUMBER OF MAJOR CITIES, CABDRIVERS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED BY LAW FROM RECOMMENDING SPECIFIC BUSINESSES to passengers out of concern that money may be too tempting an influence (as in commissions from "referrals" as may wind up involving the weird and unwholesome element).

In that particular vein, a Hong Kong jewellers' shop has been fined a substantial sum of money for paying commissions to travel agents as would direct tourist business to his shops, which is against local law as an Unfair Business Practice.

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AND WHAT EXACTLY, PRAY, WOULD DRIVE THE MILITARY JUNTA OF THE SO-CALLED "UNION OF MYANMAR" BALLISTO over a shipment of relief supplies from the United Nations in response to the recent devastating cyclone there, prompting their outright seizure for unspecified reasons?