As Russia votes for her representatives in the state Duma, 54 countries and hundreds of groups from all over the world have been accredited to monitor the election process. Russia shows that it respects the principals of transparency and government accountability. America talks about them and lauds them as American values. Every campaign for the last 24 years says how they are going to finally bring them back to the USA. It hasn’t happened yet.
A Quinnipiac poll shows Donald Trump is more transparent than Hillary Clinton, 54 percent to 37 percent. Despite this, the national media and Clinton have proclaimed him the least transparent candidate in modern American political history. He won’t reveal his taxes, a medical report from an independent doctor or allow an imbedded press corps to accompany his campaign. He plays his cards close to his chest but seems to be open to answering most direct questions, and he has shown that he will assume responsibility for some of his mistakes, mostly stemming from his chronic ‘foot in mouth’ disease.
Clinton won’t reveal her taxes or a medical report from an independent doctor either. Her campaign has been accusing Trump of questioning Barack Obama’s birthright. It has been clearly shown that her own campaign started this malicious rumour during her 2008 presidential bid. Documented evidence is bubbling to the surface that shows she has been untruthful in testimony before Congress. She has lied about every detail concerning her emails and her server. She violated her sworn responsibilities concerning the handling of classified information by the secretary of state.
Transparency and accountability have never been a part of Clinton’s make-up. Remember the White Water scandal? Full disclosure, I am from Québec, not an American. I have no dog in this fight. I do not support nor would I vote for either of these people. I am just one of the 7.2 billion or more of us concerned bystanders who will be affected by the outcome, either way.
Trump conquered a field of 16 candidates including the Republican party favourite, Bush III, to become the party’s official candidate. He did this with a groundswell of support and despite an aggressive campaign by the party to prevent him from taking the reins. Documented evidence clearly shows that Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Congress (DNC) colluded with media and Google to show only favourable coverage of Clinton. The lies, investigations and breaches of oath were all covered up and deleted. They deprived Senator Bernie Sanders of national media coverage, and launched a campaign of untruths, misconceptions and innuendo against him. Did Clinton win six voting districts through the toss of a coin? Bernie suddenly suspended his campaign without due explanation.
All polls showed at the time that a large majority of Democrats would have voted for Bernie Sanders, particularly in states that he somehow lost. This is why Trump began decrying the rigged, not broken, electoral system. The Republican Party had colluded in the same manner as the DNC to prevent him from winning the candidacy, but he did. Sanders lost. American media had anointed Clinton as the Next President before she even entered the race. They haven’t changed their narrative despite the never-ending scandals, FBI investigations and leaked documents that belie her every word.
The polls tell us this is a neck in neck race. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that a measure of collusion and media manipulation might be influencing the outcome of the American elections. Who would have thunk that? The American people want the final word on the next president of the United States. Sanders and Trump have brought many voters out of the woodwork. Their choice might just surprise everyone, Brexit certainly did. They deserve to be heard.
If Trump really believes that the system is rigged, and he wants to show that transparency and accountability are important aspects of his platform, then perhaps he should invite the very same observers currently scrutinising the election in Russia to scrutinise the American election. The whole world would stand up and take notice and whether I like it or not, he would no doubt win.
The writer is a columnist, an analyst of current events, and a researcher of recent history