Whether Gore or Bush becomes President, the farce of the election remains. For weeks, New Zealand TV has presented the election campaign as democracy in action. Then, when the votes were counted, the candidate with the most votes nation-wide (Gore) was not elected.

If that result had happened in a country on the United States 'hate' list, the news media and the US State Department would have been in overdrive. Charges of bribery, corruption, a rigged election, tampered ballot papers, lost ballot boxes, and confusing voting papers would be made.

One candidate (Bush) would have been featured as the son of a former chief of the secret police and terrorist squad (the CIA) who became a president, and whose brother is the president of the state of Florida, where significant electoral violations occurred. Declared the winner by his own party appointed public servants, presidential - hopeful Bush is also the Governor of the state with the worst human rights record and the most executions.

Now, such charges can be sheeted home to this so-called 'great' democracy. The only democracy in the United States is the democracy for the multimillionaires and the billionaires. Their candidates are the only ones that can afford the enormous cost. Often, up to 50 per cent of the eligible voters do not vote. In their experience, it does not matter much who is elected. Their hard life remains, whichever party is elected.

An Associated Press analysis shows that 81 per cent of Senate winners and 96 per cent of House winners outspent their opponents. Those with the most money usually got elected. This is cheque book democracy - or democracy for the rich and powerful, while for ordinary Americans, there is dictatorship by the billionaire class

There could be no greater example of spin-doctoring when one candidate (Bush) claims that it is unfair, unjust and contrary to 'democracy' if ALL THE VOTES ARE COUNTED.

Far from presenting the United States as the fountainhead of democracy, the presidential elections has served as a major exposure off an electoral system designed to safeguard the rule of the billionaires.

The silence among pro-US supporters within the National Party, and especially ACT, indicates that even these fawners find the US election outcome too embarrassing to defend. US democracy is a myth. #