Attorney Michael de Broglio on: South Africa, Law, Politics, Attorneys, Sport, Photography, Technology, Gadgets, Media, Crime, Road Accidents Fund,
Divorce, Maintenance, Personal Injury, Medical Negligence
For those of you too young to remember, whoever won Florida would become the President in 2000 in the race between Gore and Bush. Bush appeared to have won Florida by 1,200 votes, but there were problems with the accuracy of the count and they started recounting. They had reduced the margin to 400 already by the time the Supreme Court stepped in and intervened. The five Judges who have been appointed by Republican Presidents in the past voted for the counting to stop. That was a decision which favoured the Republican candidate, Bush, because at that stage he still had his narrow majority of 400 or so votes. The court Judges appointed by Democratic Presidents in the past all voted that the voting should continue to give a true result, but since they were in the minority by 5 to 4, the voting stopped and George Bush became President.
In an election that resembled the one we saw in 2016 Al Gore had actually won the popular vote – he got more votes across America than did Bush, but because the counting of the votes stopped, at a time when the deficit was rapidly dwindling in Florida, George Bush became the President. It is no wonder that the Democrats sometimes think that they got the hard end of the deal – they have won a number of elections on the popular vote, but lost on the per State delegate system and then when there was a possibility that the delegates would go in their favour, they had the Supreme Court intervene and stopped the counting! So, both Al Gore and Hillary Clinton won their elections in terms of a number of votes they received, but neither of them ever became President. On a more positive note, at least Americans get a chance to vote for their President, even if it is in a somewhat strange system designed to ensure that the bigger States do not have more power than the smaller States – whereas we in South Africa only get to choose the party and have no say as to who the actual President will be.
Bizarrely enough, in South Africa, where we have no say in the appointing of the President, the President has far more power than the President in America who has less powers of direct appointments and is held much more in check by a very strong media and a very vocal public, who are not as apathetic as most people in South Africa. In other words, they don’t always take the attitude of “Oh, OK, I am going to have a braai and not go to the march, because nothing will change.” South Africans are very good at complaining about the fees of their lawyers and other less important things, but not particularly good at standing up for what they believe on very important issues, and which ultimately ends up affecting their finances and their pocket far more than other issues.
Posted by Michael de Broglio on Tuesday 02-May-17
Post a Comment
Comments
tersia said:
on Wednesday 24-May-17 08:51 AM
Shame that is actually quite sad that they win with all the votes but never became president. A really strange voting system indeed, but I would rather have it that way than how it is here. As you said, we have actually no say in who our president will be. America has always been one of the top countries so I would think the way they are doing it is much better and the way to go. I don't think our president is being kept in check by anybody, he really just does want he wants. I think it would have been a good idea if he maybe did not have so much power, but that's just my opinion.
When the March for Zuma to go started I also realized that we are very quick to complain but when it comes to doing anything nobody wants to stand up and try. We have a saying in Afrikaans "Probeer is die beste geweer" which means you need to at least try everything in life to know if something will work and if you will be able to succeed. Life does not happen unless you try.
brumilde said:
on Monday 08-May-17 12:41 PM
Interesting read on America, politics will always be corrupt all around the world, must say love watching Michael Moores documentaries on America, one has to wonder does he like the country or does he really just want to open peoples eyes
Alexis said:
on Monday 08-May-17 08:18 AM
As soon as I was able, i started voting. For now it may seem that nothing will change - but who knows what will occur in the future. As far as this county is concerned, everything is rigged and the corruption is rife....I am hoping that one day this will all change
Clare said:
on Thursday 04-May-17 09:36 AM
Votes are all rigged, every time you vote there is always reports stating that they found thousands of vote forms somewhere in the Free State or something. I vote all the time and you know what I feel that its actually a waste, because people believe the lies of one party and then they stay with them even though nothing changes.
I read a article from a women that stood by the ANC since she was 14 years old and all the things that this Party has promised she sill never got I think she is now +/-60 years old and still lives in poverty and Still today the ANC is in power.
Jadine E said:
on Thursday 04-May-17 09:15 AM
It is very difficult to still want to make a difference (with your vote) knowing very well the circumstances/corruption that is going on.
Ashleigh said:
on Thursday 04-May-17 08:47 AM
I put effort in voting even though I know in my heart that the whole system is corrupt but yet I try because you will never know until you do try. I think the problem is that there are hundreds and thousands of people thinking that their votes don't count and especially against a corrupt system which results in even the possibility of change. I really feel Zuma should step down but if his own party isn't pushing that he does then what change will truly come even if he does.
Joyce said:
on Wednesday 03-May-17 05:46 PM
I think inaccuracy counting of votes costs the voters, time and energy wasting, looks like sometimes the incorrect counting of votes is on purpose. I think would be better if we South Africans were to vote for our President not to vote for a party.
Jadine Richards said:
on Wednesday 03-May-17 04:50 PM
The one thing that I have learnt as a student of the Law is to choose your battles wisely. Is your energy really worth wasting on a corrupt system? I would rather put my energy in trying to change what I can change in my everyday life and the lives of the less fortunate and hope that one-day my generation will be the majority and vote for the right people when the time comes.
Henrietta said:
on Wednesday 03-May-17 04:15 PM
This was really interesting to read and scary to see how the system can be manipulated. I think to vote for a president is better than to vote for parties like South Africa. At this stage I dislike the ANC as a whole and not just Zuma. ANC was the party who got the most votes - also not sure if the voting was/is counted correctly, but they are not delivering. They can see that South Africa is fed up with Zuma yet he remains president. I really hope this is an eye opener for the next election. Maybe just maybe this is the chance for the DA, I really hope so.
Jolene said:
on Wednesday 03-May-17 01:24 PM
Good point Nina, we have to keep Zuma to remind South Africans not to vote for the ANC, he will unfortunately cause a lot of damage until the next election. I must say I have doubts about the counting of votes, how will we ever know?
patrick said:
on Wednesday 03-May-17 01:15 PM
the attitude of us South Africans in not wanting to fight for what is rightly ours sucks. we cannot expect others do things on our behalf while we are basking in the sun. these is exactly why the 1976 generation see us as very lazy and not creative about our lives.
Jessica Apfel said:
on Wednesday 03-May-17 01:11 PM
As seen within the recent elections, the popular vote does not necessarily transpire into victory - which seems odd, to think that the Presidential candidate favored among the people may not in fact be the one to take the leadership?
Irrespective of the manner of appointment, there should be significant checks and balances within each country's judiciary - this would avoid the mentality of 'Oh, OK, I am going to have a braai and not go to the march, because nothing will change.'
Slowly, we are reaching a better stage of accountability.
Liesl said:
on Wednesday 03-May-17 01:08 PM
I might be better to be able to vote for the person as opposed to party. We are in the situation in our country where a lot of people still want to support the ANC but not the ANC's elected president.
Thabitha said:
on Wednesday 03-May-17 12:37 PM
South African's are good at pointing fingers and complaining but when is time to take a stand everyone pulls back and give million reasons why and who must take part and how dangerous it is for them to join other people or to be among certain people. I must say it sounds strange how things are done in America but I think it is the best.
Angelique Jurgens said:
on Wednesday 03-May-17 09:21 AM
I don't know if I really trust any country with votes. The powerful men behind the campaigns are the ones who ensure their party wins. Ballads go missing and are found etc. But still we must get up and vote, we must march, we must support as much a possible. We cannot care to engage with those that sit back and do nothing. It's not just a vote, it's not just a march it is a bigger than that and people who sit back and rather just watch and hope things will change in my eye don't deserve to speak about anything regarding politics in this country :)
Michelle said:
on Tuesday 02-May-17 03:53 PM
I think that they should also adjust the age of people voting, at least change it to 21. Now that I'm older and have to live a more responsible life than before. I only now realise what a difference my vote at the age of 18 (that time) means. One vote can make such a huge difference. I also agree that people can’t expect a change if they don't even participate in things such as marches.
Mathilda said:
on Tuesday 02-May-17 03:49 PM
I agree with Nina, for now Zuma must stay president until the next elections
The people will then see that the ANC did not listen to them and they will lose confidence in the Party which means more people will vote for a party that will actually bring change
There are too many people who just sit back and think for themselves that other people will vote so they don’t have to because they think their vote will mean nothing
Angelique P said:
on Tuesday 02-May-17 03:38 PM
I really think that the people strike and complain over unnecessary things. There are things that are much more important but they only want change in the short run. They only want change that will benefit them and not the whole country. The choices a leader makes must benefit the whole of SA and not just 50 people. I hope the next president knows how to be a leader.
Nina said:
on Tuesday 02-May-17 03:09 PM
I think it might be better for us if Zuma stays president until the next national election. At this stage everyone is more anti Zuma than they are anti ANC.
If Zuma steps down now, there will be more people voting for the ANC when the next election comes because Zuma is 'gone'. But if he stays president, there might be less votes for the ANC because of the fact that the ANC still did not get rid of Zuma.
Daniella said:
on Tuesday 02-May-17 02:39 PM
I have experienced recently after the march actually, that people were complaining about Zuma and how they hope that the marches made a difference. I would then ask them if they did march and there answer was no. I strongly feel that you have no reason to complain about a situation that you are not trying to change, I feel like this works in both your personal life and politically. The same with voting if you don't vote you don't have a voice and that is that.
Bianca said:
on Tuesday 02-May-17 11:06 AM
I certainly think that actually knowing who the president will be will largely change the mind of voters when voting for a party. We vote for a party and it's a surprise who will become president. We saw a lot of the "someone else will march or others will march so I don't have to," recently when the majority of the country marched against Jacob Zuma and in an effort to have him removed as president. I do however believe that for the most part, the majority of the country did partake in the marches in one form or another and did their part. You will unfortunately always have those that wont ever stand up and be counted and still expect a change.
Lourien said:
on Tuesday 02-May-17 11:02 AM
We get a change to vote, but the question is are they counting our votes correctly, why are not everyone in the country voting, it might actually make a difference when every person votes. America has a better chance of voting for who they want to be president than SA.
Suzanne said:
on Tuesday 02-May-17 10:10 AM
This is very interesting. I am too young to remember any of this. I do like of the idea that people in the society get too have a say in who the president is - unlike SA where it feels we have no power over this.
Jessica M said:
on Tuesday 02-May-17 09:44 AM
Well as you have put it, doesn't really matter what the people of the country say we don't get to really choose now do we? We have to accept what it is. Even when standing up for what we believe in they still get their way. Our president is still where he shouldn't be even when people Marched against him.
Johannesburg based attorney specializing in personal injury matters including Road Accident Fund claims and medical negligence matters. My interests include golf, reading and the internet and the way it is constantly developing. I have a passion for life and a desire for less stress!
