"Those who vote decide nothing.
Those who count the votes decide everything."
Joseph Stalin - (Maybe)
There is a LOT of speculation that this quote did not originate from Stalin. One major reason being that during the time of Stalin's reign, there were no major public elections in the USSR.
However, there were many others who could have first spelled out this truth.
One of the oldest ones is from Napoléon III (1808-1873), the nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821) and France's first president (1848-1852):
"I care not who casts the votes of a nation, provided I can count them". (26 May, 1880)
Some other honorable mentions are:
"As long as I count the Votes, what are you going to do about it? say?" — attributed to William M. “Boss” Tweed in Thomas Nast cartoon, October 7, 1871).
"Indeed, you won the elections, but I won the count." — Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza (1896-1956), The Guardian (London), June 17, 1977.
So the idea that who counts the votes was important was apparent for a long time.
For the count to be accurate, the counters need to be honest and ethical, with the overseers having the save virtues.
And therein lies the problem.
As John Adams has stated:
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
With the dishonest and power hungry people we have in politics today, our nation is in serious trouble.
However, there were many others who could have first spelled out this truth.
One of the oldest ones is from Napoléon III (1808-1873), the nephew of Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821) and France's first president (1848-1852):
"I care not who casts the votes of a nation, provided I can count them". (26 May, 1880)
Some other honorable mentions are:
"As long as I count the Votes, what are you going to do about it? say?" — attributed to William M. “Boss” Tweed in Thomas Nast cartoon, October 7, 1871).
"Indeed, you won the elections, but I won the count." — Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza (1896-1956), The Guardian (London), June 17, 1977.
So the idea that who counts the votes was important was apparent for a long time.
For the count to be accurate, the counters need to be honest and ethical, with the overseers having the save virtues.
And therein lies the problem.
As John Adams has stated:
"Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."
With the dishonest and power hungry people we have in politics today, our nation is in serious trouble.
