Regardless of your thoughts on the last two elections being stolen,  they all are, it seems to miff people on either side when the agreed on rules of carving up the prize are bent just a little.

This is my favourite story of today since it strikes nicely with many of the popular fictions within society.    I've never  been  a proponent of the idea that " x keeps people honest"  so the keys are not  indicative of much other than the cynical nature of those that prefer the illusion of security to  actually providing it.   Take a look at that key,  all the amateur lock pickers are giggling now,  it's not exactly a challenging item ( ok people had previously identified this    fact but the amusement that you can  knock up a blank from a picture on their site and have it work  may suggest "good enough for government work" isn't a meme that's passed its time.

I've been against e-voting for about as long as I've questioned the merits of voting.  When I now realise that  it's the act that lends credibility to the results rather than the fair and accurate, verifiable numbers  to those that "play by the rules"  In short  the very people that gain the most from the machines  were the ones that wrote the  no paper trail specs.  Both main parties were just as stupid, gullible, negligent and unrealistic about the implications of allowing systems that have been demonstrably compromised code wise and physically  to ruin the marginally thin "legitimacy" they have assumed by impressing people that large numbers  affect reality in the sense that voting on truth is possible. Don't get me wrong  for all practical physical purposes might -is- right  but you can only fool nature so long until 'she' kicks you square in the nuts.

So the solution.  Oh crap I have one?  Ok, no , but I would like to transfer my point to the  issues with identity theft. Most security problems that are dealt with by obscurity  which doesn't work too well with the Internet around.  I've found  info on my  home security  system a  factory fixed and inviolate   installer code( see even alarm companies are retarded in their primary expected competency) which allows anyone that knows the minor range  of equipment the large companies provide  just by booking a demo.  Et voila  a deactivated alarm and NO proof for the insurance if a lock is picked ( easy as hell on most houses)  and it's off.   This translates into  ID theft how?  Glad I asked I was wondering if I had a point after all.     WE , as a society , seem to treat  items that should be confidential as being inherently secure on the basis that if no one can find it  there's no problem.  The  corollary seems to be , you have the right info  it must be -right-   ever tried arguing with a $8 / hour employee that state to you that NO! you can't be married since it's not in their computer?   You should it's fun and it's all the explanation you need on why security sucks.  People replace verification with a proxy , with what they expect to see , you expect to see the lock so much that the question about the function is neglected.