I have lots of otherwise perfectly sane and rational British friends and relatives who have a terrible superiority complex when it comes to Americans. It's a British thing: the US used to be a colony, they have adapted the English language, they've voted for three consecutive Republican presidents who are fucking idiots - and some Brits like to think they're better than the vulgar Americans.

Me, I disagree. Unlike a lot of these friends and relatives, I'm lucky enough to have a lot of American friends, some of whom are very good friends. My expat social thing that I go to once a week is full of Americans, and they're without exception lovely, intelligent, funny and erudite people.

But here's the funny thing. With the US presidential election coming round, it's only natural that conversations tend to veer towards the political at the moment. And every single one of the Americans I've met is intending to vote Democrat. In a close-run election like this one is shaping up to be, you'd expect at least a couple of people who thought that Bush is doing a good job and deserves another four years. But no.

Admittedly mine isn't a terribly wide sample, but it is possibly indicative of the fact that educated Americans who get out into the world tend to think that things aren't as good as Bush paints them. And there must be thousands and thousands of these people who need to register for their overseas vote before the deadline on October 2nd. And according to my unscientific poll, quite a lot of these votes will be going for Kerry.

Which is why this story is so appalling - but after the nonsense in Florida last time, somehow doesn't come as a surprise. Apparently the Pentagon is blocking access from ISPs in France, the Netherlands and 22 other countries. That means people can't register to vote online, and THAT means there's a danger these people will be disenfranchised by their own government.

Bush is afraid of democracy. But there are other ways Americans can register to vote overseas. One is by dialling this international toll-free number: 08 00 91 73 04. Be quick, and make this nonsense stop.