To the Editor:

I find it appalling that Robert Thompson (Why you should vote in 2008) is apparently a supporter and patron of the U.S. election fraud industry and is urging Americans to vote in rigged elections.

An entire industry has sprung up in the United States consisting of people like Bev Harris, Brad Friedman, Mark Crispin Miller, Greg Palast, Richard Hayes Phillips, Karen Renick, Vickie Karp, Steve Freeman, Jim March, and hundreds of other who derive their livelihood from investigating, documenting, analyzing, filming, and litigating stolen elections. I call these opportunists the election fraud pornographers. Knowing and freely admitting that there is no possible way to prevent fraudulently elected candidates from taking office and carrying out their agendas, and heedless of the horrific consequences to America and the world, these pornographers urge people to monitor, observe, and film the stolen elections for their own amusement and profit.

Thompson doesn't seem to realize that it is impossible to obtain free, fair, open, honest, and transparent elections like those in France, by voting in rigged elections. He seems to think that the only possible alternative to voting in rigged elections would be violent revolution. I suggest that he reread your article, Abstinence: Vote Not to Vote in 2008  because it contains a nonviolent and much better solution to the problem, an election boycott.

In order to make a demand, it has to be credible. If the American people say, "We demand honest elections and if we don't get them we will continue to vote in rigged elections," that is not a credible demand. But if we say, "We demand honest elections and we won't vote until we get them," that is a credible demand. It was a successful election boycott that discredited the Apartheid regime in South Africa because when very few people voted they were no longer able to claim that they had the support of their people.

I have politically astute friends in France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Chile, and many other countries, who fully support the concept of a U.S. election boycott in November. Unless we stop voting in rigged elections, it looks to all the world as if we support the wars of aggression that our government has already funded until 2010, as the continuation of these crimes against humanity is the only possible consequence of continuing to legitimize our government by voting in its rigged elections.

About half of the American electorate already doesn't vote. The only poll that ever asked them, since most pollsters just hang up on people who aren't registered to vote, a Zogby poll commissioned by Paul Lehto, found that the reason most people give for not voting is that none of the candidates on the ballot represent their interests. We have to ask ourselves if the war criminals on the ballot represent our interests, and if not, abstain from granting them our mandate. Vote not to vote in 2008!

Mark E. Smith
1055 9th Ave #203
San Diego CA 92101-5527

Dear Mark,

Thank you for writing to us regarding Robert Thompson's article which encourages people to vote in the 2008 elections. Robert is one of our esteemed columnists with whom we agree on many issues, but on the 2008 elections, we happen to disagree. You are correct in that Mr. Thompson's article stands in contrast to the position taken by the Editorial Board of Axis of Logic, "Vote not to Vote in 2008". We believe that this serves as an example of Axis of Logic's diversity of opinion and willlingness to publish different points of view - even when we, the Editorial Board, differ strongly on an important issue like this one.

Thanks very much for writing to us and thanks for your interest in Axis of Logic.

Best regards,

Les Blough, Editor
Axis of Logic
www.axisoflogic.com
Boston & Caracas