Noam Chomsky fights actively through writings and speeches to end the war in Iraq and U.S. Imperialism in general. So does Carl Webb.
Witness a portion of an Amy Goodman interview on the March 15, 2005 broadcast of Democracy Now titled "Three U.S. Soldiers Refusing to Fight Speak Out Against the Iraq War," at
http://www.democracynow.org/...
We are joined in the studio by Carl Webb. He enlisted in the Texas Army National Guard in 2001. His three-year term of service was due to expire last August - but just two months before that, he was informed his term had been extended under the military's stop-loss policy and he was to be deployed to Iraq in November. Carl Webb refused to report for duty and has been AWOL since then. He joins us in our firehouse studio today....
...AMY GOODMAN: Why don't you want to go to Iraq?
CARL WEBB: I believe it's an unjust war on our part. I do not believe what the government has told us the war is intended for. I do not believe this government intends to spread democracy in the Middle East. It's not in the interest of their security or our security. I believe it is all about oil and profits, or if not that, it's about having a -- controlling a strategic part of the land in the Middle East. And I don't want to fight for that. That's not a good cause to go to war. I'm not a pacifist. There are conflicts in which I would volunteer to fight, which is why I decided not to seek the C.O. status.
AMY GOODMAN: Could you be arrested at any time?
CARL WEBB: That's kind of up in the air. My unit actually never reported me as a deserter. Typically when a soldier goes AWOL after a certain amount of time passes, the unit actually lists -- drops him from rolls, that means he is off his unit's roster, and they assume he is not coming back. And they report him as a deserter, and he can actually be picked up even by local police at that time. But for some reason, my unit never dropped me from its rolls and never reported me as a deserter.
...AMY GOODMAN: Carl Webb, will you be speaking out on this anniversary in one of the protests?
CARL WEBB: Yes, I will. I was invited to New York from Tennessee by an organization called Troops Out Now. And their website is www.troopsout.org, and this Saturday, starting at 10:00 from Marcus Garvey Park heading to Central Park at noon and then on to Mayor Bloomberg's house at 3:00, there will be hopefully a big turnout for this, and I will be speaking out against the war.
On September 6, 2005, Amy Goodman interviewed Carl again, in a broadcast titled
"Missing in New Orleans: Voices of Those Seeking Loved Ones," which can be found at http://www.democracynow.org/.... Here is a portion of that interview
AMY GOODMAN: ...We're joined now in the studio by Carl Webb, a 39-year-old war resister seeking a discharge from the Texas National Guard. His whole family is from New Orleans. He hasn't been able to contact them since the hurricane hit on Monday morning. Carl, you also listed your mother is that right, Craig'slist online?
CARL WEBB: Yes, somebody sent me an e-mail, I think the New Orleans Indymedia and said that if you go to Craig'slist, you could possibly find a list of folks looking for -- ...
...AMY GOODMAN: This weekend listening to one of the head national guardsmen saying this is the best reason to join the National Guard so can you help with devastating situations like these, you are a war resister. You were in the marines. Is that right?
CARL WEBB: No, the Texas Army National Guard.
AMY GOODMAN: Texas National Army National Guard. What about that? And you -- what about going down to New Orleans?
CARL WEBB: Well, I would tell the General he's on crack. This hurricane is just another example of how oppressive the capitalist system that we live under is. It's an extreme example. It's just one more example of why I refuse to fight for this government, for this system. And I'm sure that there are other people in the military on bases and ships and planes around the world are wondering why, you know, they weren't sent in or allowed to come back home and help. So it's not going to be a recruiting tool.
AMY GOODMAN: I was thinking of Celeste Zappala who lost her son Sherwood Baker who joined the Pennsylvania National Guard to deal with natural disasters like this. But ultimately was sent to Iraq. And died there.
CARL WEBB: Yes. And that's one of the misconceptions that people have about The National Guard. The National Guard is not an institution primarily there to assist in natural disasters, its not there to protect the population, its just there to augment the regular army to go around the world to oppress people.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, Carl Webb, we'll continue to be in touch with you to find out if you're able to find your family.
CARL WEBB: Thank you.
AMY GOODMAN: Thank you very much for coming in.
So far, Noam Chomsky's and Carl Webb's take on things appear to be pretty similar. Of course Chomsky is famous and Webb is not. When Chomsky makes statements to the effect that the United States really has only one political party
In a January 14, 2006 Alternet interview titled "Chomsky: `There Is No War On Terror," he commented "George Bush would be in severe political trouble if there were an opposition political party in the country."
he is revered by Progressives; nor, apparently, does Chomsky's opinion on this issue damage his high status among Kossites
see the pole at http://www.dailykos.com/...
. When Webb expressed a similar viewpoint, or so it seemed to me, he was banned.
see http://www.dailykos.com/...
I guess this means that if Chomsky were to publish his views about the political party system in this country, he too would be banned from Kos. However peculiar an idea this appears, one can only hope so in the interest of fairness and justice -- and just plain decency. Consider that there is one way in which Carl Webb and Noam Chomsky significantly differ. Noam Chomsky rarely risks life and limb to promote Progressive goals. Carl Webb does so constantly. He has not fled to Canada or elsewhere. He doesn't hide. He expects any day to be arrested. He knows full well what prison will mean.
While waiting to be arrested, Carl works with another black organizer
see "Portrait of a Grassroots Organizer" at http://www.dailykos.com/...
in an effort to stem the tide of a gentrification process steamrollering the Eastern section of the city we all live in. A few years ago, Carl began an online group called Schoolwatch to monitor the role that the local school district plays in this process. His subscriber list has grown beyond anyone's expectations.
I fully respect Mr. Zuniga's right to determine what appears on his blog and what doesn't, but may I suggest that banning Carl Webb, and people like him, for making statements no more "in your face" - Carl is not an absolutist, he seeks debate - than Chomsky's, is a mistake.