2014.07.05 An Open Letter to Noam Chomsky and Paul Craig Roberts

Note: I am sometimes contacted about my correspondence with Chomsky (1989-1995), which is summarized in detail in Looking for the Enemy. There is another summary in The Transparent Conspiracy in the chapter titled "Chomsky and Newman -- The False Debate." Obviously, we disagreed on the question of whether JFK had decided to withdraw from Vietnam, but I think I won the debate. We also disagree on 9/11, but I still have great respect for him and agree with him on many other issues. This attempt in 2014 I was able to get him together with Paul Craig Roberts on OpEdNews.com was successful (see here, here and here ).

Dear Dr. Chomsky and Dr. Roberts,

OpEdNews.com has published a number of articles by both of you. For the life of me, I cannot see any significant difference between you in your evaluation of the current global situation. This is not to say that some points of difference (e.g., 9/11) are not important, but you agree so much on so many other important points that it seems to me incumbent upon both of you, as the two most influential leaders of "dissident" (read "reasonable") opinion in America today, at least in my opinion, and both unquestionably with a very large following and therefore capable of asserting great influence, and much more influence TOGETHER rather than separately, that I plead with you to table your differences and join together in a common appeal for reasonableness on all fronts, from U.S. foreign policy to enivronmental issues. You agree on almost all issues, as far as I can tell, and you owe it to us, to your readership and supporters, to make this loud and clear, and also to specify which issues you disagree on and why, so as to make your positions clear. Both of you want a "movement" to counter the current march to massive self-destruction. How can you expect a "movement" of the masses to take place if the potential leaders of such a movement cannot get together and show by example how a coalition is formed? How can you find any reason not to join forces when so much is at stake? Of course there are many others this same appeal could be addressed to, but I appeal to you because I personally have more respect for both of you than for anyone else.

The principle here is that of the hundreth monkey. No one ever knows when that critical mass of popular support will be reached, and leadership, COALITIONS of leadership, are obviously crucial.