Donation Drive: Set the Schedule for 2015

The simplest economic principle is this: people do more of what they’re rewarded for.  Right now, I can no longer justify writing at this frequency and level for free.

Over the past year I’ve written on ideology, inequality,and austerity.  I’ve discussed fundamental questions like what an economy is, the value of human life and the rage of political betrayal.  And I’ve covered the effects of current events like the Ukrainian crisis, the rise of ISIS and much more.

As with last year, I need to determine how much actual demand there is for these articles, and how much time I should spend writing them, so I’m asking you to donate if you find them valuable (and you can afford to; please never donate if you’re having trouble paying for food, housing or healthcare).

DONATE OR SUBSCRIBE

I’ll fund-raise for two weeks at least.  At the end, I’ll add up the subscriptions, divide the one-time donations by three, and use the amount to determine how much I write for the next three months, or more, if we do very well.

$0-$999 —I’ll write when the whim strikes.  In the past that has meant that sometimes weeks have gone by between articles, and months between significant pieces.

$1000-$1999 I’ll average two significant pieces a week for three months: articles on important issues like how we came to this, how the world actually works, and how we can change the world for the better.

$2000-$2999 Five articles a week, minimum, for three months, barring unforseen circumstances like illness, accident, or unplanned travel.

$3000+  As the previous level, but I’ll do it for five months.

$More If we do very well, I’ll keep adding months.

I’ve maintained these paces for years in the past, at BOPnews, The Agonist, and Firedoglake, while also being managing editor of the second two.

For individuals, I’ll mention two other donation levels.  If you subscribe, when your monthly donations reach this level, they’ll apply:

$100 – Give me the ok, and I’ll dedicate an article to you, or to your designee, within reason (aka. no, no matter how much you give, I’m not dedicating an article to neo-Nazis or Goldman Sachs).

$500 – Email me and I’ll write an article on a subject we determine.  I won’t write on anything, I have to have something useful to say, and you don’t get to determine what I write about a subject, but I’ll work with you.  (This isn’t the same as commissioning a piece, if you want to do that, email me).

If you value what I write, and can afford to, please DONATE or SUBSCRIBE.