Alt-Left Indymedia Site
Donation protected
UPDATE (25 MAY 2017) The following description was written at a much earlier stage of the Crowdfunding. As another update below says, progress has been extremely slow, and the Crowdfunding is being wrapped in the next several days. Until then, I will accept any donations, but these are likely to support my general writing, rather than going towards the new project anticipated; unless I decide to seek specific third party funding (non-Crowdfunding) at a later date.
***
Later this year, I plan to launch a new Alt-Left indymedia commentary site.
I have freelance experience in both 'serious journalism' and the 'fake news satire' media, as well as some friends interested in the Alt-Left, and some IT-savvy contacts in the satire media.
This site should fill a niche that seems to be only rarely occupied, even in the alternative media.
The tone of the site will be irreverent, at times even anarchic; but always ethically serious.
This site will be truly countercultural, and there will be free and open discussion and inquiry.
Some key alt-left premises:
1. Individualism:
Individual liberty must dominate over collectivist authoritarianism; but at the same time, 'individualism' should not be left to the economic right to define as their own monopolistic possession.
2. Secularism:
Religions don't have rights.
Religious individual have rights, or at least interests (depending on the semantics in question), but religions don't.
The soft bigotry of low expectations for Islam, Buddhism, or any other human-invented faith can and will be staunchly challenged.
(This is not about being pro or anti religion. Secularism is about politics and the rule of law, and not about the value of this or that faith, although perhaps not all secularists will agree with me on that one!)
3. Freedom of speech:
Hate speech is freedom of speech.
Historical negationism is freedom of speech.
"Blasphemy," whether against religious figures, presidents or Peter Gabriel/Phil Collins/David Gilmour/Roger Waters (delete/perform "erasure" as appropriate) is also freedom of speech.
Whether such speech is remotely 'moral' or 'edifying' or 'true' is not the point.
4. No False Dilemmas.
Social Justice Warriors, the Regressive Left, and Radical Postmodernist Nihilism present one key internal threat to the Left.
And racist, belligerent, warmongering, mediocre 'Centrist Moderates' represent another. Our outlet, like the Alt-Left more broadly, will help to find a way out of this dilemma for individuals feeling very much ill at ease on the left, but equally unwilling to resort to pitching their tents rightward.
None of the above necessitates any kind of 'party line.'
***
The first priority for funding allocation is a good domain name and (if appropriate) technical support and advice.
Secondly, paying our writers.
Thirdly, promotion and advertizing.
(Depending on how our finances go, the order of these priorities may shift. But we will want to pay our writers as well as we possibly can. One option under serious consideration is to pay writers according to the number of adequately good articles they publish in a set period, e.g. monthly).
Your support will help provide a zany, satirical, but no less well-informed counterblast to the reactionary right and regressive left of all stripes; while the mediocre 'centrist moderation' of the Trudeaus and Blairs and Clintons of this world will not get off lightly either.
You can be part of history:
The Left is back, and it's more disrespectful, viciously satirical and full of common sense radicalism than ever!
IMPORTANT:
For a project like this, trust is important: and that includes clarifying my own credentials! The following article of mine will help you decide for yourself if you feel the project is useful for you:
My Media Credentials
Meme based on public domain photo of Harriet Taylor Mill.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taylor-harriet.jpg?uselang=en-gb
***
Later this year, I plan to launch a new Alt-Left indymedia commentary site.
I have freelance experience in both 'serious journalism' and the 'fake news satire' media, as well as some friends interested in the Alt-Left, and some IT-savvy contacts in the satire media.
This site should fill a niche that seems to be only rarely occupied, even in the alternative media.
The tone of the site will be irreverent, at times even anarchic; but always ethically serious.
This site will be truly countercultural, and there will be free and open discussion and inquiry.
Some key alt-left premises:
1. Individualism:
Individual liberty must dominate over collectivist authoritarianism; but at the same time, 'individualism' should not be left to the economic right to define as their own monopolistic possession.
2. Secularism:
Religions don't have rights.
Religious individual have rights, or at least interests (depending on the semantics in question), but religions don't.
The soft bigotry of low expectations for Islam, Buddhism, or any other human-invented faith can and will be staunchly challenged.
(This is not about being pro or anti religion. Secularism is about politics and the rule of law, and not about the value of this or that faith, although perhaps not all secularists will agree with me on that one!)
3. Freedom of speech:
Hate speech is freedom of speech.
Historical negationism is freedom of speech.
"Blasphemy," whether against religious figures, presidents or Peter Gabriel/Phil Collins/David Gilmour/Roger Waters (delete/perform "erasure" as appropriate) is also freedom of speech.
Whether such speech is remotely 'moral' or 'edifying' or 'true' is not the point.
4. No False Dilemmas.
Social Justice Warriors, the Regressive Left, and Radical Postmodernist Nihilism present one key internal threat to the Left.
And racist, belligerent, warmongering, mediocre 'Centrist Moderates' represent another. Our outlet, like the Alt-Left more broadly, will help to find a way out of this dilemma for individuals feeling very much ill at ease on the left, but equally unwilling to resort to pitching their tents rightward.
None of the above necessitates any kind of 'party line.'
***
The first priority for funding allocation is a good domain name and (if appropriate) technical support and advice.
Secondly, paying our writers.
Thirdly, promotion and advertizing.
(Depending on how our finances go, the order of these priorities may shift. But we will want to pay our writers as well as we possibly can. One option under serious consideration is to pay writers according to the number of adequately good articles they publish in a set period, e.g. monthly).
Your support will help provide a zany, satirical, but no less well-informed counterblast to the reactionary right and regressive left of all stripes; while the mediocre 'centrist moderation' of the Trudeaus and Blairs and Clintons of this world will not get off lightly either.
You can be part of history:
The Left is back, and it's more disrespectful, viciously satirical and full of common sense radicalism than ever!
IMPORTANT:
For a project like this, trust is important: and that includes clarifying my own credentials! The following article of mine will help you decide for yourself if you feel the project is useful for you:
My Media Credentials
Meme based on public domain photo of Harriet Taylor Mill.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taylor-harriet.jpg?uselang=en-gb
Organizer
Jonathan Ferguson
Organizer
