This was originally posted on ThePeoplesBookProject.com on January 9, 2012.'
This past week the Book Project received total donations of $45.00, and with 7 hours worked @ $15.00/hour, the payment would be at $105.00, however, the budget for the Project was at $53.59, so I took that as my total payment, and now the People's Book Project has no budget.
As a result of the lack of donations for supporting hours worked, and as I cannot live on about $50/week, I have decided to try to experiment with another means of supporting the Book Project. Instead of doing the funding for hours worked on the book, I have decided to launch a fundraising effort to support a specific chapter, with a goal for the amount raised to write that chapter. When the chapter is completed, or near completion, I would begin a fundraiser for another chapter, and the amounts set for the target goal would vary depending upon the amount of work done on the chapter(s) thus far, and my estimation of time and effort to finish. This way, people can donate to something a little more specific, and I can also more firmly set goals and ensure more work to be done on particular chapters (instead of bouncing around from one to the other), and thus produce finished results. In order to raise support for a specific chapter, I will provide information on the subject matter, perspectives, events, ideas and criticisms within the chapter, and upon completion, I will provide one or two brief excerpts from the chapter so that readers (that's you!) may see the results of your support!
I would also greatly appreciate any feedback and suggestions on this new approach, but for now, I will be launching it in this way for this week.
Chapter Fundraiser: The Grand Areas of the American Empire
- Goal: $800.00
- Chapter(s) being supported: This fundraiser will be unique in that I am raising funds to support my writing of four simultaneous chapters, all of which I have already done some work on (some more than others). In an introductory chapter to the American Empire, I examined the plan set forth by the Council on Foreign Relations to establish "Grand Areas" of the world which America would control and dominate for their resources. These four chapters break the Grand Areas up into: (1) Asia, (2) Middle East and North Africa, (3) Sub-Saharan Africa, and (4) Latin America. The chapters will examine the actual strategies, plans, implementation and effects of American imperial adventures in each region from the end of World War II until the late 1960s and early 1970s. Included will be imperial strategies set forth by the National Security Council (NSC), aims and actions of the Pentagon and the CIA, roles played by the international financial institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, objectives and effects of philanthropic foundations in support of constructing educational systems for the management of the 'Grand Areas', the effects of decolonization and liberation movements across the 'Third World', covert and overt means of repressing, co-opting or destroying the liberation struggles, role of prominent think tanks in establishing imperial strategy, and the ideas and individuals involved in this imperial adventurism. The goal of $800.00 for the completion of four chapters amounts to roughly $200.00 to finish each chapter, which is a very small amount considering the time and effort required to put in to each chapter. The chapters on Latin America and the Middle East and North Africa are each roughly half finished, while the ones on Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have barely been started.
- Progress: I will update as frequently as possible the amount of the fundraising goal which has been reached, as well as progress undertaken on the chapters.
SEE: The new section on the site to support the funding of specific chapters: "COMPLETE A CHAPTER" for up-to-date information.
So please support the fundraising goal of $800.00 for the completion of four chapters on "The Grand Areas of the American Empire.
