The economy sucks and the world of journalism has been hit harder than anywhere else. All the magazines that used to have the money to send me on trips to Central Asia and Afghanistan have either gone out of business or have eliminated their travel budgets. Still, as one of the few (only?) writers to be right about Afghanistan from the start–I called the war doomed to fail shortly after 9/11–I’m dying to go back to get the truth for myself–and report it back to you.
There are lots of places willing to publish my work: my syndicated column clients, magazines, major newspapers, and of course I can do another book. What’s missing is the tremendous travel budget required to get around in war zones. In 2001 it took $25,000 to get there and survive three weeks–and I was cheap! One helicopter ride across the Hindu Kush on a Northern Alliance chopper, for example, cost $10,000. One way.
I think the stuff I got, which ended up in “To Afghanistan and Back” and elsewhere, was worthwhile. Now for the follow-up!
Anyway, I found out about a website called Kickstarter and will soon be posting my proposal to return to Afghanistan there. You get the chance to pledge money–you don’t pay unless I get the whole amount–toward my travel expenses. It’s not an investment, but you do get stuff depending on how much support you’re willing and able to give.
It’s an experiment, but I hope it works out. And if you hate my guts, this may be your best way to get rid of me legally!
I’ll post my project here in a week or two.
