Issue Number 2 – February 2010
Ted Rall Newsletter
NEW BOOK FOR FALL 2010: POLITICAL MANIFESTO
My new political manifesto, which argues that the United States is headed toward economic and political collapse—and offers a solution so radical it’ll make you giddy—is coming out this fall from Seven Stories Press. I’m polishing up last-minute edits and working on the cover now. From the first chapter:
It doesn’t matter whether you feel it or not. It’s happening. The story of the United States of America as we know it—not merely as the world’s dominant superpower, but as a discrete political, economic and geographic entity—is drawing to a close due to a convergence of emerging economic, environmental and political crises. It’s not just that we won’t be selling most of the goods, using most of the resources or starting most of the wars anymore. (Although we won’t.) Nor will we all die. Many, probably most of us, will survive. Our land will remain, whatever remains after rising seas anyway, and our descendants will be doing whatever people will need to and be told to do then. But the U.S. as an idea, as a country, will cease to exist. Like the Mayan empire. Like Czechoslovakia. Like the Soviet Union.
SUMMER 2010 AFGHANISTAN TRIP IN PERIL
I’m trying to raise the travel expenses to return to cover the war in Afghanistan this summer. I want to check in on my fixer from 2001 and his family in Taliban-occupied Taloqan, do an exposé on the Trans Afghanistan Pipeline oil and gas project, and visit remote parts of the country where reporters never venture. I will blog, file essays and cartoons, and write a book about what I hope to find—how the occupation is affecting ordinary Afghans nine years into the war.
Since I can’t find a newspaper or magazine willing to foot the bill, I’m using Kickstarter.com. People who want to support a project that might not otherwise take place pledge money; if enough people do it, the project gets funded.
If not, it doesn’t. And everyone gets their money back.
Unfortunately, things don’t look good now. After a great start—66 people put up $5,334—pledges have slowed to a trickle. There’s still time left, but at this rate I will NOT be returning to Afghanistan—unless more people pledge their support.
I understand; times are tough. It may be that this idea just won’t work. However, if you’re interested in supporting aggressive, independent, completely unembedded journalism and have a few extra bucks, please help me get there! I need $19,000 more in order to pay for transportation and security for four weeks travel. You get goodies depending on your level of support; obviously bigger is better. The link is:
TED RALL ANIMATIONS ON YOUTUBE
I am producing, along with David Essman, some of the most outrageous political cartoons available in animation, for the Internet. But I won’t be able to keep doing them unless some websites start paying for them. If you’re working for a website interested in edgy political content, please check them out and get in touch. I am willing and able to package them with my weekly opinion columns.
http://www.youtube.com/user/tedralltoons
You can also see them on Ted Rall Online at:
http://rall.com/goodies.htm
Up most recently, “Operation Haitian Earthquake Freedom,” about the militarization of disaster relief.
SIGN UP TO GET TED’S CARTOONS AND COLUMNS
I have begun serializing pre-edited copy from my upcoming Political Manifesto through the 2010 Ted Rall Subscription Service. This is EXCLUSIVE to subscribers. Everyone else will have to wait until the book comes out this fall.
Subscriptions for the Ted Rall Subscription Service are open now for 2010. For $30 a year you get my cartoons and columns emailed to your in-box, in many cases days or even weeks before they go online or appear in newspapers! You also receive big discounts on any original cartoons you request ($100 cost instead of $500).
Go to: http://rall.com/subscription.htm
EVENTS – FEBRUARY
Hey New Yorkers! Please come out to support me at my biggest book signing ever—at the flagship Upper West Side Barnes & Noble.
When: Tuesday, February 16th, at 7 pm
What: Discussion about my new graphic novel memoir, “The Year of Loving Dangerously,” with Pablo G. Callejo.
Where: Barnes & Noble at Broadway and 82nd Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
BUY A SIGNED COPY OF “THE YEAR OF LOVING DANGEROUSLY”
You can still get a personally signed copy of Ted’s “The Year of Loving Dangerously” for $23.90 (includes shipping within the United States). There are only a few copies left. Then the offer is null and void.
Check out: http://rall.com/buyyold.htm
VISIT TED ON FACEBOOK
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=500182857
FOLLOW TED ON TWITTER
http:www.twitter.com/tedrall
DEMAND THAT YOUR NEWSPAPER CARRY ME!
The Internet is cool. But it doesn’t pay. If you want to keep seeing good cartoons, write to your local newspaper and demand that they carry my stuff. It works more often than you’d think!
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