While society rewards the likes of
Snooki from Jersey Shore with celebrity and fortune, and while
lying, incompetent "Authorized Journalists" enjoy their paychecks, benefits, matching 401K contributions and the like, the market for liberty leadership is flat.
We need the leaders, but no one seems willing to pay for them.
Friends of
Mike Vanderboegh have contacted me and are concerned that he's financially hurting. I know for a fact that he is--with health problems also being a concern--and have been wondering what we who look to him on a regular basis for analysis, guidance and leadership can do.
As would be expected, Mike is not only proud, but selfless. When I contacted him about saying something--because I don't wish to embarrass him--his response did not surprise me in the least. I don't make a practice of sharing private emails, and I trust he'll forgive me for sharing a portion of this one--while admitting the difficult time his family is facing, this was his primary response:
I am loath to ask other people for money when things are so very tight everywhere and they should be preparing themselves.
Regulars here know I never ask for money for myself (although I do shamelessly hound to share my Examiner links so
those cheap ########! can pay me). In this case, I'm not going to ask you to send Mike a donation either.
Not a cent in gift money.
What I will ask you to do --all of you who visit his site every day and receive value from it--is pay for that value. I'm asking you to
voluntarily subscribe to
Sipsey Street Irregulars and help Mike continue to bring YOU his daily reports and insights.
Just so we're clear: This is NOT CHARITY. This is PAYMENT FOR SERVICES BEING RENDERED.
How much? I won't put a ceiling on the maximum, but would submit the recommended minimum should be something we all, with
very few exceptions/excuses can afford: A dollar a month.
I see from Mike's Site Meter that SSI brings in around 2,400 discrete visitors each day. That means if we all do this, the guy will actually be able to pay most of the bills and focus on giving us what he's been selflessly providing every day for years--with no compensation or expectations of personal gain.
What is this guy, our slave? Do people pay you for what
you do?
I'll accept that some--a few--are simply not in a position to do this, with financial straits of their own. But I bet most of us are able. How much do we spend a year on ammo? Do you think we can get through this without intellectual ammunition and leadership?
How many will man up and do the right thing? 3/4? Half?Under a dozen of you?
My experience with trying to get simple things done, like sharing a link or sending an email, does not fill me with great hopes. Sorry, not trying to start a fight here, but I've said before, if anything induces me to finally hang things up and take care of Number One, it will be those "Profiles in Apathy" that to me represent a greater threat than the antis will ever be capable of presenting.
I don't want to hear great words of Liberty and "Is it time yet?" and all the other brave words of defiance from thousands of self-professed Threepers who won't even do this small thing. If you
won't do it, if you won't help when you know in your heart you could, my guess is it will show the oppressor all he needs to know about the personal commitment of those who
say they'll stand up to him.
Regulars here know I never ask anyone to do anything I'm not willing to do myself.
My envelope with my $12 annual subscription fee is in the mail.
Mike Vanderboegh
P.O. Box 926
Pinson, AL 35126.
If you agree with me, yours will be too, and you'll spread the word.
And I apologize to Mike if this embarrasses him. I did not get his permission to do this. But unless he tells me flat out that leaving this plea up will end our friendship, I'll not obey any orders from him to take this post down.
