The Counter-Currents 2023 Fundraiser
Idealism Alone Can’t Last Forever

1,195 words

Like all journals of dissident ideas, Counter-Currents depends on the support of our readers. So far this year, we’ve raised $92,974, or 31% of our $300,000 goal. I want to thank everyone who has donated so far. (Please donate here!) And now, Pox Populi offers a few words on why we can’t expect idealism alone to sustain the alternative dissident Right media ecosystem that has been painstakingly built in recent years forever — and why we can’t afford to lose it.

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Fundraising seems to provoke mixed reactions in our circles. There are those who believe that every action should be taken self-sacrificially and “for the good of the movement,” with no interest in monetary gain and no expectation of donations. Some even go so far as to accuse anyone who asks for donations of being a grifter.

But there is a flipside to the coin buried deep in their pockets. Are they just looking for free “content” to “consume”? To the charge “You’re just in it for the money,” I believe one can easily respond, “And you’re just in it for the free hour of entertainment before you open another tab or another app and consume your next hour of free entertainment.”

None of this exists without the contributions of what I call The Followship. The individuals and organizations who write articles, create videos, publish books, and modify video games can only work for free out of the goodness of their hearts and dedication to the cause for so long. They need The Followship’s help. They need The Followship to share their stuff across the web. They need The Followship to subscribe, even if that means migrating to alternative platforms. And yes, they need The Followship to open their wallets.

I don’t believe anyone expects to strike it rich from getting involved in the fight for white well-being. As I recently wrote in The Pox Populi Guide to Creating Dissident Nationalist Art, the likelihood of a dissident artist becoming wealthy and famous is rather low. We understand this. The vast majority of people who step into this fray do so because they feel compelled to, not because they see dollar signs. But this doesn’t mean that an artist, or a site such as Counter-Currents, should work for free and make no money at all. And it doesn’t mean that those who ask for the financial means to keep going are grifters.

It’s obvious that Counter-Currents has become one of the best destinations to find genuine Right-wing thought, sound critique of the anti-white status quo, and a well of white positivity. Counter-Currents has successfully preserved and propagated the works of men such as Jonathan Bowden and Alain de Benoist, and presented them to new readers and audiences. Beyond maintaining the flame of previous generations, Counter-Currents also nurtures a new generation of writers, journalists, and thinkers.

I’ll include myself in that nurtured new generation. Since 2018 I’ve been making video presentations, slogging it out on the usual social media sites, and writing essays and articles. I was happy enough to have a humble following of no more than a few thousand. I’ve never attached myself very much to the Pox Populi persona. I know that what I do can be shut down by the-powers-that-be at any moment. My small following and small presence allow me to go undetected. I can say what I want without fear of being doxed, suffering character assassination, or losing a business project built up over a long time. I’m too small to fail. However, it’s always nice to be recognized for your efforts. When I was doing livestreams for 12 listeners and posting articles on Substack for 20 or so readers, Greg Johnson stumbled upon my stuff and took an interest.

For roughly a year now, I’ve been the occasional host of the Counter-Currents livestreams, and my written work has been published on the website. Thanks to the encouragement and opportunities given to me by Counter-Currents, I’ve been able to interview some of the leaders of the Anglophone radical Right as well as have discussions with fellow travelers in Continental Europe, thereby bringing their ideas to more eyes and ears. Counter-Currents has helped my work find a bigger audience, and judging by the responses, it’s an audience that seems happy to have been introduced to yours truly. This is how a movement grows. This is how it continues for generations. Without enterprises such as Counter-Currents, how will this happen?

The radical Right cannot be comprised only of lone rangers striding solitarily across the plains and through the wild. If that’s how it’s going to be, we risk losing some of our best voices. As I said, there’s only so long a person can go it alone. A friend of mine — and someone who put a lot of effort into making quality work for the pro-white Right — recently decided to close up shop and retire from making “content.” The combination of being banned from mainstream platforms and a lack of contributions from his Followship meant that the time and money he had invested in his work had become unsustainable. He is not the only one. There are countless others who have given so much to this cause over the years and who are teetering on the edge of packing it all in simply because the support just isn’t there anymore.

Have we become too crestfallen? Too demoralized after years and years of fighting on the back foot? That would be a shame, since our cause has never been more well-received as it is today, and never reached such a vast audience. Considering the times, I would argue it’s never been more important. Or maybe you think there need to be improvements before you donate? If so, then what is stopping you from making suggestions for those improvements? Constructive criticism and inspirational ideas are welcome.

There really is no more to say. Either we create and maintain an alternative media ecosystem, or we don’t. If you pay for a Netflix or Amazon Prime subscription, but haven’t chipped in to ensure the existence of the antidote to those megaliths of subversion, then we all lose. In my review of Guido Taietti’s Political Witchcraft, I highlighted one of Taietti’s fundamental concepts: the symbiotic relationship between the four categories of political actors. The readers of Counter-Currents are just as much a part of the operation as the writers and editors. We are all soldiers in a guerrilla army. We win or lose together.

Counter-Currents is not asking for much. We know times are tough and could get worse any moment. It’s a cliché, but if every reader of Counter-Currents were to make even a modest donation, it would make all the difference. Thank you.

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There are many ways to help, but the easiest is with an e-check donation. All you need is your checkbook.

You can explore all your donation options on our newly-redesigned Donate page.

Also, check out our Paywall page!

For a preview of events in the coming year, check out our birthday page.

Remember: Those who fight for a better world live in it today.

Thank you again for your loyal readership and generous support.

Greg Johnson
Editor-in-Chief