Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Inside Condi's mind
This is interesting regarding why we don’t see Kurt Nimmo on counterpunch these days.
“Correcting the Record on My Stint Writing for Counterpunch
Saturday February 18th 2006, 10:28 pm“Occasionally I will take note of the lunatic wanderings of the Israeli settler Steven Plaut, a so-called economics professor in Israel (no doubt teaching his Jabotinsky-inspired brood how to steal land from Palestinians), if only to correct his lies and counter his slanderous remarks about your humble blogger.
....
“I don’t know how much CIA money Plaut received from the Horowitz operation, but when I was writing for Counterpunch I didn’t receive a penny, even after one of my articles appeared in a Counterpunch book (The Politics of Anti-Semitism). In fact, the reason I stopped submitting articles to Counterpunch was, in part, due to a remark Alexander Cockburn made about the article published in the Politics of Anti-Semitism (Amiri Baraka’s Somebody Blew Up America: Poetry as Treason?)—Cockburn had received negative comments (this apparently irked him) about documentation I cited indicating government involvement in the terrorist attacks of nine eleven, thus revealing Counterpunch’s gatekeeping function, a common enough occurrence on the foundation-funded left (according to the research of Bob Feldman and tax forms, in 1999 CP and the Institute for the Advancement of Journalistic Clarity earned $178,000 from its “alternative journalism activity” and unlike “most of the other anti-conspiracist alternative media gatekeepers, IAJC/COUNTERPUNCH doesn’t appear to have received any big Establishment Foundation grants in recent years. But its vice-president, Ford Roosevelt, is a member of a Roosevelt Dynasty that possessed upper-class wealth and much political power during the 20th-century”).“I don’t know if Cockburn and crew made money on the publication of the Politics of Anti-Semitism, but if they did they sure the heck didn’t send me a check for the inclusion of my piece (in fact, I had to buy a copy of the book—the skinflints at AK Press obviously felt disobliged to the various authors, or at least this one). http://kurtnimmo.com/?p=231"
Posted by Alison on from Toronto 08/22 at 09:19 PMAlison, thanks so much for this post. I’ve long appreciated what Kurt Nimmo has to say, but don’t read his blog (keeping up with more than a couple is serious work). This bit from ADE goes a long way to encapsulating my disgust with the left (sic).
To wit, the core of my response to the author of this article http://tinyurl.com/287p84 was “we know who/what the corporate-fundie right is about, and what tactics can work against them, but the problem with effective resistance is the four star dead wood, the gaggle of liberal/left posers that don’t get called on their hypocritical bullshit.” She responded with a low-key paean to John Edwards for President.
We’re fucked. (Captcha sez ‘entire.’) Thhhppt.
Great line, RMJ, but I plead ‘no contest’ in the caption derby. If Skeeza Condoleeza (thanks, Amiri!) used her hand to describe her human rights stance, she’d have to cut it off. For its own good, of course.
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 08/23 at 12:48 AMAnother entry for the Uber-Lefty Conspiracy File (tm): http://tinyurl.com/37y4mh
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 08/23 at 04:42 AMHello Expendables. Michele and I will be flying home later today.
As for publishing, let me offer a perspective of someone on the inside. A wide range of publishers (even those larger than the typical indie) are delinquent in paying authors, sending author’s copies of books, publishing books on schedule, etc. I sincerely doubt the folks at Counterpunch are willfully refusing to pay anyone. Like most small operations, they probably bit off more than they can chew and then hid behind the “we’re overwhelmed” excuse. If you want to make money, please don’t try writing...especially writing for small presses, mags, and sites. The only reason I ever wrote for sites like CP was because I thought I had something to say. If I make any money from “radical” writing, I consider it a bonus.
I’m not defending or justifying this unfair system; I’m just explaining it from my vantage point. 99.9% of writers get screwed every step of the way.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Dubya Land 08/23 at 08:40 AMI’m sorry to hear that, Mickey Z. I loved reading your articles on Counterpunch—which is why I’m here, now.
Posted by Rachel on from Fog Bank 08/23 at 10:00 AMAh, you never know...I might be seen on those sites again.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Dubya Land 08/23 at 10:08 AMLet’s see...if the u.s. wasn’t bombing the hell out of this planet...what would we read on Counterpunch.
Would we read about the ongoing war against all americans, the 500 year war, many seem to have accepted as ‘reality’, normalized, go for the gusto, make millions, by brand new MV-Augusta, buy a new set of the latest $85,000 loudspeakers for the home.
What do you think we would be reading about. What’s the death toll up to by now, the death toll that started 500 years ago and keeps increasing everday this barbaric system continues...?
Posted by joe of maine on from 08/23 at 11:51 AMWell said, MZ. Writing words or music is definitely a low/no wage proposition, but on the left I’ve witnessed some serious theft of labor. Leftie perceptions about money are often warped, which tends to slaughter the idea of social justice. It’s not that the money isn’t available (if only a token amount) but that getting it to change hands is as difficult as a death row pardon in Texas.
Let me raise the tone a little, with Gene Hackman’s Harry Zimm from “Get Shorty”: “I once asked this literary agent what kind of writing paid the best… he said, ‘Ransom notes.’”
Posted by Zen Prole on from Urth 08/23 at 01:28 PMWOW !!! I am so happy. I can’t believe I won. This is the first thing I have ever won since I was in 5th grade. Then I won a glow-in-the-dark statue of Mary. I’ll take “50 Revolutions”. Mickey, will you autograph it, please.
allison...I can share your frustration. Much of the work I have done in my life was never paid for. The last time that I was paid for writing was when I was a stringer for the newspaper and was paid by the inch of column space. I think I was paid about $12 for one of my big news stories that made the Associated Press. Yesterday, I was with a friend who is in the process of writing a novel. I think it will be a good one. He is planning on just publishing it himself on the internet - and won’t make any money at all.
Zen #8...You make me smile.
Hi Rachel…
joe...they will be marching in Kinneybunkerport on Saturday - boycotting everything would be more effective but,........Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 08/23 at 02:02 PMRMJ...9...thank you, thank you, this is the first time today I have felt light...glow in the dark statue of Mary ...that’s great!
Mary who?
Posted by joe of maine on from 08/23 at 03:05 PMHi all, guys n girls. I was reading some old entries Mickey and I was wondering if I could watch your old C span interview. Could you please let me know where it is archived, or any other radio interviews? I’ve heard a few writers speak but I’ve never heard you. Possible? Thanks Mickey. Have a safe flight. Alison- interesting Kurt Nimmo quote. I’ll show my unpaid writer friend.
Posted by Bob on from New York 08/23 at 03:42 PMMickey, regarding your answer no. 4. regarding biting off more than they can chew, don’t they print their own books, so they’d just print as they needed small batches? No offence but I’m sure they’d be happy to pay you to do their defense and promotion. For someone who talks about working conditions and looking after workers, for example your recent short story of the stone throwing girl, I find your stance on this pay issue weak, to be polite. If Cockburn can afford an overseas holiday, as he writes of, he can sit down and write a payment of a hundred dollars to each writer who contributed to his latest collection of essays. To go on an overseas holiday without paying writers beforehand seems a little .......well, you can fill in the gaps. What C-Span interview do you mean, Bob? I checked out their site and can’t find one.
Posted by Alison on from Toronto 08/23 at 04:47 PMBack in NYC.
Alison: I was neither defending nor promoting anyone. Simply stating a fact that all publishers (left, right, or indifferent) exploit writers on some level.
Bob: I’m not sure how track down that C-Span show. It aired in October 2004.
RMJ: E-mail me your address so I can send you the book, okay?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 08/23 at 07:36 PMIt’d be nice to see the TV show sometime Mickey. It’ll be cool for readers to see it on your site too, via a link. Don’t be shy. Any radio shows you’ve been on? If you did a Laura Flanders show we could hear it via Radio Nation. Welcome home.
Posted by Bob on from New York 08/23 at 10:04 PMHey, M, no. 13, just because writers and people get exploited, does that make exploitation acceptable, especially when the employer concerned writes about ethics all the time??? #14: Bob, I looked up Laura Flanders. Is Cockburn her uncle? Wouldn’t it be nice if we all got employed and paid at left wing establishments. ie The Nation. Or maybe that’s only for those educated at Oxford. Time for a long sleep.
Posted by Alison on from Toronto 08/23 at 11:32 PM
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