FIGHTBACK becomes a trans-Tasman socialist website and magazine

Dearest comrades and friends:

Wow, what a roller-coaster it’s been. But we are happy to announce that the Fightback PledgeMe campaign successfully raised $1340 in pledges – more than enough to go ahead with our mission to become a trans-Tasman website and magazine of the radical activist Left. 23 comrades contributed, with pledges ranging from a welcome $5 to a staggering $200.

The financial question is a political one, and the fundraiser was not simply about whether we could play our website and printing bills, or fund contributors to our projected Accessibility issue. The question was: is there enough support out there for Fightback to keep doing what we have been doing? We are very, very pleased that the answer was Yes.

There will, of course, be some changes in how we work. Given the relatively small numbers of people prepared to pay money for a printed magazine, Fightback will now shift mainly to an online and EPUB/PDF format, with printed issues available for libraries, institutions, and people who just like things on paper and are prepared to pay. We will be contacting all our existing subscribers to gauge their preferences.

Fightback supporters in Aotearoa and in Australia – and around the world – will now start getting organised for our first issue of 2018, on Fascism and Anti-Fascism. We hope to have a call for submissions and a deadline out by the end of this week.

Lastly, for those who wanted to contribute but came in late – Fightback is looking into activating a Patreon so you can support us regularly.

Once again, thank you all so much. The struggle continues.

In solidarity,

Daphne Lawless

Fightback co-ordinating editor (Aotearoa-based)

Dear comrades and friends:

We are coming down to the wire. Nothing more than NINETY (90) dollars remain between Fightback continuing to exist as a source for trans-Tasman radical and activist ideas and analysis... and ceasing to exist altogether.

Please don't think that the existing Fightback crew will be able to make up the balance ourselves. Honestly - we've already committed our meager resources. And expecting activism and political analysis to self-fund is ... well, frankly, one of the reasons why so much activism and political analysis is poor quality these days. We can't afford to be "cheapskates" when the future of our movement, or possibly the planet itself, is on the line.

There are only two ways we can get over the line from here:

1. Any or all our existing donors could just go the extra mile, increase their existing pledge. We could probably whip up some last minute digital award for anyone who did so... and if you all did so by only $5, that would do it!
2. We need some of you comrades out there who haven't pledged yet to DO IT. NOW. Maybe you were waiting for payday? Maybe you were hoping we could reach the target without you? It doesn't matter. You have six days to do so or there is no more Fightback. Even just $5 will get us more than 5% of the way there.

Hopefully, next time you hear from me is the celebratory post when we reach target. The alternative is... well, too horrid to think about right now. It would suck, immeasurably so, to get so close and fail.

Yours in solidarity and in hope,

Daphne Lawless

Fightback coordinating editor (Aotearoa)

Well done, everyone! With 14 days left in our campaign we are almost exactly 90% of the way there. Only $125 left to pledge (less than $10 a day!) to make sure Fightback puts out another four issues of analysis which challenges and provokes the activist Left, in Australia and in Aotearoa. We're beginning to put together the research and writing for our "Fascism and anti-fascism" issue as we speak - and, for a little taste, we'd like to introduce you to a very good article which recently came out of the United States on the issue of fascist ideas spreading among the Left. https://hummusforthought.com/2018/03/16/the-multipolar-spin-how-fascists-operationalize-left-wing-resentment/

It's noteworthy that in the last week we got (amongst others) one donation for $5, and one for $200. Of course, we're desperately grateful, and a bit humbled, by the later. But as I said last week, the former is just as important. We assume that everyone who pledges is doing what they can. As socialists, we certainly don't think the comrade pledging $200 likes us 40 times as much as the comrade pledging $5. In fact, the more $5 donations we get, the more it will show us that our base is wide. We want to know that our ideas and analysis are useful to and get buy-in from people on the edge, working people, students and beneficiaries whose need for ideas to fight with is no less than that of the academics or the "professional activism".

Simply put - if you like what Fightback is doing, and you possibly can, give us a donation, no matter how small. It's another "vote" that we're doing something right.

Will we reach our basic goal within the next seven days? Tune in next week to find out!

in solidarity

Daphne Lawless

Fightback coordinating editor (Aotearoa-based)

Dear comrades and friends!

We continue to be humbled and pleased by your commitment to Fightback's project. We are now only $NZ 390 away from guaranteeing that Fightback will be around for one more year, at least, to push radical left activist thinking forward in Australasia.

We are particularly happy that so many of you have actually pledged, not only the $50 "Card Carrying Communist" reward, but actually DOUBLE that, with a pledge of $100! Since I don't imagine we have that many millionaires following our work, to have followers who support our mission to that extent is simply breathtaking.

However, we can't assume that anyone else is still out there who is that generous or well-resourced. So I would like to particularly beg every single person reading this who values Fightback in any way - please pledge what you can, even a measly $5! Recent figures suggest that our Facebook page reached 881 people over the last month. If even 10% of those people pledged a measly $5, we would reach our goal!

I know that it's not intuitive in the second decade of the 21st century to pay for online content. But, once again, the financial question is a political question. This is the modern equivalent of Bolsheviks, Wobblies and other socialists and social democrats going down to the factories or mines to collect for the Party paper.

Fightback is not worth anything if it is a small group of slightly odd individuals talking to themselves. We don't do this for the good of our health. We are trying to build a new type of socialist movement, based around socialist ideals for the 21st century. It would be nice if some kindly donor gave us the full $1200 or $3000 in a lump sum. But that would not solve the political issue. Only lots of little donations from working people who can't spare much, but see something of value in our work, will do that. We want all of you who want a new kind of socialist movement to see Fightback as your website, your mag, your voice.

Anyway, to whet your appetite: if we do reach our goal, you have the following magazine issues to look forward to in 2018:

• Fascism and Anti-Fascism
• What is Capitalism?
• Accessibility
• Migrant work in Australia and New Zealand

Until next update.

In solidarity,

Daphne Lawless

Fightback coordinating editor (Aotearoa-based)

Comrades and friends:

This is a great start! Less than 1 week into our campaign, we've reached a total of $610 in pledges - halfway to our basic goal of making sure that Fightback can continue, as a website and an e-publication.

However, we're not there yet. And we're even further away from the $3,000 we would need to continue as a print publication. Some might say that print is old hat, unnecessary in the 21st century. But many people still prefer to read things on paper. And it's quite difficult to hand an e-publication to someone you meet on a picket line or a demonstration.

Fightback still thinks that print has a role to play. But it's all down to funding.

The other issue is that we've got some big pledges from a few comrades. And believe me, we're stupidly thankful for that! But what we'd really like to see is lots of little pledges, from workers, students, beneficiaries or carers who can't afford much but still like what Fightback is doing and want to see us keep doing it.

For that reason, we've added a new reward - for a $5 minimum contribution, you get a complimentary copy of our first issue for 2018. (Projected theme is: "Fascism and anti-fascism.")

So, if anything that Fightback has been doing over the last 6 or so years has appealed to you, excited you, challenged you, or in any other way you'd be sad to see us go... please contribute. Five measly NZ capitalist dollars would be much appreciated, if you can spare it. If you've already pledged, please forward our appeal around your circles, to anyone else you think might be interested! And if you can't spare any money, but still want to help... please let us know.

In solidarity,

Daphne Lawless

Fightback NZ-based coordinating editor