Monday, December 17, 2012

Finally Sending Out SLINGSHOTS

I am up in the Catskills at the Library. Earlier, I picked up a huge case box of my book, Slingshot to the Juggernaut. I thought I would share the letter I wrote to my readers, who bought the book and have been waiting patiently for it:

Sander Hicks
PO Box 4
Livingston Manor, NY 12758

Dear

Thanks for ordering my book “Slingshot to the Juggernaut” several months ago when I was out on the road. I apologize in the delay in getting this book to you, but it’s enclosed now. The tour was spiritually very nourishing, but it’s taken me a bit of time to get back on my feet. I have been working in carpentry and construction. Finally I have the resources to send out back orders.
I thought I would take a minute and write a letter, too, to let you know what I have been up to, since speaking in your community.
This Fall, in between carpentry gigs, I spoke at the Free University and at the Mind-Body Institute, on the subject of activism, finance, and production. I am beginning to realize that I have something new to teach, based on my experiences, and it’s not just 9/11 Truth (or how to build loft beds).
Towards the end of Slingshot, I talk about “Occupy Business School” which was a set of ideas I spoke on at Occupy Wall Street, in NYC, in the Fall of 2011. I have been building on that and fleshing it out. In Jackson, WY, on tour this summer, a friend gave me a copy of a book on how to graphically express disruptive and innovative business models. I incorporated that and other feedback into my current presentation.
I currently call this project the “Free Business School” and I have the latest version of the presentation up on my blog

Here are a couple of inspiring excerpts:

Occupy Business School is a Do-It-Yourself method, a solution to the lack of jobs, and the deadly lack of good jobs we can believe in. For those who say this is a dangerous dalliance with capitalist methods, I would say, yes, maybe. But I prefer to think of it as "revolutionizing the revolution." Rather than engage in the mental fantasy of a revolution based on violence, let's face the facts. That kind of revolution requires continued violence to protect the revolution against counter-revolution. The grand passion of 1917 creates the KGB and Stalin. A more enlightened, almost Zen method would be to forsake the clingy, seizure of power, and create a different kind of life-sharing, community-centric empowerment outside the Marxist/Imperialist debate. 

Rather than think of money, capital, entrepreneurship as a wolf that needs to be tracked to its cave and beaten to death, the role of the social entrepreneur is to think of money as a fox. Our role is to lure the fox out of its hole. Money wants to be invested, and if we can over-come our many resentments against the world of money, we can give a place for investment capital in the changing of the world. In fact, this is a good time to re-examine our thoughts on the whole nature of money.
 

You see, this is not a capitalistic cave-in, it’s a new method of revolutionary social change . It’s an attempt to forge a radical hybrid between consciousness, compassion, peace/truth activism, AND the so called “enemy” that is the larger mechanics of finance. It’s in line with my work at Vox Pop, the fair-trade coffeehouse, and my earlier work as a radical publisher/entrepreneur. I am planning a tour of the NW and West Coast for late Spring, 2012. I am bringing good people with me, and we would also be interested in coming back to your town.

The full presentation is at http://slingshottothe.blogspot.com/2012/09/occupy-business-school-free-university.html but it will probably be easier for you to just Google “sander hicks free business school” (the blog post comes up fourth.)

As you will read in Slingshot, 11 years after 9/11, I remain committed to the truth about that event. The bloody paw prints of the Bush/Cheney/Clinton/Obama State Department, CIA, US and Israeli military/intelligence apparatus are all over the event and its aftermath, for those with the moral courage to see the evidence. As we see this past week with the Newtown, CT shootings, we are daily confronted by the existence of evil, an evil so vast that it outstrips the secular, dry, rational nature of post-modern America. We need a political and spiritual over-haul. So, Merry Christmas, for real. Let’s use this time of celebration, solstice and renewal to bring out the peace-loving Nature in us all, whether we express that as Christ-Nature, or Buddha-Nature, or Truth itself. That’s what’s radical about Slingshot, it’s about 9/11 Truth, and where it takes us, philosophically, and actively.

Will I see you again? In Spring, 2013, I will be hitting the road, but this time I won’t be alone. I will tour colleges and communities with Lo Nathamundi of the Kaleidoscope Community Yoga project, and hip hop MC Steve “Crazy Monk” Olson. It will be quite an event. Hope to see you there.
Happy Reading! Keep in Touch.


Sander Hicks
845 423 9094
sealove@sanderhicks.com


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Free Business School




The Art of Social Enterprise Creation
An Interactive Talk with Sander Hicks of The Free Business School


Saturday October 27
2pm-4pm (Suggested donation $10)
The Center for Mindbody Studies
292 Fifth Ave Suite 412

We thrive when we do what we believe in. So why do we work jobs we hate?
We all have infinite creativity. So how can we learn to create artful enterprises that create jobs and value?

Come to "The Art of Social Enterprise Creation" a two hour interactive talk on how to raise money and start a productive venture that changes the world. The tools are real. The spiritual principles are revolutionary. You can burst through the membranes of your own self-imposed limits. Do it.


Sander Hicks is an award-winning social catalyst, an author, speaker, and founder of two revolutionary corporations.

CoSponsored by the Ethical Business Society

R.S.V.P. to trancepoetics@gmail.com

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Occupy Business School @ Free University


"Occupy Business School: The Art of Social Enterprise Creation"

Report and Presentation Notes from the Classes at Free University NYC, September 2012


This weekend was a breakthrough experience.

I had this insight: visualize the next Mark Zuckerberg being one of us. He's currently worth $12 billion. What if he was an occupier, who had been trained in the art of wealth creation under the rubric of a radical entrepreneur's school? This is what will happen in the future: The Occupy Business School will train 30-40 radical entrepreneurs a year. We will create kick-ass, world-changing enterprises, but also give back to the movement. The Occupy movement has the ideas, and the passion, it lacks capital. That's where we come in.

Yes, it's clearly a huge contradiction to be an activist, an  occupier, and an entrepreneur, seeking to teach a grassroots movement  the art of seducing capital and raising funds for community-empowering social ventures. Yet everyone I ran into this weekend seemed to get it.

My three "Occupy Business School" classes this weekend were well attended, and I met people who were sincere, bright, and gifted. Together, I really think we can build this thing into a powerful force.

I am going to refine the order of a few things, and flesh out the presentation, as I go here. So what you are reading is really the latest version of the presentation itself.


Intro

As the classes evolved, I strove to make the presentation more "horizontal" and democratic, and less of a traditional "lecture." So, on Saturday, we went around the circle. People introduced themselves, and explained why they were there. I learned who the group was. Many people were already running radical social ventures: a silk-screen operation, a hypno-therapy center, a factory in the Bronx, etc. We were all interested in integrating the skills of small business management with the art of social change. Some people were just observing, or dreaming, or scheming.

Originally, the intro was a stab at the "cronyist capitalist" empire we are trying to change as fast as possible. The Goldman Sachs cover-up culture, the secrecy, the political control, where both parties are behind the bailouts, and there's no political representation for the 99%, etc. Five years into the Great Recession, we are still suffering acutely from hard unemployment. The current rate is 8%, but "Real Unemployment" is far great, probably three times that.

Which is a great context in which to say:


I. This Class is the Direct Anti-Dote to Unemployment, Using Radical Methods.

Occupy Business School is a Do-It-Yourself method, a solution to the lack of jobs, and the deadly lack of good jobs we can believe in. For those who say this is a dangerous dalliance with capitalist methods, I would say, yes, maybe. But I prefer to think of it as "revolutionizing the revolution." Rather than engage in the mental fantasy of a revolution based on violence, let's face the facts. That kind of revolution requires continued violence to protect the revolution against counter-revolution. The grand passion of 1917 creates the KGB and Stalin. A more enlightened, almost Zen method would be to forsake the clingy, seizure of power, and create a different kind of life-sharing, community-centric empowerment outside the Marxist/Imperialist debate.

Rather than think of money, capital, entrepreneurship as a wolf that needs to be tracked to its cave and beaten to death, the role of the social entrepreneur is to think of money as a fox. Our role is to lure the fox out of its hole. Money wants to be invested, and if we can over-come our many resentments against the world of money, we can give a place for investment capital in the changing of the world. In fact, this is a good time to re-examine our thoughts on the whole nature of money.


II. The Nature of Money

On my recent 55 city book tour, one particularly stark example popped out that showed our pre-conceptions about money. Activists in California were meeting to discuss possibly using a new local currency in their city. But the leader of the meeting said that, among the new rules, the new local currency, would not be allowed to be lent, or invested. Money, in her view, should not be allowed to make money on itself, by itself. That is "lazy."

It's also forfeiting the game before you start.

Money is not invested out of greed. Money is invested in order to live. The rate of inflation will devalue money over time if it's not invested somewhere. This acts to our advantage. The social enterprise creator is not only setting up a place for investment capital to go, but a place that is cool, green, and interesting. You get what you attract. I know we have all had mixed experiences with money, but if you limit your reality to one based on your resentments, your life becomes toxic. So, it's in the nature of money to want to grow, and its in the nature of people to be generous. Out of these two truths comes a new paradigm: the fair trade certified businesses, the "triple-bottom-line" companies, dedicated to "people, planet, and profit."

III. The Spiritual Laws of Social Enterprise Creation

Over the course of the weekend, I developed a list of Axioms of Universal Spirituality necessary for social enterprise creation. Well maybe "necessary" is a bit domineering, but hey they sure work for me.  Let's try to discuss these here, in the wake of our discussion on the nature of money.

Note first, through, that in the same way here that we are no longer talking about capitalism as we know it, this is a spirituality light years away from the feudal God of "power and might" or a Church that thrives on patriarchy and secrets. Rather, this is a spirituality in keeping with all the Buddhas of history, all saints of all religions, the raw Jesus and his radical mentor, Mother Mary.

The Axioms:
1. We have infinite creativity. We all have a mission. We all deserve a job, but more than that - we deserve work that enlivens our spirit and makes use of our gifts.  We are all good investments. We all need to work on the articulation of our purpose. This is art, and it's a work of literature.

 2. Work that is challenging, and fun, and life-giving is the opposite of work that is soul-crushing. My original business mentor, Stuart Bagwell had a few axioms for living. One of "Bagwell's Axioms" is   "Never work a job you hate." A more positive way of phrasing this is:  We thrive when we do what we believe in.

3. You get what you give. Anger is a cup of poison. If you give anger, you get anger back. The cause of anger is often righteous, but the rage it produces is a flailing waste of energy. Better to withdraw, empty yourself of the world, or your own ego and mind, and work in a new direction.
4. If you want to help yourself, help others. Give a gift daily, as t Deepak Chopra says in the "Seven Laws of Spiritual Success." It seems like all the spiritual traditions, all the religions, point that we are made to love, not to hoard, lie and make war. This is a huge global truth. It's is a solid economic indicator for the Social Entreprise Creator in the market for capital.

5. Spirituality is a form of radical critique. The human mind is both a source of infinite creativity (aka God) but also an illusion generator. Spirituality is the process of recognizing what is illusion, and then taking steps away from that illusion. Recognizing the process is happening is as important as the process itself.

So, in that case of the California currency activist, these four spiritual axioms would be foreign to her. Her anger was guiding her, not her infinite creativity, her generosity, or her spirit.

This Free University weekend was insightful because I often came back to the theme that what we are talking about here is not academic at all. It's not theoretical, nor is it cerebral. It's a daily practice. It's turning work into a form of meditation.

Even if you are a strident Marxist or ardent anarchist, or bitter postmodernist, or whatever, once the spiritual truths above become apparent, broad revolutionary possibilities emerge. Remember, we are seeking to revolutionize the revolution. Nonviolence and Gandhian "truth-force" is the hard road, but it's in the end more fruitful. It's more difficult to sow seeds and cultivate than to pull up life from the soil. But we are dealing here in the realm of creating jobs, economic life, unleashing creativity, and engaging in the process of good old "doing" rather than mere critiquing.

Practicing these spiritual truths, and going beyond anger and resentments leads to a huge paradigm shift. In time,  it's possible for radicals to see something as huge as the stock market not as this terrible monster, but a place where the people who have created cool ventures and many jobs get some love back for all the love they have given. An "IPO" or an "initial public offering" is an explosive event where the original founders and original investors in a venture get to finally see some liquid energy for all the hard work and suffering they have put it. And remember, the model I am describing in this presentation presumes that we are no longer talking about capitalism as we know it. The wealth I am talking about generating will be contractually obligated to be "paid forward." Imagine the 30-40 new Mark Zuckerbergs who we create, paying back one half of the $12 billion they create, to the movement for peace, truth and transparency. Or imagine them paying it forward and starting Occupy Business Schools of their own. One to two to four to sixteen. This is the rate of revolutionary wealth sharing and social venture seeding I am talking about. One Johnny Appleseed starts two who start four who start sixteen Johnny Applesseds. The revolutionary possibilities here are intense. What is 16 squared? 256. Square that, and you have 65, 536. Imagine 65, 536 new social enterprise creators creating jobs, creating meaningful work, creating wealth, and paying it forward.


IV. Valuation

In the original draft of the presentation I made reference to "valuation" a number of times, but I am going to give it it's own section here. The presentation at this point begins to build Social Enterprise models, and business plans. In the live version, we are getting closer to the more interactive part of the presentation, with the group. We have laid out some spiritual and philosophical foundations and now we can build the house.

But there's something I want to say about valuation first. Valuation is itself a powerful tool, and it's also something of a spiritual principle, too, in a way, ha ha! What we are talking about here is the value that the owners of a venture set on the venture. So if you have started a fair trade coffee house business, and want to sell 0.1 % of it to the best friend of your rich aunt, you have to first figure out what 100% of it is worth. That's valuation.

It becomes even more important if you are seeking larger investment. Let's say the coffee business has been viable and profitable for a couple years, and you are ready for a major venture capital investment. The VC people will want 49% of the business, for a valuation that will be lower than what you the owner set. That's natural. A middle ground has to be found.

In your favor is the "multiple." It's a form of magic in valuations, quite frankly. Yet, it's used all the time in business. One traditional way to value a business is by its yearly revenue. Let's say the coffee business is doing $500K a year. That would be what that company is worth: $500,000.  At least, in the old model. The multiple works in the favor of the Social Enterprise Creator. If a venture is about to grow, or, let's say, it's on the verge of being able to be franchised, then the valuation would be $500K times a multiple of seven! It may sound arbitrary, but seven is the traditionatl multiple on businesses about to franchise. And that means that your $500K coffeehouse business could be said to be worth $3.5 million. At least.

Valuation is very exciting. It's a mix of subjective and objective factors, there is plenty of old fashioned accounting here, and plenty of emotional, touchy-feely, "brand" and "customer experience" factors swirled into the mix. I never really "got" the basics of valuation until I was running Vox Pop, my second company.

Creating a social enterprise means creating value. You are helping a community, and creating good jobs. The founders often don't get paid in the first couple of years. But what that social enterprise is doing is making itself more valuable, the more it grows. So the founders, and all workers who are owners, own something that is going up in value. How you express that is called valuation. Harnessing the energy of valuation is a powerful tool, it's the Philosopher's Stone of social enterprise creation.


V. Politics, Art and Literature

Social Enterprise Creation is a new form of artwork. A well run business is a three dimensional installation, an organic machine, a living sculpture, using reality as the medium.

Any political concerns can be incorporated into the practice itself. There is no limit based on preconceptions of ventures or corporations that have come before. If you want it to be a union shop, write it into the bylaws. If you want a profit-sharing arrangement between all workers, write that as a procedure. It's all about what the shareholders of the entity want to create. This is the time to practice what you preach. It's time for politics to be refined in the crucible of reality.

The act of writing it out is the first step towards going from idea to reality.  Start with the mission of your venture. What makes it different? What are the values, and how are they practiced? What is the manifesto? Make it big and grand, you can refine it later. Aim for the stars. A new world is at stake.

Who are your customers, and what is your philosophy about how you understand and serve their needs? What are the procedures you use on a daily basis to operate this venture?

So many things need to be written, the act of social enterprise creation is an act of literature. But literature in three dimensions.

Here's a specific example of how I made politics, art and literature a part of the venture at Vox Pop. We had a writer's group meeting every Tuesday in the cafe. I attended a couple times and suggested to them that we start a publication. Out of those meetings we started the New York Megaphone newspaper. We printed 50,000, ran deep investigative journalism on local and national stories, and provided a big opportunity for more people to know about the Vox Pop venture. Our sales went up 45% in one year.


VI. Enterprise Modeling

Speaking of art, the next part of the presentation is an interactive exercise that will visually provide great insights into the components of participants actual or future business models.

I am indebted to Shawn Cooper, a snowboarder and entrepreneur in Jackson, Wyoming, who gave me this tool while I was on my last speaking tour. He handed me his copy of "Business Model Generation" which is all about the "Business Model canvas." I.e. this:


 In the same way that the left brain (logic) and the right brain (emotion) act in concert in the human person, the corporation, and the social enterprise venture, contain both. This model shows how. On the left are the foundational relationships of the enterprise model: the key partnerships, the key resources, and the key activities. In the center is the value proposition, the gift that is offered to the world. On the right, are the big emotional realties, the big love: the customer relationships, the customers themselves (described by types, or segments), and the channels of distribution. In the bottom line department, you have costs on the left, revenues on the right. Put them all together, and you have your viable organic machine, your social venture.

What you should do it print this out, get your team together with a pack of post-its and sharpies, and fill in the blanks. Blow up the model onto huge paper, or draw it out on a white board. Use post-its and sharpies to keep concepts short and sweet - one or two words.

I myself found it useful to do so for my own venture, my ideas for an alternative business school. By unpacking the venture, and examining its components, often times we think of other components that can be added. To be specific, at first I thought that only main Revenue Stream would be tuition. But as the model grew, I also added "sales of publications, subscriptions, equity in ventures we help create, head-hunter fees for talent we help to get hired.

 I also found it helpful to show people the Apple iTunes business model canvas, to show how a successful business model works.




 VII. Closing the Deal: Raising Money with Joy


Once you have the business model, and the acts of literature that become the business plan, you are ready to raise money.

We all know people with money. Money surrounds us. We often just haven't trained ourselves to see it.

Here are some simple steps to take to go get it.

1. Silence the VOJ. We all have a "voice of judgement" in our heads. It's a voice from our own inner hell, the voice of bad teachers, or parents in a bad mood, a voice that says "this will never work, don't try that, people will laugh at you." True artists overcome their voice of judgement. You acknowledge it when it's speaking, and you let it pass behind you.

2. Put a lot of unique energy into creating your model and your plan. To Julie at the Occupy Silk Screening project, I suggested that she and her team create a business plan that is printed using silk screens. She loved that idea.

3. Visual Art! It's your job to make it visual. Use icons, and symbols. Hire an artist, or find one in your circle. A simple ten page version of a "slide deck" is often what big investors are willing to look at, a summary of your venture, that is limited to bullet points and key information. Want a sample? Here is a PDF of a slide deck I created while head of Vox Pop.

4. Make an offer. Once you have your valuation, you have a sense of what you can offer to friends and family investors, and later, larger investors.

5. List your contacts. Write it out. Contact them. Every "no" is one step closer to a "yes." Who do they know who might be interested?

6. Close. Drive to the hoop.

VIII. Final Remarks

Having done two corporations myself, I know that it's not easy. In fact, this task is Promethean, it's titanic. It requires all you have, and more. The rate of failure is daunting, yes, but failure is also an excellent teacher. So I'm not spending too much time here on the odds.

Rather than look at what might happen, let's look at what must happen. We have a world to win, a planet to heal, a badly damaged democracy and economy that needs  bright revolutionary activity. Social enterprise creation can help make that task a daily practice for you.

I asked everyone who attended this presentation to sign my contact sheet. Anyone online who has enjoyed reading this, please stay in contact with me. I will be growing the Occupy Business School network, and possibly starting an actual alternative college, called the Elias Hicks School.

The new Google Group for the Occupy Business School network is here. Stay in touch!









Thursday, September 20, 2012

Sander at Free University!



This Weekend! Sander Hicks teaches a class at the Free University of New York: "Occupy Business School: The Art of Social Enterprise Creation." Madison Square Park, (Exact Location in the Park: "Location S" which is the West side, near Dog Run, see map.)

Three sessions, starting TODAY Thursday, September 20, from 5-7 PM, same time Friday, 5-7 PM, and then on Saturday, from 10 AM - 12 noon. Free.


Course Description:

Running a social enterprise (AKA a progressive business) gives you an opportunity to make revolutionary, ethical, creative, productive activity a daily practice. You can liberate yourself from working a job you hate.
If you really want to zap the murky and mysterious problem of how financial power controls political power in this country, then study how money and the economy works, and learn to run your own enterprise, either a non-profit or community business. 

We can replace the old financial institutions in this country with ones that work, are empowering, and life-giving. In a practical, democratic seminar-style class, we will cover Enterprise Models, business plan writing, and the philosophy of money, as influenced by various radical strains such as zen, radical Christianity, anarchism and the ongoing struggle for democracy in America.

My name is Sander. I am a writer and a speaker. I have been a guest lecturer at some of the USA’s top universities. But what I’m best known for is starting two cool companies, Soft Skull Press and Vox Pop Inc. 



More Info: 
Earlier Blog Post, developing this idea this Summer:


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Elias Hicks School

More Thoughts on the Elias Hicks School 

Here are some updates from me on this exciting new project.

You see, during the 55 city tour I kept working on this idea, or these ideas kept coming to me, kind of a mix of both. Why not start an experimental college that is both spiritual and economic, that is dedicated to teaching people to transform the world, but do it using entrepreneurial, creative, revolutionary, nonviolent tools?

So, I had a good conversation yesterday with Jerry Mintz of AERO, the Alternative Education Resource Organization. Jerry teaches online classes that teach people how to start new schools. I'm planning on taking his class, starting in October.




Also, this Summer on tour I read "Black Mountain: An Experiment in Community" by Martin Duberman. I reviewed the book for Amazon, here. 



A sample of that review:

The best part of the book is the first third, the Black Mountain community was at its strongest. Spontaneous concerts were given on pianos scattered around the campus. People were painting and drawing all the time, led by star teacher Joseph Albers (a strong disciplinarian, formerly of the Bauhaus). People new to the theatre were pulled into doing plays - theatre was almost a cultural requirement. It was widely acknowledged that doing theatre helped people grow. This College was an immersion in constant intellectual stimulation, not a retreat, not a party. It was a place of real practical knowledge, a place of beauty and wisdom taking on human flesh. It was an important step forward.

I would also like to point out that in my previous blog post about this topic, the best material comes in the dialogue I had with people in the comments. To Kevin Barrett, I said,

I think we could create a wildly nonconformist new culture of innovative and life-giving enterprise. You see, I am not trying to get a job in an established university, and I am not trying to train people to have a certified official MBA. I do know that I can train people to change their thinking about money, and the role of business and production in the peace & truth revolution. An MBA is expensive, it saddles the student with debt, and the student becomes forced to work for a mega-corporation or mega-financial institution, just to service that debt. But a school that dared to step outside the system, and yet teach the same skills, would create a whole new generation of venture creators: ones who could afford to pay it forward. We need to create situations by where people have the power and ability to be more generous.







Wednesday, August 1, 2012

William Pepper's Statement to the 9/11 Truth Movement

I am writing this from the home of James Hufferd, Ph.D. Hufferd is a national treasure - he's the coordinator of the "9/11 Grassroots Organizers" list and runs an active local 9/11 group here in Central Iowa. He was eager to show me the latest open letter he solicited from attorney William Pepper, to the 9/11 Truth Movement.

Pepper is author of Act of State which is an expose of the US Government's involvement in the assassination of Martin Luther King. King was friendly with Pepper, and Act of State is written with passion and solid research. As an attorney, Pepper won a jury trial on behalf of the King family that proved their was a conspiracy to kill MLK.  
As James Hufferd bloged, "Pepper has represented Sirhan Sirhan and other high-profile political accusees ....and was active in the NYC CAN case. He authored this statement, providing a focus and recommendation for the 911 Truth movement, on request."
Stay tuned, I will try to interview Pepper for this blog, based on the hopeful statements made below.

Attorney William Pepper's 

"SIDELINES VIEW OF THE STATUS OF THE 911 TRUTH MOVEMENT"
 As one who has supported and followed the 911 Truth Movement, largely from the sidelines I have been asked to submit some observations about the current status and potential future direction of the effort. As a result of my detachment from the ongoing activities, thus being unaware of events in various areas of the country, I am not at all clear that my views may be as relevant as those of others who have been more closely involved.
At the outset, allow me to express my respect and admiration for the many individuals –architects, engineers, lawyers, theologians, educators, researchers, documentarians and other professionals, along with victims’ family members, former military officials and ordinary citizens who have kept the search for the truth alive for over a decade. Their tenacious commitment is precisely what is required of citizens of a Republic when it faces governmental obstruction manifested in the blatant refusal to provide answers to questions and issues ignored by the official investigation.
One of the difficulties that this, and any other such Movement faces is the fact that its member/activists have often greatly differing degrees of political awareness. This is bound to affect policy and practice. The process of radicalization of committed activists is a gradual one and results in some individuals seeing the events of 911 as a single issue rather than being a part of an ongoing multi faceted effort to exercise control over the lives of the citizens and the fruits of the earth’s natural resources earmarked for the profitable use by the few. In this respect, an alliance with the Occupy Movement is long overdue. I know that sections of that Movement (which itself is suffering from fragmentation and loss of direction, as well as infiltration and subversion – the latter may also be considered by the 911 Movement) have had an ongoing interest in the events of 911.
My sense also is that the Movement could benefit from a more unified approach and that the many activities which are going on need a coordinated public relations presence. Mainstream media will continue to ignore these efforts and fragmentation aids and abets public ignorance. When one becomes aware that the left/liberal or more progressive media also has been co-opted and that some of the more illustrious commentators have become gatekeepers, the problem is clearly compounded. This reality needs to be addressed by some in the Movement who have media experience.
At the end of the day, I believe that the forces of power are simply waiting out the 911 Truth Movement, and that all of the books, articles and documentaries will become part of the dust heap of history. That would be a tragic end of this significant effort.
I have long believed that the memorialization of all of the good work and factual revelations would only be historically perpetuated and possibly result in justice for the families of victims through the commencement of a well planned legal action brought in a viable Federal District Court Jurisdiction. The cost would be enormous; the results, probably worth every penny.
With respect to all those who have previously tried to go this route, the efforts have been flawed, in one way or another. The experience is a valuable teacher. I believe that critical witnesses are still available and that the evidence has continued to be developed. I hope that these thoughts, or some of them, may be of use to the Movement and the very special individuals who have kept it alive. I am humbled by their struggle.
W.F. Pepper
Biography from WilliamPepper.com:

Dr. William F. Pepper

William Francis Pepper is a barrister in the United Kingdom and admitted to the bar in numerous jurisdictions in the United States of America. His primary work is international commercial law. He has represented governments in the Middle East, Africa, South America, and Asia. Today, Pepper represents Sirhan Sirhan, the gunman convicted in the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in June 1968.

Bill Pepper was a friend of Martin Luther King in the last year of his life. Some years after King's death, Bill Pepper went on to represent James Earl Ray in his guilty plea, and subsequent conviction. Pepper believes that Ray was framed by the federal government and that King was killed by a conspiracy that involved the FBI, the CIA, the military, the Memphis police and organized crime figures from New Orleans and Memphis. He later represented James Earl Ray in a televised mock trial in an attempt to get Ray the trial that he never had.

He then represented the King family in a wrongful death civil trial, King family vs. Loyd Jowers and "other unknown co-conspirators." During a trial that lasted four weeks Bill produced over seventy witnesses. Jowers, testifying by deposition, stated that James Earl Ray was a scapegoat, and not involved in the assassination. Jowers testified that Memphis police officer Earl Clark fired the fatal shots. On December 8, 1999, the Memphis jury found Jowers responsible and found that the assassination plot included also "governmental agencies." The jury took less than an hour to find in favor of the King family for the requested sum of $100.

William Pepper is heavily involved in Human Rights Law, for a time convening the International Human Rights Seminar at Oxford University, during which time individuals such as Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela, accepted invitations to address the seminar. He lives in the US currently -not primarily- but travels frequently to England.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012



The tour has taken a very spiritual turn over these past 10 weeks. I did zen on top of a mountain in Colorado. I came down and found my friend Dan threatened by a rattlesnake. Together we took him out.

Both the meditation and the snake were moments of sincere clarity. This snake's head kept moving, his jaw clenching, his eye silently cursing me, like a monster dying slowly.


Aug 1 - Hicks in MADISON WI

Last time I was in Madison, the people took over the State Capitol - the first Occupation! What will happen next?

from Kevin Barrett's blog:

Sander Hicks in Madison Wednesday, August 1st, 8:30 p.m., The Weary Traveler, 1201 Williamson St.


"Sander will speak about the book, read it, sign it, answer questions, sing songs about it, listen to people share about their lives. At some gigs, where appropriate, he will lead a group meditation or visualization for world peace. Sander will also be traveling with an acoustic guitar, playing a few of his new indie punk/folk tunes."

Plus - anyone who arrives by 8:30 gets a FREE copy of Sander's earlier 9/11 truth masterpiece The Big Wedding (reviewed by Kevin Barrett at http://www.mujca.com/sanderhicksreview.htm )
 
 

Aug 2: Hicks and Bergman in Chicago



Bill Bergman was fired from the Fed when he wouldn't be silent about the spike in US currency outflows, right before 9/11. His insight and analysis further proves 9/11 was not a surprise, for those in the know:

http://911blogger.com/news/2012-07-16/mysterious-currency-transfers-9-11






Friday, July 27, 2012

Back in Iowa! July 31

What a nice email from one of the best national organizers of the 9/11 Truth Movement.....you can tell from his writing style, this guy has great spirit.

From: James Hufferd <911grassroots@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Jul 24, 2012 at 7:32 PM
Subject: 911 Truth visit by Sander Hicks
To: James Hufferd <911grassroots@gmail.com>


Hello Everyone!
 
Lots is happening in the 911 Truth movement, in terms of discussing the catastrophic events, what actually happened, what constitutes irrefutable evidence of inside involvement, and sharing that information with the public. One of our fellow Truthers who lives near Ground Zero and has been investigating 9/11 and spreading the word almost since Day 1 is Sander Hicks, an activist and author from NYC. Sander was here and talked with us, and informed a lot of us about a lot we didn't know, and made many friends,, back in February of 2011. He's going to pay us another visit and speak with us again next Tuesday, July 31, at 7:00 p.m. at Adel Public Library. I hope all of you will come, pack the place, to greet and learn from him again. This is a rare opportunity for us to connect with a knowledgeable spokesman of a segment of our community "near the action" So, please come and avail yourself and enjoy what promises to be a very special evening -- and bring a friend! If you have any questions, give me a call.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Aug 4: Sander at Boxcar Books

I thought this was an eloquent description of my life and work. And for once, I didn't even write it.. My new friends in Bloomington Indiana wrote this for the upcoming Aug 4 gig there....

The 9/11 Working Group is pleased to invite author and activist Sander Hicks to Boxcar Books, 408 East 6th Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47408, Saturday, August 4th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm to discuss his latest book – Slingshot to the Juggernaut, Total Resistance to the Death Machine Means Complete Love of the Truth. 
The book covers a range of topics dealing with issues of peace, nonviolence, spiritualism, 9/11 truth, and the Occupy Movement.
Sander Hicks first achieved national prominence in 2000 with his publication of J. H. Hatfield’s book Fortunate Son. The book originally was to have been published by St. Martin’s Press. It was recalled by the publisher following pressure from Bush family operatives in the lead up to the 2000 presidential race. In Nazi-like fashion, 25,000 copies of the book were burned. Fortunately, for Fortunate Son, Sander Hicks’s newly formed publishing company, Soft Skull Press, rescued the book from oblivion.
The book revealed, among other things, George W. Bush’s 1972 cocaine arrest and conviction that Bush Senior would get expunged from the record in return for community service from Junior. Fortunate Son’s author would later die allegedly by suicide, under suspicious circumstances shortly before 9/11. Was he silenced because he knew too much about the Bush Family’s connections to Osama bin Laden?
Sander’s first book dealing with 9/11 was in 2005 with publication of The Big Wedding. Since then he has written numerous articles for numerous publications such as Alternet, GNN, Long Island Press, New York Press, and Catholic Worker.
Perhaps his greatest contribution to the field of 9/11 research has been his relentless investigation and expose concerning the mysterious death of 9/11 witness, Dr. David Graham. Dr. Graham had met two of the 9/11 hijackers in Shreveport, Louisiana one year before the attacks of September 11th, 2001. Concerned with their suspicious behavior and fearing that they might be planning sabotage at nearby Barksdale Air Force base, a nuclear armed facility, he had reported his sighting to the FBI and Secret Service, only to be rebuffed by both agencies. Later, after 9/11, when he recognized the pictures of two of the hijackers he had met, he contacted the FBI, Justice Department and members of Congress and told them about what he had seen. Strangely, no one in authority seemed interested in what he had to say. The FBI agents with whom he spoke even intimated that if he persisted in publishing a book about what he had seen, it might be harmful to his health.
Before he got a chance, he was poisoned with ethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient in anti-freeze, while traveling through East Texas. As with J. H. Hatfield, the authorities ruled his death a suicide. Had he too paid the ultimate price for attempting to tell the truth?
Sander will be talking about these and other matters concerning peace, nonviolence, spiritualism, and the Occupy Movement and what we can do to reclaim our society. We hope you will join us. Attached is a flyer for the event.
For more information about Sander Hicks, visit his website: http://www.sanderhicks.com/
Bob Baldwin

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The Elias Hicks School of Business

The Elias Hicks School of Business

A practical education in modern production

With a revolutionary political and spiritual foundation.



This is a draft of a business plan for what I am starting next.

Even though I am on a 90 day book tour, this is actually very much a part of the ideas and practices that are in my book and tour.

As background, you may want to start with the Occupy Business School video, which I produced, and had professionally edited. It's a short and sweet 10 minute intro to some of my ideas on the radical use of business-ventures. You also get to see me sing a little Simon and Garfunkl, too.

 

The current speaking tour has helped me to realize something simple, but wonderfully plain. I love to speak, to lead group discussions, to teach. It's something I am good at. My Aquarian nature makes me want to do many things, and sometimes it's a bit of a challenge to focus. Speaking in public is something that unites the diverse talents I have.

So, I have come to the point where I want to allow myself to enjoy public speaking, and take it to the next level. I liked speaking at Occupy Wall Street, and at the groups of 10-20 people on this tour. But it's time to make the message more universal, and the audience bigger. I once saw Tony Robbins (author of "Unlimited Power") speak and I took away some lessons from that experience. I mean, overall it was rather shallow, ego-individualist philosophy, and I walked out. But I did like the theatricality and the showmanship that he used. There was music used to fire up the crowd. It makes me think my friends in the NY theatre world and I could collaborate on making something wonderful out of the skills and presentation discussed in this proposal.

Instead of Tony Robbins' gospel, we need a new message: Enlightenment Economics. Entrepreneurial Empowerment. The Holistic Business School, a new kind of practical education with a revolutionary political and spiritual foundation. It's not just about "personal development" it's about doing that personal development while simultaneously working on social development. This mimics the future of capitalism: a social capitalism that can help to solve the problems of class exploitation, environmental ravagement, and justice.

Zen teaches us to collapse the duality. Even Jesus seems to mention this in the suppressed Gospel of Thomas. We break through to the other side when we collapse the duality between social solidarity and individual entrepreneurship. I have seen both sides: the righteous resistance to the evils of imperialist capitalism: the wars, violence and deception. But there's also something life-giving and innovative about the entrepreneurial energy that creates, raises money, and creates jobs.

You could go so far as to say we are working here in the realm of collapsing the duality between God and human, or at least crossing the line that is too often drawn, in our minds. Intense regular meditation on this tour has lead me (or I have been drawn to) a point where I find that communion with God (with Being, with Source) is still possible. In fact, it's the best place we can be. A higher communion with the truth is the goal, here, total self fulfillment comes in living the life you want, creating the job you want. I can teach this. God willing.

There are a set of assumptions that I will use:

 1. There is capital out there. "Knock and the door shall be opened." There is discretionary capital - money that can be invested - among everyone's social circles. You have to ask for it, though. We all know people with money. Money needs to be put to work. It needs to grow, spread out and risked in different ways.

2. Capital and credit also need to be radically transformed. It needs to be easier to get funding if you are a social entrepreneur. But #2 here is going to have to wait. The path of #1 is more immediately possible, and is immediately teachable. But for more on #2 see my ideas on Public Interest Venture Capital, in my book, or here on Alternet.



 
What Can I Offer:

  • I can offer classes in progressive, social entrepreneurship. Classes held via online video, live chat, phone, and in-person, to develop radical social ventures across the US and Canada.

  •  Personal Counseling: Part of the package I offer could be a personal phone call, once a week.

  • Online Classses: Once a week for three months, with a group.

  • Business Plan Models: you come out in three months with a business plan and a slide deck.

  • Legal Documents. I could work with a good attorney to help prepare the legal instruments you need to formally start a corporation, non-profit, or a co-operative.

  • Financing, Scholarships, and Potential Partnerships: We are building a network here, as much as a business. My own goal here should be clear to all at the outset. I am out to build a network, but not to perpetuate the same old cronyist capitalist nightmare. We need a Joseph Schumpeter-sized tsunami of creative destruction to sweep away the Goldman Sachs Halliburton Bush Obama superstructure. Instead of that which kills and lies, we need a Truth Party, and a Truth Party Business Network, and a Holistic Business School.

  • So for potential entrepreneurs who can't afford my class, we can offer scholarships, and financing, and even potential partnerships - the way that a venture capital firm will provide resources in exchange for a percentage of equity. We can use deal-making as an instrument of social revolution.

THE PROGRAM:
Potential Customers should know that

You Come Out in Three Months With:

1. Your business plan.
2. Your "slide deck" which is a graphic summary of the business plan.
3. Your corporation, created with sound legal documents.
4. A set of goals to define, start and grow your enterprise.
5. A set of living principles to define, and continue to practice, and refine your dedication to the project.
6. Momentum and confidence to raise money.
7. The choice to be in our growing network. As we grow, our funding options to entrepreneurs will also grow.
I have a list of things I need to research further at this point. But the most important for this typed version is that I need to research other new models: Mondragon, and Grameen Bank are two models that come to mind. I have read the book on Grameen, Price of a Dream. I have ideas about reaching out to sober people in AA, and use the social network of AA as a form of collateral. In a USA that has suffered four years of Great Recession, I realize that many of us have no collateral. But Grameen Bank shows how to lend to the poor without using collateral. Instead, they use community, regular meetings, and fellowship. Social bonds are an asset that are more powerful than assets and collateral.

 I also made this short list of some of the skills to be taught. It's also a few more notes on the topics and the philosophical underpinnings of this project:

Market:

Our market for this project is:

Young people in their 20's
People in their 30's
College students
Recent College grads
People disgusted with their first jobs
People looking to change careers
The unemployed
Skills to be Taught:

1. Fund-raising
2. Communication
3. Leadership
4. Crash Course: in the wisdom of the world's great religions. And why they are important to the future of your venture.
5. Crash Course: in politics and current events (the current crisis of capitalism) and why knowing this material is essential to the future of your venture, and your LIFE.




Friday, June 29, 2012

Join me on Truth Jihad Radio! with Kevin Barrett - today at 3 PM CST, 3 PM EST. http://ping.fm/9N0lS

Sander On Truth Jihad!!!!


Hi Folks! I am on the radio today - back again with the incendiary, passionate, fun, funny, and deadly serious Kevin Barrett!!!!


Truth Jihad Radio Fri. 6/29/12, 3-5 pm Central, American Freedom Radio (archived here.)

http://www.americanfreedomradio.com/

Kevin is a big fan of my new book.....How's THIS for a bit of quotable praise:

Sander Hicks is a national treasure. He is a first-rate writer, investigative journalist, public speaker, organizer, and general all-around trouble-maker. And his deepening maturity and spirituality are adding more and more gravitas to his work all the time. Buy this book and spread it around.

Read the WHOLE post from Kevin, HERE:


http://truthjihadradio.blogspot.com/2012/06/sander-hicks-picks-up-slingshot.html


OK, I can't resist.....Here's another MEATY quote:

The book weaves together Sander's experiences and reflections on the 9/11 truth movement with a wealth of 9/11-related information (much of it uncovered through Sander's own investigative journalism), making "an important transition from 9/11 analysis to a broader worldview, both political and spiritual." (p. 202)

The chapter on the anthrax attacks is the best short summary of the case in print, while Sander's investigative work on the FBI's apparent murder of 9/11 whistleblower Dr. David Graham is extremely compelling. Likewise, his discussion of attorney William Veale's experiences bringing April Gallop's lawsuit against Bush Administration officials for perpetrating the 9/11 attacks - and finding himself in the courtroom of Judge John Walker, Bush's cousin, who refused to recuse himself - is essential reading. All in all, it has an approachable style and presents a damning array of facts. This is a better book than my own Truth Jihad to offer the uninitiated. (Unless they have a weird sense of humor or are especially interested in Islam and Muslims, in which case Truth Jihad is perfect for them.)

Unlike most 9/11 books, this one offers a solution: The Truth Party. Feel free to join - I have!

--

Sander Hicks
http://www.sanderhicks.com
Cell: 845 423 9094




Wednesday, June 27, 2012

My Letter from San Antonio Texas, from the middle of a HEAT WAVE! http://ping.fm/9Iat7

Letter from San Antone

Hi Friends,

The Stoic Philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote that the idea way to respond to any adversity is to say, "Ah ha! Good. This is exactly what I needed right now." So, we have been travelling through 104 degree heat in a Central Texas heat wave. Record-breaking heat. Hot winds out on the highway. A heat that seems criminal. And yet, it's exactly what I need right now. It's burning the toxins out of my system. I have been meditating every day. Communion with God is still possible.

On that note, here are some updates from me, about this national book tour.

I recently published an interview with fellow activist Alissa in Flagstaff, in anticipation of a gig there in Sundara Cafe on July 1 -
http://slingshottothe.blogspot.com/2012/06/two-activists-two-questions.html

I put up info on new gigs in Portland, Seattle, Bloomington, Indiana, and other cities, here:
http://www.sanderhicks.com/tourdates.html

I even sold a batch of songs! Check out music at
http://sanderhicks.bandcamp.com/
I will play for you live if you come to a tour gig and ask. Thus far, though, most of the gigs have been speaking gigs.

OK, I am now going back out into the 105 degree heat wave to vibe with the waves of hot Texas air. I love it. I love touring. Texas has been great - big thanks to Chuck in San Antonion, Harlan in Austin, and Ken in Houston. BIG BIG THanks to Randall Mach who came out to the Smithville Texas state highway where we were broke down, and towed us in using a sailing rope and his Dodge Caravan.....we fixed the coil and were ready to rock.



--

Sander Hicks
http://www.sanderhicks.com
Cell: 845 423 9094




Saturday, June 23, 2012

Flagstafftivism! How cool the multi faceted activist scene in Flagstaff in Arizona is. My interview with Alissa....http://ping.fm/KXsmy

Two Activists, Two Questions

I am fired up about my July 1 evening book event/discussion with the activists in Flagstaff AZ. Just from a few phone calls and emails, I get the sense that the scene in Flag is intensely alive: Native American activism, AE911truth, Marx reading groups, Pine Pride marches, and a new boutique cafe called Sundara (which is hosting us all on July 1).  

Sundara is so snazzy - here is a picture of it!

 

 When I met organizer Alissa on the phone, she spoke of the recently deceased activist professor Joel Olson, and the Repeal Coalition.....and I thought the whole world should know about this stuff. So here is a quick interview- two questions for Alissa from me, and then vice versa, Alissa asks me a couple.

 Sander: So, tell me more about the Repeal Coalition?

Alissa: The Repeal Coalition is an organization committed to repealing over 60 anti-immigrant laws and bills that have been passed or considered by Arizona politicians in the last few years. This organization demands the repeal of all laws - federal, state, and local  - that degrade and discriminate against undocumented individuals and that deny US citizens their lawful rights. They demand that all US citizens - with papers or without - be guaranteed access to work, housing, healthcare, education, legal protection, and other public benefits, as well as the right to organize.  Their strategy is to build a grass roots organization that can repeal these laws, change the national debate on immigration, and expand the freedom of all people. The repeal coalition is dedicated to the idea that every one should have the right to live, love, and work wherever they choose. In my opinion, this is the type of issue that is directly related to the fall-out after 9/11, when the culture of xenophobia really exploded. For some reason (maybe our close location to the US/Mexico border) Arizona has jumped on the xenophobia band wagon with extreme zeal - we've struggled with SB1070, which has made national news and ignited heated debates throughout the country, our state, and even the world. Sheriff Joe Arpaio and others have led the way in enforcing these racist laws, and subsequently our state has been bitterly divided between those who support such heinous and hateful policies and those who think there has to be a better way to live together in harmony.

Sander: Who was Joel Olson?

Alissa: Dr. Joel Olson was a tenured professor at Northern Arizona Univerity and a beloved member of the Flagstaff community. He worked tirelessly with the Repeal Coalition most recently, and in his past was dedicated to such groups as Cop Watch - which he founded in Phoenix. He was a punk rocker in his younger years and a radical thinker his whole life. At NAU he was a member of the of the Political Science department and taught classes on Marx and Race Theory, among other topics. He was a great inspiration to his students and almost every one he met; his luminous personality, radical viewpoints, and benevolent intentions won the hearts of those who had the opportunity to hear him speak even once. His death was sudden, shocking, and devastating to his family and our community. At his public memorial the Repeal Coalition and other community members marched through downtown Flagstaff in his honor and came together to agree that the best way to honor Joel's memory is to continue the good work to which he was so selflessly devoted.



Alissa: Here are a couple for you. Ideally, what do you want to see happen, politically, in the US in the next decade?     

Sander: Ideally, a huge wave of common sense, a big paradigm shift, happens, in which we suddenly all have an "Ah Ha" moment as a society - we begin to realize that the wasteful expenditures of all our national treasure on war, on bailouts, on the culture of violence and secrecy are immoral, and flat out impractical. We may have to get there through a painful crisis, kind of like the one that we are in right at this very moment. We are soaking in it! But my message is that the pain and suffering can be cleansing, can be shattering, and out of the death, comes new life.  

Alissa: What is the most profound moment you've had in the context of 9/11 research and activism?      

Sander: Well, I am writing you from the Library in Shreveport, Louisiana, where in 2007 I confronted an FBI agent, Steve Hayes. He was literally vibrating with rage, barely suppressed. He had been involved in the meetings, suppression and eventual silencing of 9/11 martyr Dr. David Graham. At that moment, I realized just how desperate the US Federal War Machine was to cover up the truth about 9/11. They are desperate enough to kill patriots and peace makers who naturally stood up for decent simple virtures like honesty and truth.

Friday, June 22, 2012

Updated Tour Schedule: Final Stretch.

OK - here are the final two weeks or so of the tour.....
The Madison, Iowa, Bloomington, and Chicago gigs are detailed at the home page of the blog, here.

<>
AUGUST1-AugWednesdayMadison, WIEvent with Kevin Barrett and withJim Fetzer
AUGUST2ThursdayChicago, ILProduced by Ben Strawbridge, More Info here.With: Bill Bergman
AUGUST3Friday


AUGUST4Saturday, 7 PMBloomingtonBoxcar Books
More info here, in eloquent form.
AUGUST7TuesdayWashington, DCBusboys and Poets! Big Event!
AUGUST8WedCharlottesville, VARandom Row Books
auGUST9ThursdayPhiladelphia, PAROBiN BOOKS



Sunday, June 17, 2012

Inspiring bits of prose from the book tour, + report @ NEW BRAKES ON VAN fund is at....Please Support. http://ping.fm/LTC3e
Hey There! THANKS to the people who donated to the Get New Brakes on the Book Tour Van Fund....we have raised $80 thus far. We are on our way. People are donating directly via PayPal, but if you want to use a card, you can use this blog post with the ChipIn widget and it will go directly to me.

We had a great gig with activists from Georgia and Chattanooga, TN last night here in Atlanta. Onto Sarasota, FL today. Here are some inspiring things I got via email recently, hope you can be fired up by this and help donate any amount to this campaign.

This is something everyone should read, written by my friend James in Iowa:

What Does and Doesn’t Lead to Truth?
by James Hufferd, Ph.D.                                                                                                                        Coordinator, 911 Truth Grassroots Organization
----------
     In America’s creed (the commonly-acclaimed beliefs or preferences that distinguish us as Americans – in our own minds), there are five tenets. (See my e-book on Amazon.com entitled Troublesome Country. I know this sounds shameless, but read it! Read it! Much pertains to 911 Truth and will astound.)
     The five tenets of America’s creed are: 1) The people should control the government. (In practice, a sham: In practice, what the people want means nothing). 2) The government shouldn’t control the people. (The government/establishment-controlled media in fact controls the public’s thinking), 3) All people are created equal. (Laws prod and punish the poor and weak by design; the powerful are abetted, and in practice exempted, and subsidized), 4) Liberty and justice for all (i.e., due process, to be routinely and invariably applied for all crimes whatsoever), 5) National and personal independence (Our abundance ought to permit us all to provide well for ourselves). The fact is, if we would but practice and really insist upon these five tenets we all say we favor, everything would be much different. (And that’s why their promulgation was properly called a Revolution).
     Instead, the people control nothing. The government/establishment has us all practically in a death-hold. Ordinary people are ruled and controlled (in effect, practically herded), while the powerful walk unaccountable and uplifted. Criminal law is applied or not, depending on who did it. While foreign-controlled banks keep us buried in debt and very exorbitantly sell us our own currency, backed by nothing and costing us 100% of all that is collected in taxes, despite a clear but roundly-ignored Constitutional prohibition precisely forbidding that, because it was already being urged.

AND THIS is from a great lady who donated $50.00!

Hello Sander, I am reading your book and am blown away - & highly disturbed.. but anyway - wish I could do more but I'm a poor chick - one of those "I live pay check to pay check" peeps - after the bills are paid and gas is put in the car, there just isn't much left. Bless you & keep on keeping on!
Hope you can be fired up and donate any amount to this campaign.

Friday, June 15, 2012

A letter from the book tour. Can you help buy new brakes for the van? http://ping.fm/mdBCp Please Repost!

Help Support Sander's Book Tour. Here's How.



Dear Friend.

I am writing you from a great little independent bookshop in Savannah, Georgia, on the Atlantic Coast. This place is called "The Book Lady," it's cozy with a leather couch, dark tones, tons of new and used books, and good people. In a couple hours, I will do a reading and discussion of my new book, Slingshot to the Juggernaut. 

In one month of touring, I have found many great indie bookstores, full of people receptive to my ideas about peace, freedom, and deep investigative probings into the 9/11 cover-up. People have ideas of their own and they are very similar.

I have been reaching people. I have crossed into Canada twice, done readings as far West as Detroit. Two million people heard me on Coast to Coast radio for three hours. We just got a nice review in a newspaper in Greensboro. I have also been to New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the South, and many places in between. Still to come is the rest of the USA: Texas, Taos, California, and beyond!

In order to get there, my van, the "Peace Tank" need new brakes. I have tried to save money from book sales, but hey, it's not happening. I need your help, so that the tour can continue, safely. I need your help so that the truth in my book can continue to be heard. Would you consider making a donation, of any amount, via ChipIn?

Thanks Very Much!