MotherJones MJ93: The big Q

Who’s the most dangerous person in America?

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William S. Burroughs, author, Naked Lunch “Well, dangerous to whom? Fifty years ago I would have had no hesitation in naming Robert Oppenheimer. Now that the nuclear threat is everywhere, it is diluted. The fear of nuclear war has moved offstage. It got the hook, darling. But it may make a spectacular comeback.”

Laurie Anderson, songwriter/ performance artist “This combines two of my least favorite pastimes: rating things and manufacturing paranoia. The most dangerous thing in the world is ignorance–that much is clear. But the most dangerous person? It could be you, who, in reading this asinine survey, might add a few more names to your list of things and people to fear.”

Adam Parfrey, editor, Apocalypse Culture and Rants & Incendiary Tracts “If forced to choose one individual, it would be Andrea Dworkin, who has done more to destroy joy and prop up the Christian Right than any other person alive.”

Michael Franti, singer/songwriter, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy “Christopher Whittle personifies dangerous arrogance in his lust for control and commercialization of so many sources of information, including education. Ross Perot combines arrogance with ignorance in purchasing unparalleled public respect while totally failing to understand the situation of people who aren’t billionaires.”

Joseph McNamara, fellow, the Hoover Institution; former police chief in San Jose, Calif. “In a way, President Clinton is the most dangerous. To his credit, he has raised hopes for change. But if Clinton fails in his goals to restore hope to the underclass in the inner cities, and also disappoints the middle class who made him president by not reducing the deficit, this conflict could tear our country apart.”

Helen Tworkov, editor, Tricycle: The Buddhist Quarterly “To label a person ‘dangerous’ is in itself dangerous. As Zen master Pogo said, ‘I have met the enemy, and he is us.'”

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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