These were the results from a day's sales of a team of 30 people, including members and supporters of the Young Socialists, Socialist Workers Party, and Communist League in Canada. The socialists organized themselves from six literature tables in Seattle as tens of thousands of people marched to protest against the meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) slated to open that day, November 30.

Many participants in the team, who came from as far as Montreal and Miami, had traveled to Seattle two or three days before to start an intensive week of campaigning. Using Pathfinder books, a Young Socialists pamphlet produced especially for the event, and the socialist periodicals Perspectiva Mundial and the Militant, they organized to intervene in the political discussions that have mushroomed in the city around the WTO meeting.

The socialist campaigners are not taking part in the protests, which have a nationalist character. Typically, the organizers are calling on Washington to take action against the Chinese workers state and semicolonial governments they accuse of violating labor rights and the environment (see article on front page).

"Our team has worked to keep our focus on the international campaign to sell Capitalism's World Disorder and to place it in libraries and bookstores," said Ernie Mailhot, who is heading up the steering committee organizing the team's work. "So far we've placed seven copies of the books in a couple of stores, along with four copies of New International no. 11, featuring 'U.S. Imperialism Has Lost the Cold War,' as well as four copies of Making History, Pathfinder's newest book.

The speeches in Capitalism's World Disorder come out of the experience of workers and farmers around the world in the last decade. They deal with the questions of imperialist exploitation, the dead end of economic nationalism, the emergence of rightist forces, the growth of struggles by working people, and many other political questions.

Sales had been going well before the day of the big demonstration, but certainly sped up on November 30. That day showed that "it's wide open to discuss politics with the young people, workers, and farmers who are coming to Seattle to join in the events," said Ernie Mailhot.

"Many people stopped to talk, and bought a copy of the Militant or a book," he said. "Most did not agree with our view on the WTO protests, but were very open to discussing and learning more by reading the literature.

"As of December 2 we've sold 61 copies of Capitalism's World Disorder: Working-Class Politics at the Millennium off of the socialist lit--erature tables, more than 550 copies of the Militant, and 12 introductory subscriptions. No one tried to stop us from promoting our books. We did meet a few individuals who support Patrick Buchanan, though."

Samantha Kern, a member of the Young Socialists National Executive Committee, told the Militant that YS members in the team would be following up with more than 80 young people who have asked for more information about the Young Socialists and Pathfinder books.

"In addition to organizing classes on Capitalism's World Disorder and a panel of Young Socialists from all over the world, our team will be stepping up the pace of bookstore visits, too," said Kern, who is also a member of the steering committee for the socialist sales team here.

"We'll be taking the books and the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial to factory gates, and to picket lines of Overnite strikers and locked-out Kaiser workers in the region. We're also planning to celebrate a successful effort with a Militant Labor Forum on the political discussions of the previous week and a wrap-up party December 4."  
 

Off to a good start at bookfair in Guadalajara, Mexico

Supporters of Pathfinder Press from eight cities in the United States are here, staffing a booth and participating in teams to distribute Pathfinder books in bookstores, libraries, and on campuses in the Guadalajara area. During the first few days of the fair, 160 books were sold and hundreds of brochures distributed announcing Pathfinder's new titles.

Two of the highest-selling books have been issue no. 5 of Nueva Internacional, featuring the Spanish translation of "U.S. Imperialism Has Lost the Cold War," with eight copies sold, and Capitalism's World Disorder, with four copies. Both focus on how workers can organize to respond to the economic crisis. Many people asked about the Spanish translation of Capitalism's World Disorder, which will be published in January 2000.

There have been many long discussions at the booth and at the tables at the University of Guadalajara. After meeting us on the campus, several students have come to the bookfair to visit our booth to continue discussions.

Many who stop to talk are looking for answers to the economic crisis and attacks on the standard of living of workers and farmers that has hit hard in Mexico since the devaluation of the peso in 1994. Patricia Cerda is a nurse in a large hospital in Guadalajara who tries to survive on wage of $5 a day. She said cuts in social services have led to fewer nurses being asked to care for more patients, undermining the health of nurses and patients alike.

Alejandro Aguilar and Edgar Barragán, high school students, were among the many youths who purchased pamphlets by Cuban revolutionary leader Ernesto Che Guevara. They, like many others, were eager to learn more about the strikes and working-class struggles in the United States.

They had never heard of Malcolm X but when they learned that Fidel Castro was welcomed by him in New York in 1960 they wanted to read more about him as well.

The media here is featuring news of the Mexican presidential election that will take place in June 2000. The presidential candidate of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD), Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas, was a featured speaker at an event launching his new book, Palabras con Cárdenas (speaking with Cárdenas).

Cárdenas was part of a group which split off from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), the party that has ruled Mexico for more than 70, years, in the late l980s as the PRI began to lose support under the impact of the economic crisis.

Headlines this week announced the consolidation of a "left-center" coalition to support the Cárdenas campaign. Cárdenas presents himself as representing a "Third Road" between capitalism and socialism to solving the problems of Mexico, like that advocated by Anthony Blair of the Labour Party in Britain. Several people who passed by the booth wanted to discuss whether such a "Third Road," which is actually a capitalist road, could solve the problems of working people.

The sale of nearly 60 books on Cuba reflects interest in looking at the Cuban example as an alternative to what is being put forward by Cárdenas and other politicians in the current Mexican election.

Five copies of the newest Pathfinder book, Making History: Interviews with Four Generals of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces have been sold. Many people bought copies of Perspectiva Mundial, the monthly Spanish-language sister magazine to the Militant, which includes the introduction to Making History by Mary-Alice Waters.  
 

Team sells book to stores in coal region

One visit was with the library archives at a university. The archives section has many books on labor history, including of the mine workers. On this visit, team members placed several books, including Capitalism's World Disorder, Mother Jones Speaks, The Eastern Airlines Strike, and Coal Miners on Strike.

Also at the university we met with two professors who are interested in using Pathfinder books as class texts. One of the professors was interested in using Genocide against the Indians in a class he is teaching next semester. In speaking with these professors, we found out that issues, such as the recent mine closings, are discussed in some of the classes. Although we need to meet with them again, we sold three titles, and were referred to others at the university that would be interested in using Pathfinder.

Team members also visited a small bookstore in West Virginia. The owner quickly became interested in Capitalism's World Disorder, and decided she wanted it for her store. After looking through the catalog, she ordered five other titles, including Sexism and Science, and The Changing Face of U.S. Politics.

We also spoke with the buyers at two other bookstores that have sections of "local interest," and were told that books for this section were most likely to be ordered. In both cases, the buyers took catalogs, and we plan to meet with them again soon.

The team also participated in community, plant gate, and portal sales. We visited six mines in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Militant sales were especially good, and we also sold two copies of Coal Miners on Strike. We got names and numbers of three miners who want to meet again to talk about what's happening in the mines, and to have a better look at Capitalism's World Disorder.

A campus Pathfinder table drew a lot of attention. A couple of students really wanted to get Capitalism's World Disorder, but just did not have the money. However, on a previous visit to the area, we placed the book in a local bookstore, so we suggested they buy it there when they can.

One student gave us his number so we can follow up with him on getting the book. Several students we talked with were interested in a range of books and issues. We also learned from a student that a few days earlier, local miners were on campus petitioning around the attacks on health care benefits. In all, five students gave us their numbers so we can keep in touch, and students from two campus groups wanted to work together on activities with the Young Socialists.

We also talked with garment and steel workers at several plant gate sales. We got the name and number of one worker who saw the Militant in the break room, and wants to meet again for more discussion. We met with another worker who was recently fired after being part of a walk out. This worker liked what Capitalism's World Disorder says, and he bought a copy. We will be visiting with him again, and will continue to sell at this plant gate.

In all, it was a busy and productive team. We placed 13 Pathfinder titles and sold 7. That includes two copies of Capitalism's World Disorder placed, and the two individual copies sold. This goes along with sales of 66 copies of the Militant. Yet, there is more we need to do in these areas, as this response is no fluke. These miners, steelworkers, and students are real fighters, exactly the kind of people we want to get Capitalism's World Disorder to.  
 
 
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