"When we showed him the book, he said he had been thinking about getting one for a long time. He looked at the photos and read the back cover. We discussed how the speeches in the book give an optimistic perspective of the road forward for those in struggle. Finally, he decided to buy it," said Liatos.

Socialist workers and young political fighters are campaigning to get out Capitalism's World Disorder: Working-Class Politics at the Millennium far and wide. They are waging the campaign jointly with co-workers, working farmers and others, to place the book on the shelves of libraries and shops. That way the book reaches a potentially much larger audience of working people.

Supporters of the campaign are also taking it with them to picket lines and to political events. The book will be the main armament of a team that will intervene in the anti-WTO events in Seattle at the beginning of December. The book describes and looks forward to a labor movement that organizes along the lines of international solidarity.

"The King City march and rally on November 14 was an ideal place to sell Capitalism's World Disorder," wrote Larry Lane, a member of the International Association of Machinists in San Francisco. He was referring to the action in support of Teamsters on strike at Basic Vegetable. "Many of the workers and youth there were open discussing politics and were trying to figure out what it would take to change their situation in the world."

Eight participants in the action bought copies of Capitalism's World Disorder, and a similar number decided to subscribe to the Militant or Perspectiva Mundial. Lane sold two copies of the book.

"The first was to Jane, a clerical worker for the city of Santa Cruz," he wrote. "She is a member of the Service Employees International Union, and mentioned that she was curious why so many right-wing ideas and groups are growing now. She pointed to the attacks on bilingual education and environmental laws.

"The second CWD was sold to a co-worker who came to the rally with his daughter on a Teamster-organized bus from San Francisco. He works in the same area of the United Airlines jet turbine shop that I do and has bought other Pathfinder titles before. He found the rally and march very exciting and inspiring. He wanted to know what else he can do to help the Basic Vegetable workers win their strike."

Below are some of the other reports that came in this week.  
 

Campus libraries stock Pathfinder in L.A.

LOS ANGELES — Pathfinder supporters Juan Villagómez and Mark Friedman spent a few hours visiting the bookstore and several of the many libraries at a major campus here, where struggles around affirmative action and defending immigrant rights and bilingual education have been sizable.

The bookstore has carried Pathfinder titles in the past. The buyer was pleased to see us, since he was almost out of stock. He was especially keen on Capitalism's World Disorder. He ordered three after we discussed the sections explaining the importance of affirmative action programs, and the rise of the incipient fascist, Patrick Buchanan.

He stocked up on the Pathfinder titles that had sold out by Malcolm X, Nelson Mandela, Evelyn Reed, and Che Guevara, and ordered new books, including Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution, Revolution Betrayed, and Art and Revolution. "I know these books will sell," he said, citing the "increased student interest in these topics."

Many larger campuses have libraries connected with various departments. The Center for African American Studies carries Pathfinder titles, primarily those written by Black authors, from W.E.B. Du Bois to Maurice Bishop. The librarian ordered Capitalism's World Disorder for the library, but added that "I plan to read this myself as soon as it comes in."

The librarian at the Chicano studies department also bought a copy of the book, along with a dozen other titles.

The university's main research library also decided to order Capitalism's World Disorder. Several teams a week are being sent out in LA, often combining campus literature tables with visits to campus bookstores, libraries, and bookstores suggested by co-workers.

Mark Friedman  
 

In the Ohio coalfields

Before Mark bought a copy, the discussion went from the ongoing struggles of steelworkers in the Midwest, to the fight for jobs and the importance of rejecting the trade union tops' protectionist campaign against steel imports and the World Trade Organization.

Larry asked how workers and farmers can defend the environment when two local coal companies had just laid off more than 300 miners, blaming the restrictions on burning high-sulfur Ohio coal. We discussed how working people should demand that the utility companies take advantage of the existing technology to burn coal cleanly.

Mark had suggested we call the state library regional office before visiting. The mobile service run by the office serves working people and youth throughout this coal mining region.

The meeting with the acquisitions director the next day, while yielding no guarantees, was very promising. She said she was glad to receive the Pathfinder catalog, and to discuss the contents of Capitalism's World Disorder. She also said she appreciated the chronologies, glossaries, indexes, photo signatures, maps and other resources that many Pathfinder books contain.

Mike Fitzsimmons  
 
 
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