The Militant (logo) 
Vol.64/No.1      January 10, 2000 
 
 
Volunteers distribute book all over Atlanta  
{Campaigning with 'Capitalism's World Disorder' column} 
 
 
BY DON PANE 
ATLANTA—On December 9 at the concert performance in downtown Atlanta of the rock band Rage Against the Machine, several socialist workers, Young Socialists, and supporters set up a table to sell socialist books and literature to the thousands of youth who attended. Two copies of the book, Capitalism's World Disorder, and 24 copies of the Militant were bought.

Rage Against the Machine is known for its political songs with lyrics that protest police brutality and racism. They display a large Che Guevara banner on stage during their concerts. Thousands of high school students from around Georgia and other states came to the December 9 concert in Atlanta. Thousands of young workers also attended.

The socialist literature table was set up next to one of the entrances to the concert and in addition to Pathfinder books, the table displayed the Militant newspaper, Perspectiva Mundial the Spanish-language sister publication of the Militant, and leaflets advertising the Militant Labor Forum taking place the following night on "U.S. Navy Out of Vieques." Two hundred of these leaflets were passed out, and five young people signed up to find out more about the Young Socialists.

"We need these kinds of books at the store I work at," said a young man named Joey. He explained that he is an employee at a popular store in town which sells videos, music cds, cassettes, as well as books. Joey gave the details on his workplace and urged socialists staffing the table to visit the store.

A volunteer Pathfinder book distributor made an appointment to meet with the store's buyer three days later. Joey was working there at the time and introduced him to the buyer.

Although the buyer said the store normally does most of its book ordering nationally through a distributor, he agreed to the suggestion that he place a direct order. He ordered five copies of Capitalism's World Disorder as part of an order totaling some $350. He also took a poster of Capitalism World Disorder for display purposes.

Experiences like this one have resulted in placements of 35 copies of Capitalism's World Disorder so far in bookstores and libraries in the Atlanta area. The campaign to sell the book, based in Atlanta, has been extended to rural areas of Georgia over the last four months.

Twenty-eight additional copies of Capitalism's World Disorder have been sold by socialists in Atlanta along with others who have stepped forward to volunteer to help to place Pathfinder books in the stores and libraries where workers, farmers, and young people go to read and buy books.  
 

*****
 
BY MARK FRIEDMAN 
LOS ANGELES—Thirty-six copies of Capitalism's World Disorder (see ad on front page) have been placed in bookstores and libraries in the Los Angeles area in recent months. Forty-one copies of the book have been sold by socialist workers to co-workers on the job and to strikers, students, and fighters at political actions.

Although the campaign to sell book in the Los Angeles area got off to a late start, it is clear we have only begun to scratch the surface of the possibilities that remain ahead of us to visit bookstores recommended by co-workers and others. So far only a few of the area campus bookstores and libraries have been visited by volunteers placing Pathfinder books, and these volunteers are anxious to tackle the gigantic county and city library system.

We are discussing continuing our efforts into next year to build on the 31 placements and 13 individual sales that socialists in the trade unions have organized to get here.

A recent order placed by a San Diego bookstore of two copies of Capitalism's World Disorder, and five placements in the last two weeks at area bookstores and libraries have been the latest accomplishments in the campaign here.  
 

*****
 
BY SUSAN LAMONT 
MEMPHIS, Tennessee—The 250 strikers and supporters who attended a December 18 rally here to support the strike of Teamsters who are employed by Overnite, bought 26 copies of the Militant, two introductory subscriptions to the paper, one copy of Capitalism's World Disorder, and two copies of Teamster Rebellion.

In addition, one Yellow Freight worker who bought a copy of Teamster Rebellion by Farrell Dobbs last week purchased the other three volumes in the series published by Pathfinder Press: Teamster Power, Teamster Bureaucracy, and Teamster Politics. These four books describe the 1930s strikes and organizing drive that transformed the Teamsters union in Minnesota and much of the Midwest into a fighting industrial union movement. The author was a leader of these battles and of the Socialist Workers Party.  
 
 
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