The Militant (logo)  

Vol. 75/No. 2      January 17, 2011

 
(front page)
Supporters of ‘Militant’ launch
drive to win long-term readers
 
Militant/Baskaran Appu
Annalucia Vermunt, then Communist League candidate for mayor of Auckland, New Zealand, sells Militant subscriptions and book Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power in working-class suburb of Mangere, September 2010, during international fall subscription and Workers Power sales campaign. Supporters of Militant are now following up with the more than 2,000 fall subscribers to win long-term readers through renewal drive.

BY PAUL MAILHOT  
Over the next four weeks many of those who bought introductory subscriptions to the Militant during the fall circulation campaign will receive renewal notices. Now is the time for supporters of the Militant to visit these readers to find out what they think about the paper and discuss how they can use it to advance their fights and their political understanding of today’s world.

To encourage this effort the Militant is launching a four-week campaign beginning with this issue to win as many long-term readers as possible from among those workers, farmers, and young people whose subscriptions are expiring. The Militant is their paper. Local areas should adopt goals for the campaign. These will be printed in next week’s issue of the paper. Each week will feature responses to the campaign. All renewals—whether for three months, six months, or a year—will be counted through February 8.

Militant supporters should draw the attention of new readers to the feature coverage about the Cuban Revolution. This includes the introduction to the new book Soldier of the Cuban Revolution by Brig. Gen. Luis Alfonso Zayas, which just appeared in the Militant in English and Spanish. Regular coverage of the lessons of the Cuban Revolution for workers around the world is a hallmark of the Militant and one of the few sources fighters can rely on to cut through the lies of U.S. imperialism.

During the fall campaign many factory workers were introduced to the Militant by socialist workers they met on the job. Whether it is covering a picket line to fight for a union contract, explaining the imperialist aims of Washington’s wars, or drawing on the rich history of the communist movement, the Militant is written to advance the struggles of working people. Gaining more long-term readers to the socialist press in the factories strengthens working-class consciousness and resistance. As workers use the Militant and send in their comments and suggestions it becomes a better paper too.

The renewal campaign is an opportunity for socialist workers to follow up on discussions with those who bought Malcolm X, Black Liberation, and the Road to Workers Power by Jack Barnes during the fall circulation campaign. What sections of the book did they find most interesting or helpful? Are there other books distributed by Pathfinder and advertised in the Militant they would like to pick up? Do they want to know more about the Socialist Workers Party?

Getting started right away on the renewal campaign is also a way to promote the January 15 public meeting “What Kind Of Socialism for the 21st Century: The Long, Hard Battles Ahead” advertised on the front page of this issue. For anyone who is interested in the fighting perspective presented in the Militant this is a meeting they will not want to miss.  
 
 
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