Accomplishing this goal is essential to implementing Pathfinder's publishing perspectives outlined in the talk by Mary-Alice Waters to the conference on social and political publishing held in Havana, February 2-3 (see International Socialist Review, pages 7-10).

Next week's article will feature:

How volunteers worldwide who have been scanning and proofreading Pathfinder texts will now take on a major piece of the production process by using desktop publishing to get manuscripts into final form, ready for printing plates

What lessons have been learned from the Militant's utilization of desktop publishing, and the Socialist Workers Party leadership's decision to send all communications by E-mail, that can be applied to the next steps forward in producing Pathfinder books

What steps Pathfinder and the print shop will take to bypass current production processes-film, strip-up, and other steps-by going directly from digitized manuscripts to printing plates

How these steps will make it possible to keep Pathfinder books in print, while producing them in short runs with less labor

What steps will be taken by volunteers worldwide to further reduce labor time in production of the Militant by organizing to get most photos sent into the paper in digital form, and turning stocks of photos on the world class struggle in the paper's archives into electronic files

Why by meeting the challenge to produce Pathfinder books more rapidly, efficiently, and at lower cost, saving labor time in the process, will make it possible to continue to meet the demand of workers and youth for revolutionary books and to prepare for the increased demand that the future holds

Letter From A Lifelong Communist

The Militant received the following letter from Robin Maisel, a longtime comrade who suggested collecting the Militant articles just published in the new booklet Celebrating the Homecoming of Ernesto Che Guevara's Reinforcement Brigade to Cuba (see ad on front page). More important than the idea (raised by other readers as well), he volunteered his time and organizing experience to collaborate with socialist workers, Young Socialists, and other Militant supporters in California to raise the funds necessary to make it a reality.

January 29, 1998

Dear Comrades,

I have received two copies of the new booklet. You have done a magnificent job, far beyond what I expected was possible in a short period of time. Now I have to get busy raising more money as we are still far short of our goal.

I have not been in the best of health recently. So my activities have been somewhat curtailed for the last year or so and I have come to depend on the Militant in a very special way.

It is a political guide and organizer, of course, but it is something more. I have been rereading Letters from Prison by James P. Cannon. On the one hand, Cannon, Dobbs, and the other comrades felt isolated behind bars, jailed for opposing Washington's slaughter in World War II. On the other hand, the Militant not only broke down the prison walls (metaphorically of course) with news of the class struggle. Its progress in getting out into a wider and wider circle (audience is not the right word because its readers, and writers, were not onlookers but active workers) reassured the comrades that when they did get "sprung" their party and their paper would be ready for an upswing in the class struggle. I think Cannon could almost feel the first ripples of the coming upswing even in prison. So he paid special attention to things like the subscription drive, the production of popular pamphlets and books, raising money, expansion in general.

We have been in a kind of "special period" too. But just as the Cuban leadership now sees some opportunities to once again call together rebels around the world to fight, I think we also have more opportunities to reach out beyond the cadre and call rebels to fight along with us. The gathering together of those articles and the widest possible distribution of them will call rebels to us. This magnificent booklet that you have produced will inspire them.

And that is why I love the Militant. It gathers together the experience (including the mistakes) of ACTIVE workers from around the globe and reaches out, not to academics but to fighters. I can almost be there in those fights with you through the paper.

I think it is time for the circles of supporters to once again join the battle, even if not on the front lines, with you. I can see it will take some time and effort and especially direction by the party. The reinforcement brigade can inspire workers (especially young workers) far from their base camp in Cuba. If we can get weapons like the Militant into their hands they will be ready.

Comradely,

Robin  
 
 
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