These results are typical of the excellent response the communist publications are receiving in factories, on college campuses, at plant gates, on street corners, and at political actions. Reports from around the world indicate that many working people and youth who are involved in the raging debates around the imperialist war in Southwest Asia are finding in the Militant and Perspectiva Mundial--often for the first time--a clear working-class point of view and truthful reporting.

Militant and PM supporters in several cities this past week called to order extra bundles, explaining that they had underestimated the response and have been selling out halfway through the week.

Supporters have found particular interest in the October 22 Militant, which includes a special International Socialist Review supplement entitled "Communists and the struggle against imperialism today: New York meeting discusses political questions posed by Washington's war and attacks on workers' rights." The Militant is reprinting this as a separate tabloid supplement, with a $1 cover price, and shipping large bundles to all distributors, who will sell it widely and aggressively over the coming weeks.

Results from the past week--a target week of stepped-up efforts in the subscription drive--underscore the challenge that is posed now, three weeks into the eight-week drive.

Out of an overall goal of 1,100 Militant and 500 PM subscriptions and 700 copies of New International, supporters of the socialist press have sold 284 Militant and 112 Perspectiva Mundial subscriptions, as well as 144 copies of New International. We are at 26 percent and should be at 37 percent of the international Militant goal.

The challenge is the political work needed to tap the excellent response reflected in large sales of single copies of the two revolutionary publications, in order to convince readers to get 12 weeks of the Militant or four months of Perspectiva Mundial.

In Brooklyn, Militant supporters organized a concerted sales effort for the target week and gained 13 subscriptions, allowing them to catch up considerably. One industrial worker took a day off her job to anchor an all-day team at Brooklyn College. She was joined by several other socialists as they came off night shift in the morning or got out of work in the afternoon.

Socialist workers in Omaha, Nebraska, reported another example of the welcome the revolutionary press is getting. "Today we had an excellent day in the workers district where we normally set up Pathfinder literature tables. In the morning we staffed the table and in the afternoon did sales door-to-door," begins their report. "A number of co-workers stopped by to talk to us, laying the groundwork to secure a PM sub this week on the job. We also sold a PM sub to a meat packer who is part of the area organizing drive, and sold a package of the New International no. 10, with "Imperialism's March Toward Fascism and War," and a Militant sub to a worker who is trying to understand the roots of fascism."

Socialist meat packer Edwin Fruit reports from Des Moines that Militant supporters took part in a rally of 60 people against the U.S.-led war on Afghanistan. One youth purchased a Militant subscription, and another a PM sub. A copy of New International No. 7, entitled "The Opening Guns of World War III," was also sold. The same day they encountered a very positive reaction at the entrance to the Swift meatpacking plant in Marshalltown, Iowa, selling six copies of PM and two of the Militant.

At a "Stop the bombing" rally at the State University of New York in Stony Brook, Long Island, organized by the Black student and Muslim student organizations and other groups, the Socialist Workers candidate for New York mayor, Martín Koppel, spoke on the invitation of the organizers. The socialist message received an enthusiastic response from many youth, and four purchased Militant subscriptions.  
 
Pathfinder sales campaign
Socialists have simultaneously launched a campaign to sell $500,000 worth of Pathfinder books and pamphlets between January of this year and June of next. Pathfinder campaigners in local areas are adopting goals for this campaign, which will mean in increase in sales of roughly 30 percent over recent months. The campaign aims to take advantage of the noticeably increased opportunities to get revolutionary literature into the hands of working people and youth.

Supporters of Pathfinder in Tampa, Florida, report that after several months without systematic Pathfinder book sales, they have begun to turn the situation around in response to the imperialist war drive. Halfway into October they had sold $182 in revolutionary books and pamphlets. They have promoted books on the job, at campus tables, at a "no war" rally in St. Petersburg, and at a weekly class series on New International no. 7.  
 
 
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