An invitation and an appeal

As a new year begins, the ever-deepening crises that confront us--from the threat of the worst economic crisis since the Depression, to the seemingly endless wars the U.S. continues to wage, and from climate change to growing hunger across the world--make it clear that the need for an alternative to this capitalist world has become urgent. Despite finally achieving a long worked-for defeat of George W. Bush with the historic election of Barack Obama to the presidency--it is also clear that the U.S. election cannot solve these problems and that people across the world are looking for a far deeper change, for a way to create a whole new world, built on human foundations.

It is why News and Letters Committees are beginning the new year with a special series of classes in all of our locals across the country, which we are calling "CONFRONTING TODAY'S CRISES: The Marxist-Humanist return to Marx and the revolutionary abolition of Capitalism."

Our return to Marx will be through the writings of Raya Dunayevskaya, the founder of the philosophy of Marxist-Humanism, which established a continuity with Marx for our age. The classes will explore what that means in philosophy, organization, and practice. It will be part of the process of working out a new book of Dunayevskaya's writings on Marx that projects Marxist-Humanism as a vital contribution for today's freedom struggles.

WE INVITE YOU TO PARTICIPATE. You can get a copy of the syllabus for the five classes, and a schedule for the places where they will be held, by calling, emailing, or writing to any of our addresses.

At the same time as we invite you to participate, we APPEAL to you for your help to keep News & Letters going.

As we begin a new year, we have been confronted by the need to move to a new location in Chicago. Our new address as of Jan. 1, 2009, is 228 South Wabash, Suite 230, Chicago, IL 60604, phone: (312) 431-8242.

While we continue to function with an all-volunteer staff, the expenses for postage and the printing of the only Marxist-Humanist paper continue to grow. With the help of our readers we have published N&L in its print form, without a break, ever since 1955. We are not immune to the problems that have beset all print publications in the last few years, as readers have moved to the internet. Even the Christian Science Monitor will cease its daily print edition in 2009 after 100 years and move to internet publishing.

We publish News & Letters on our website, but we are committed to continuing our print edition: for prisoners who have no internet access, for taking to demonstrations like those opposed to Proposition 8 (see Thousands reject Prop. H8), for handing out at factory gates so workers can find their words and ideas unseparated from theory and philosophy. Workers at Republic Windows and Doors (see Republic Windows and Doors sit-in stops bosses' wage theft) asked for all the copies of N&L we had when interviewing them, to take into the factory to share with their fellow sitters-in.

While our subscriptions are still only $5 a year for six issues, our need for "sustaining subscribers" who send us additional help is crucial to keep us going.

We ask you to give as generously as you can, to help us find new subscribers, and to contribute to our donor fund for prisoners who cannot send us the price of a sub. WE CANNOT CONTINUE WITHOUT YOUR HELP.

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