First Published: Unity, Vol. 1, No. 3, November 3-17, 1978.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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This is the first biweekly issue of UNITY. It marks a step forward in the paper’s ability to contribute to party building and to the US revolutionary movement. We are redoubling our efforts to strengthen UNITY as a paper that defends the interests of the working masses and of all nationalities, and as a paper that contributes to the development of a correct line to guide the U.S. revolution and as the foundation for Marxist-Leninist unity.
UNITY is increasing the number of pages and its coverage by publishing twice a month, while maintaining full Chinese and Spanish editions. UNITY has always upheld the equality of languages, particularly as a part of combatting national oppression.
UNITY is able to go biweekly due to the development of many more correspondents in every part of the country, who analyze and report on the issues and events as they take place. First-hand, nationwide reports are a strong point of UNITY, and have improved in quantity and quality since the issues of Getting Together jointly published by ATM and IWK prior to their merger to form the League. Since UNITY began publishing in September, we have a number of new correspondents and reporters in a half dozen new cities.
At the same time, we recognize the necessity for UNITY to carry more propaganda articles which provide more comprehensive analysis and leadership to the advanced workers and activists, and which further develop the line of the League. We are taking steps to make sure that the biweekly not only improves the timeliness and scope of its news, but also the scope and depth of its analytical and theoretical articles. We have plans to write more analytical articles on questions such as party building and the communist movement, on trade union organizing, on the developments of the international situation, on the national question, on the current economic crisis of imperialism, and on summations of our political work. We are beginning a study series in this issue on the theory of the three worlds and the international situation.
Coming out twice as frequently, UNITY will be a better educational tool and will be better able to keep abreast of the rapid developments in the U.S. and internationally. This past fall, UNITY has tried to provide timely news and direction for the postal workers contract struggle, which affects 550,000 postal workers nationally. As a monthly, UNITY faced limitation. So in order to supplement the newspaper articles, UNITY published a series of bulletins distributed widely to postal workers, addressing the day-to-day developments of their struggle. We did not let our monthly publication hold us back, but at the same time, we recognized the pressing importance of coming out more frequently.
Publishing regularly every two weeks, UNITY will be more useful as an organizing tool as well. It will enable the newspaper to be read and distributed more widely in all areas and among all sectors of people. It will facilitate the development of more newspaper discussion groups and Marxist-Leninist study groups. More people will look to UNITY for direction, and it will be a better organizing tool to incorporate workers and activists into the paper’s study, distribution and writers’ network. It will increase the influence of the paper and its impact on the daily struggles of the masses.
To fulfill UNITY’S responsibilities as a communist biweekly, the paper needs your continued support. There are innumerable ways that you can help.
One important way is to participate in UNITY’s subscription drive, to help stabilize the paper’s readership and raise funds. Take out a sub before the drive ends November 30, and you will also receive a complimentary copy of the Statements on the Founding of the League of Revolutionary Struggle (M-L). Ask friends, relatives, and co-workers to subscribe now.
Become a sustainer, make a donation, or participate in local UNITY fundraising events to help the paper reach its goal of raising $150,000 by May 1, 1979. The fund drive is off to a good start – $15,245 has been raised so far.
There are other ways to help, too. Get some copies of UNITY to sell in your workplace, school or community by contacting local UNITY representatives or by writing to the national staff. Join a discussion group. Send in articles about struggles and letters voicing your concerns, for publication in UNITY. Send us clippings and information for articles you would like UNITY to write about. Forward your feedback, comments and criticisms to help improve UNITY and overcome its shortcomings.
Take up whatever aspect you can to help make UNITY a paper that better serves the revolutionary movement and makes greater contributions to the process of uniting Marxist-Leninists into a single, unified vanguard party in the U.S.