Socialism CANNOT come from the ballot box within liberalism and especially within the Global North
Not only do you not know this, not only does no one know this, but it’s impossible to know. There have been zero successful socialist movements in the Global North, so there are zero data points. It’s absurd to look at zero successes, survey the wreckage of a bunch of different failed tactics, then say “I know exactly what works and what doesn’t.”
Then there’s the example of Allende in Chile. A bona fide socialist got elected to the highest office in a liberal, capitalist country. What many western leftists say can’t possibly happen already did. His failure was maintaining power in the face of reaction, not winning power in the first place.
It’s no longer feasible in 2024 to just have CIA goons straight up assassinate a “white country”’s leadership.
And as you point out, one of the main challenges to a socialist movement maintaining power in the face of reaction is harder to pull off today, especially if it’s against one of the countries.
Let’s hope you’re right but I feel that the US/EU would be more willing to literally drop bombs on a Western nation than allow them to take power. But it would have to be a legitimate dyed-in-the-wool revolutionary communist party and not just a social democratic party.
I don’t know if I’m right, all I’m saying is that no one knows how to build socialism in the imperial core. So we shouldn’t get too dogmatic about what works and what doesn’t.
I commend your revolutionary optimism comrade, and therefore are perhaps a greater socialist than I, however I EAGERLY await my pessimist mouth to be slammed shut.
Not only do you not know this, not only does no one know this, but it’s impossible to know. There have been zero successful socialist movements in the Global North, so there are zero data points. It’s absurd to look at zero successes, survey the wreckage of a bunch of different failed tactics, then say “I know exactly what works and what doesn’t.”
Then there’s the example of Allende in Chile. A bona fide socialist got elected to the highest office in a liberal, capitalist country. What many western leftists say can’t possibly happen already did. His failure was maintaining power in the face of reaction, not winning power in the first place.
And as you point out, one of the main challenges to a socialist movement maintaining power in the face of reaction is harder to pull off today, especially if it’s against one of the
countries.
Let’s hope you’re right but I feel that the US/EU would be more willing to literally drop bombs on a Western nation than allow them to take power. But it would have to be a legitimate dyed-in-the-wool revolutionary communist party and not just a social democratic party.
I don’t know if I’m right, all I’m saying is that no one knows how to build socialism in the imperial core. So we shouldn’t get too dogmatic about what works and what doesn’t.
I commend your revolutionary optimism comrade, and therefore are perhaps a greater socialist than I, however I EAGERLY await my pessimist mouth to be slammed shut.
Pessimism of the intellect, optimism of the will.
We must try all avenues of revolution before resorting to the one that the powers that be want us to.
When we prove to the masses that peace was never an option, that is the only time that we can enact the other option.
As unlikely as it may be you are correct. You cannot prove a negative.
We might as well try all avenues before the one that entails rolling down Rodeo with a shotgun.
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy: