this post was submitted on 09 Jun 2024
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What the fuck we might as well give electoralism and reform a shot when we get that close, who knows maybe we can succeed where Allende failed, of course eventually that may require
No one has ever built socialism from inside the empire, much less in the conditions you see in today's U.S./Western Europe. Every tactic should be on the table because there is no precedent for success.
Socialism CANNOT come from the ballot box within liberalism and especially within the Global North, however it serves as a barometer for revolutionary interest as the US American power structure is exhausted and losing its vice grip on its allies. It’s certainly possible that some leftist party can come into power in Europe at some moment even if everyone from the NYT, CNN, Der Spiegel, etc. to the EU will work to drag their names through the mud and block everything they try.
It’s no longer feasible in 2024 to just have CIA goons straight up assassinate a “white country”’s leadership.
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: