Transition:Capitalism to socialism.

[TheGodlessUtopian]

Another question.

Would it be possible for us (America) under current conditions to transition from a capitalist society to a socialist society without bloodshed? By bloodshed I of course mean right-wing terrorist attacks and the possibility of civil war.It doesn't seem like a situation where the right will just lie down.

Also as a sort of random,shot-in-the-dark,style question,would it be wise,or necessary,to change our nation's name from the U.S.A to the U.S.S.A (United Socialist States of America) once socialism has been achieved? Or would it be better to remain as is? Or just all together unneccesary?

Thanks for your time.

[durhamleft]

Another question.

Would it be possible for us (America) under current conditions to transition from a capitalist society to a socialist society without bloodshed? By bloodshed I of course mean right-wing terrorist attacks and the possibility of civil war.It doesn't seem like a situation where the right will just lie down.

Also as a sort of random,shot-in-the-dark,style question,would it be wise,or necessary,to change our nation's name from the U.S.A to the U.S.S.A (United Socialist States of America) once socialism has been achieved? Or would it be better to remain as is? Or just all together unneccesary?

Thanks for your time.

Democratic Socialists tend to have the view that they could gain power via democracy in elections, I am of the view that there are only two ways we could gain power;
1) revolution
2) general strikes
I think many socialists would agree on that; the capitalists will simply to too resistant to allowing such a change to take place.

On your second point, I think socialism will need to take a grip world wide, rather than simply in one nation, which is a problem, however if it was to take place in the US then yes, there would be no problem with changing the name.

[StoneFrog]

It would be nice for the down fall of capitalism to be with out bloodshed, but realistically not a chance. The ones with power protect their wallets, and they don't want communism because then they actually have to work and not exploit. So realistically there will be bloodshed, i can almost guarantee that the army and police forces would be called onto the revolt.

Look at Greece, the government has ordered strikers there to go back to work or be detained by force. Now if they keep striking and resist the police what do you think would happen?

The name of the country doesn't really matter, if you mean by socialist state as only a temporary form for transition phase into communism. The state is in no way the end just a means to get there, some don't even want a state as a form of transition into communism.

[LaRiposte]

Trotsky predicted that revolution and the transition from capitalism to socialism in the United States would be, compared to Russia, a rather pacific affair. The American working class is a massive majority of American society, in Russia it was actually quite a minority and had to forge an alliance with the peasantry (who were, at best, a mixed-bag politically) in order to take power.

If we could organize a revolutionary movement that had the overwhelming support of the American proletariat, the American bourgeoisie would have no option but to roll over or be destroyed. The Russian bourgeoisie had at least a reasonable chance of victory in the civil war, and so they resisted. Same for China, Cuba, and every other underdeveloped country which has experienced or is experiencing a revolution.

There will probably be a short spasm of violence, but nothing prolonged because we will overwhelm them and everywhere the power will be in our hands; we will have occupied the factories, the power plants, the airports, the government buildings, the universities, the military bases, and every other vital strategic position. They will have no options but to surrender, flee, or be crushed.

[Adil3tr]

Another question.

Would it be possible for us (America) under current conditions to transition from a capitalist society to a socialist society without bloodshed? By bloodshed I of course mean right-wing terrorist attacks and the possibility of civil war.It doesn't seem like a situation where the right will just lie down.

Only if there was a bloodless seizure of power. Otherwise the south would split off and the corporations would go crazy. And that doesn't even include blackwater. They would go on killing sprees.


Also as a sort of random,shot-in-the-dark,style question,would it be wise,or necessary,to change our nation's name from the U.S.A to the U.S.S.A (United Socialist States of America) once socialism has been achieved? Or would it be better to remain as is? Or just all together unneccesary?

That would piss a lot of people off for nothing.