How would a revolution work?

[Kro]

This is a sincere newbie question. What are some possible ways a revolution could happen in the US? What is a possible timescale?

By "revolution" I understand a major change, like worker control and management of the economy, an end to corporations, no property beyond personal use, etc.

I am struggling with how this could realistically happen and what I personally could do in my short life to help it along.

Thanks.

[The_Red_Spark]

You will get the best answer by studying and looking at the history of other revolutions. You cannot create or force a revolution to meet a timetable of your own choosing. The conditions must ripen to a certain point before a successful revolution can happen. Much of this repeats itself throughout history. Whether change, as you put it, is actually possible is dependent on the level of class consciousness among the working class and the direction it takes in the struggle once it begins. This is why a vanguard party is considered necessary by many of the Marxist tendencies. It raises the level of the working classes class consciousness and capably steers it during intensified periods of political and economic class struggle or revolution.

What you can do in your lifetime is engage yourself in study and research to hone your understanding of the historical socio-economic processes and Marxism in general. You can also join a party or study group to become active in raising class consciousness and take an active part in organized class struggle. However you must be careful because informants and provocateurs will be among the members everywhere you go. You can also blog, make videos, engage others in discussion on the subject to educate and dispel myths, network among other Marxists, protest, join a union and raise class consciousness, and a host of other things to further the agenda of the working class. Basically you have to prepare the way for the working class to be ready to capitalize and take advantage of the conditions when they actually arise.

[Kro]

So enough people eventually get fed up and start disobeying in some form and the question arises as to how they want to organize themselves, what to do next, and there are some number in the ranks who have been waiting for this to happen and have ideas to propose? Then hopefully those ideas catch on and we have something new and better?

[Questionable]

Without being a smartass, the question of how to start a revolution is literally the thing the radical left has been asking itself since the beginning of its existence. The only thing you can do is study the theories of other revolutionaries and try to piece things together for yourself.

[Trap Queen Voxxy]

To me it seems like an unanswerable question, we can't predict the future per se, though we can study trends and make up theories we don't know what the future material conditions are going to be, the changes and advances that have taken place and all of the variables involved. When will it happen also seems rather silly; that's like predicting the exact time a huge thunder storm will hit X location.

[Positivist]

It is pretty much impossible to tell, but I'd say a sharp decline in the standard of loving would be a start (not for an actual revolution, but for the development of a revolutionary force.)

[RedHammer]

We certainly cannot say for sure. Rather than a conscious revolutionary effort spearheading socialism, I suspect there will be mass unrest over specific issues - specific crises. These specific issues will occupy the public consciousness; perhaps it will be unemployment reaching a critical mass. Or perhaps food prices will get hiked, or there will be a decline in living standards, or climbing prices at the pump. These crises, and similar crises, will all become worse and worse until they become crippling.

All of these problems will, no doubt, be the products of global capitalism increasingly leading to greater class divisions and crises. When the public is angry and outraged over specific material problems (as I described), we will then need to educate and to insist upon socialism.

We will build revolutionary efforts through crises, because it is during times of crisis that the public can see, and can experience, the insanity of capitalism.

This will not be uniform; there will be some areas affected more than others. Some states, some counties, some cities, and some neighborhoods. A revolutionary effort will emerge through a series of largely geographically isolated incidents, upon which class consciousness can be realized.

All of this is easily demonstrated in history. If you'd like an idea at what a revolution in the United States might look like, read about the vibrant labor movements and socialist movements of the early 20th century; or otherwise about similar movements in other countries.

[citizen of industry]

It is pretty much impossible to tell, but I'd say a sharp decline in the standard of loving would be a start (not for an actual revolution, but for the development of a revolutionary force.)

A sharp decline in the standard of loving? That happens once you get married. More people need to get married for the revolution to kick off!

[citizen of industry]

Here's my drunken thoughts on the matter:

The cornered mouse will fight the cat all the harder. Put four mice in the corner one will fight, one will run for the hole, another will try to compromise and the fourth one will desperately claim mousism. Put a lot of mice in the corner and they either scatter or start to think about mousism and catism. If some of them start thinking about mousism it has a snowball effect. Then they charge the cat, surround it, climb all over it and feast on it. After that they don't have to worry about catism anymore, but they have to worry about all the mice, which is much easier without the cat.

They can't make cheese though, because they're mice. So the analogy ends there.

[Kro]

Are there any particularly good books on the history of revolutions that you would recommend?

[citizen of industry]

Are there any particularly good books on the history of revolutions that you would recommend?

Trotsky's History of the Russian Revolution.

[Brosa Luxemburg]

Are there any particularly good books on the history of revolutions that you would recommend?

I have yet to read it, but Mike Macnair's Revolutionary Strategy should be a good read.

[Ostrinski]

vodka

[Brosa Luxemburg]

vodka

watermelon vodka

[RedHammer]

Are there any particularly good books on the history of revolutions that you would recommend?

It's not a book about revolutionary history per se, but I strongly recommend you read Howard Zinn's A Peoples' History of the United States. It's a good introductory read that gives an insightful look into American history from the perspective of the common people.

[Slavoj Zizek's Balls]

Would I be correct in saying that there is a good chance of a revolution occurring in the next fifty years because of rising fuel prices?

[Slavoj Zizek's Balls]

Delete this post please.