How would a Socialist Revolution occur in the United States?

[Red Eagle]

I think a revolution is possible when the contradictions within Capitalism become too great that the working class will riot against the system based upon inequality racism and sexism. I would think a civil war would follow similar to Russia and this will divide the counterrvolutionaries with the revolutionaries. Obviously the polic and military would split some refusing to shoot their fellow workers or joining the side of the revolution. A vanguard party would have to direct the revolution and organize the masses. I could imagine with the advanced means of production of the United States and it's position as a super world power would make it a great spring board for the revolution to spread.
How do you think a revolution would occur? (You can get as specific as possible)
What policies would be implemented?

[RedKobra]

There's more to socialism than merely a reaction against Capital. A lot would depend what ideas the American working class had at hand. If for the most part they are ignorant or even if instinctively hostile to marxism then its hard not to see a prolonged period of revolt and reaction, revolt and reaction. Bringing about a successful revolution and the transition to socialism and finally communism rests on the revolutionaries understanding what it is they are revolting against (i.e - Capitalism in all its features) and what must be built in its place.

[Blake's Baby]

The 'policies' that would be enacted are the same everywhere - secure water, food and electricity; organise a militia under the control of the workers' councils; organise the provision of shelter and medical care for those who need it; extend the revolution.

That is literally it as far as I can see.

[Red Star Rising]

Pretty much. I would add that the shear amount of hatred for communism in the USA would make notions of the revolution beginning there pretty laughable. It woul more likely be the last fortress of capitalism.

[DoCt SPARTAN]

America has very negative view on Communism. Which carries on from the Cold War generations (Cuban missile crisis, Soviet Union, Vietnam & Korea).

So communism taking roots deep enough in the working class to stage a communist revolution is unlikely. (and heavy right wing southerners)
I would say the only way for a revolution to happen if the inequalities of wealth and social status become so vast between classes, That the much larger working class starts taking more radical ideas up to arms. (class struggle)

When people don't are starving; are lacking basic necessities they tend to do extreme things, form radical ideas. (I think history has shown this well) like in Tsarist Russia before soviet union.. or French Revolution.

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

It would be absurd to try to predict what policies would be necessary for a socialist America, beyond the most general, without an extensive study of the material conditions in America (and this on the assumption that these conditions will not change significantly before the revolution). Trotsky's fairly tongue-in-cheek overview of what he considered to be the necessary policies is given in "If America Should go Communist" (https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1934/08/ame.htm). I think the piece is good, although it is uncharacteristically optimistic when it comes to the civil war. (Or pretends to be, as the article was published in the bourgeois press.)

One thing that needs to be addressed, though, is the assumption that the revolution in America is somehow impossible because of the supposed anti-Communism of the American worker. First of all, consciousness is not static, and there is in any case no possibility of a significant mass support for revolutionary socialism before the revolution. Workers are either going to cross themselves at the thought of socialism, or think that socialism means the bourgeois government of Sweden.

Second, in my experience, American workers aren't nearly as anti-communist as people imagine. I would say a lot of people project the moods of the petite-bourgeoisie onto the proletariat.

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

No unfortunately American workers really are arch anti-communists; blue collar, white collar, service, manufacturing, agriculture, etc. etc. I spent a significant portion of my early 20s learning this

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

No unfortunately American workers really are arch anti-communists; blue collar, white collar, service, manufacturing, agriculture, etc. etc. I spent a significant portion of my early 20s learning this

I never meant to deny that American proletarians are, on average, against communism. I did, and I still mean to, deny that they are particularly against communism. I mean there are countries where being a communist of any kind means a high chance of getting a bullet in your neck. Compared to that, no, the American workers are not the most anti-communist in the world. I also think some of the people in America overestimate how popular socialism, communism, etc. are in Europe. What might be popular is social-democracy under the name "socialism" or (Euro-)"communism", but that's another thing entirely.

I guess statements about how American workers are particularly anti-communist bug me because they're often used to argue either for the impossibility of revolution in America (sure, and Bolshevism was ultra-popular in Russia before the revolution), or for some inane attempt to rebrand Communism, and in the process make it more palatable to the petite bourgeoisie.

[Keath]

What do you guys thing about the idea of implementing gradual reforms over a long period of time in order to work towards social change?

[Anglo-Saxon Philistine]

What do you guys thing about the idea of implementing gradual reforms over a long period of time in order to work towards social change?

Never worked, can't work, not interested.

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

I don't think communism is impossible in the US, it just don't think it's reasonable to expect a majority being in favor of it prior to a revolutionary event of some kind. The possibility of communism is what's derided here, not the experience or the structure of a future communist society. That supposed non-possibility is so strong in the minds of workers here that the idea of attempting it beforehand can only be viewed as a pointless and unpleasant experience, that would accomplish little other than setting back the progress we are supposedly making in this country.

When I would talk about communism people seemed to have the biggest problem with the number of issues being addressed. Ending poverty? Sure, but ending poverty AND racism?! At the same time?! Its like everyone knows these need to be addressed but it has to be one thing at a time, because of course that's how politics work for us here. I think real world proof will be necessary before the US rebels, but after that yeah it's over.

[xyouthxattackx]

I don't think communism is impossible in the US

And I think that communism is possible somewhere in the world, especially in USA, motherland of modern capitalism! You see, the ideas of communism confront modern "buy-sell" way of life. Communism is an utopia, but socialism is real and is always very interesting to discuss.

[Ethics Gradient, Traitor For All Ages]

The distinction between socialism and communism isn't really relevant (or you know, real), if conditions for one make it possible then conditions for the other will follow. What basis do you use to say communism is utopian while socialism is not, what is socialism in your mind to begin with?

[Red Eagle]

It seems incredibly difficult for revolution to occur in first world nations. Many socialist revolutions occurred in 3rd world nations and the more modern active revolutionary parties in developing nations are Maoist Do you think Maoism is marxist and if so can it be applied to the first world? Should Communists have a different plan for revolution in the first world? What do you think we should do in nations like UK, US, Germany etc.?

[ckaihatsu]

---





It seems incredibly difficult for revolution to occur in first world nations. Many socialist revolutions occurred in 3rd world nations and the more modern active revolutionary parties in developing nations are Maoist Do you think Maoism is marxist and if so can it be applied to the first world? Should Communists have a different plan for revolution in the first world? What do you think we should do in nations like UK, US, Germany etc.?





Another way of looking at this is that if the capitalist system enters a profound and debilitating crisis -- say, something like what's brewing with Greece and the euro -- then that exposes the politicians / heads of state because they, of course, have no direct control over the functioning of the economy as a whole. As the personifications of the system, they will be the ones pointed to by rising popular political sentiment as being the 'betrayers of the country' (populism-nationalism), and that could be enough to swing the military personnel around to the side of the people.

The question at *that* point would be if mass consciousness could break through / be won-over to a *generalization* -- that it's not enough to have loyalty to the *country*, because this kind of economic solvency crisis is repeating itself in countries all *across* Europe, and, of course, other parts of the world aren't even on-par with Western economies to begin with.

If the bulwark of the state -- its military -- can draw these conclusions for itself, the whole economic system could finally be seen as bankrupt, and not worthy of 'reforming' or 'saving' for the sake of the nation-state anymore.