For those seriously interested and those really hungering for a radically different and far better world: More on the crucial question of why this is a “rare time” when revolution is not only urgently necessary but more possible—yes, right in this powerful imperialist country.

In a number of these social media messages (and especially numbers Eight through Eleven), I have spoken to why, in the time we are living in now, a revolution to overthrow this monstrous system of capitalism-imperialism is possible, and how that revolution could win. Besides the importance of digging into these social media messages, at revcom.us there are a number of works that go even more deeply into this, including “Something Terrible, Or Something Truly Emancipating”; the five-part series Revolution: A Real Chance To Win; and the very important statement: Revolution—Building Up The Basis To Go For The Whole Thing With A Real Chance To Win: Strategic Orientation And Practical Approach.

Here I am going to focus on another crucial work, my article Revolution: Major Turning Points And Rare Opportunities—Or... Why did Lenin talk about World War 1 as a “stage manager” of revolution?...And why did Mao say, We should thank Japan for invading China?

As that article speaks to, an important historical fact is this: With regard to the only successful revolutions so far that have led to the establishment of an actual socialist society—in Russia/the Soviet Union and in China—those revolutions succeeded, or made crucial advances toward final victory, in the context of a profound crisis that sharply concentrated major contradictions of the capitalist-imperialist system. In the case of the Russian revolution, in 1917—leading to the establishment of the Soviet Union—this major crisis was the first world war (1914-1918). In the case of the Chinese revolution, it was the second world war (1939-1945), and in particular the war of resistance against Japanese imperialist occupation of China in the context of that world war, which became a major turning point in the Chinese revolution, through which the revolutionary forces made a crucial leap toward the final victory of that revolution in 1949. (This is why Mao said, ironically, that, “We should thank Japan for invading China.”) All this is gone into further in that “Turning Points And Rare Opportunities” article.

Of course, it would be wrong to make some kind of “absolute principle” out of this experience—as if socialist revolution is completely impossible except in these kinds of circumstances: revolutions are not made by “formulas” or by attempting to repeat and “mechanically copy” the experience of previous revolutions. But it is neither accidental nor coincidental that the two successful socialist revolutions so far were made (or were made more possible) in the context of a profound crisis of the capitalist-imperialist system, sharply concentrating the contradictions of that system.

What is of immediate and great importance now is the fact that this is once again one of those rare times when the contradictions of this system—within this country and in the world as a whole—are continuing to intensify, with the very real possibility that this could lead to the kind of profound crisis that greatly heightens the possibility, yes, of further horrors—but also the possibility of wrenching an actual, emancipating revolution out of this situation.

As that “Major Turning Points And Rare Opportunities” article emphasizes, one of the most important things a scientific method and approach makes clear is this:

Revolutions are made possible, in the most fundamental sense, as a result of the intensification of the contradictions of the oppressive system, leading to crucial turning points, providing rare opportunities for major revolutionary advance, even potentially opening the way for the victory of the revolution. And the prospects for revolution hinge to a great extent on whether the conscious forces for this revolution not only carry out consistent revolutionary work and struggle, but more specifically whether they recognize—and on that basis act boldly and with scientifically-grounded determination, to take full advantage of—these crucial turning points and all-too-rare opportunities.

Of course, the role of communists is not to wait around passively for such crucial turning points and rare opportunities. On the contrary—and this is a basic point of orientation in the new communism which I have brought forward—communists must continually work to maximize the development toward, and accumulate forces for, the revolution that is needed: applying the approach of hastening while awaiting the necessary conditions that make it possible to go all-out in the fight for revolution, with a real chance to win. And then, when the necessary conditions have come into being, it is of crucial importance to act decisively— to lead masses of people, in their millions, to actually seize power.

As I have also emphasized many times—and for very good reason: It is of profound, decisive importance that such rare opportunities for revolution are not squandered (wasted, thrown away) but are actively seized on by those who hunger for the chance to, at long last, be rid of this truly life-stealing, soul-crushing system, and bring something much better into being.