To be young today—in the world—means being denied a decent future—or perhaps any future at all… As one crucial aspect, look at the existential crisis confronting humanity and the planet: Deadly heat waves exposing human beings to temperatures far above what is considered breathable... massive wildfires… hundreds of millions living in coastal areas at risk to rising seas, glaciers and icecaps melting, extreme weather events and droughts and floods more common… our planet, as we have known it, is being destroyed. The scientific evidence is overwhelming: this climate crisis poses a real, and growing, threat to civilization.

To deal with climate change, we need SYSTEM change. We need Revolution—Nothing Less! an actual overthrow of the capitalist-imperialist system, and its replacement with a radically different, genuinely socialist system.

There is precious little time, and the time there is must not be squandered.

This is in especially sharp relief as the world’s eyes focus on Glasgow, the upcoming climate summit of official government representatives and oppressive rulers of this system, also likely to be accompanied and countered by massive protests of the people. We confront an existential crisis, for the seven billion people and for the planet. The recent IPCC report,¹ reflecting the consensus of the world’s scientists, has portrayed even more dire forecasts for the climate, with global temperature rise locked in for generations. Of all the countries in the world, only tiny, impoverished Gambia in Africa is on track to meet commitments consistent with the 2015 Paris accords. This year—2021—is slated to mark the second largest rise in CO2 emissions in recorded history. Time’s up for this system, and for the promises and honeyed words of its rulers that they spew out in response to the environmental crisis their system has caused, and continues to worsen and intensify. We need Revolution—Nothing Less! 

This revolution IS possible, and not in some far-off distant future—and it is possible in a country like the U.S., in this Rare Time² we are living in now. This system is in trouble. Society is being ripped apart. The rulers are bitterly divided, with the Democrats and the fascist Republicans fighting with each other over how to maintain this system and the U.S.’s dominance and rule—a divide which cannot be resolved in the way society has been organized. All of this reveals the potential for revolution, a positive outcome of this horrific reality, but seizing this moment and making this potential a reality requires people—millions—breaking with illusions and fake “solutions.” An actual revolution in the U.S. will be a game-changer; it will have a qualitative and disproportionate impact globally—as the U.S. sits dominantly atop the food chain of the capitalist-imperialist system, and is the world’s second largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

This, and nothing less, is what is required to give us a chance to save humanity and the planet.

This is the necessary and possible road—NOT “acting locally” while this global crisis accelerates, NOT begging this system’s politicians to act in ways that they cannot, NOT putting our faith in more international conferences like Glasgow where the major capitalist powers make promises and set goals they have no intention to or cannot keep… NOT giving into despair, and avoiding responsibility… NOT focusing on our individual selves… NOT while the planet burns, species go extinct and ecosystems collapse, glaciers melt and ocean levels rise, extreme weather events intensify and become more frequent. Hundreds of millions are cast out as “climate refugees,” and it is the most desperate, the poorest who are the hardest hit, mainly from the global South—a result of the workings of this system of capitalism-imperialism.

The most unrealistic thing—the definition of insanity—is to rely on and work within the confines of the system that is the very source and cause of this problem. This capitalist-imperialist system puts the resources and knowledge humanity has developed in the hands of capitalists and their nation-states driven to “expand or die,” to compete for more profits, to exploit humanity and the planet in this drive to accumulate capital. If politicians tried to violate these basic laws of capitalism, the society could not function, and that is why global warming accelerates under this system.

We need a radically different, genuinely socialist, system—brought about through revolution. The blueprint for this is laid out in the Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America, written by the revolutionary leader and author of the new communism, Bob Avakian.

This concrete vision is a tremendous positive factor and something we can implement and go to work with right away after the revolution, along with the accompanying Some Key Principles of Socialist Sustainable Development. With this new system and state power, we would socialize ownership of the means of production, radically reorganize the economy and society, on the basis of conscious and scientific planning, putting the needs of people and the planet first, instead of profit—and playing a crucial role in stopping capitalism-imperialism’s global destruction of species and ecosystems, as part of the world process of getting beyond all oppression, exploitation, and antagonistic social divisions, getting to communism.

If you agonize about the future, and want to see not just a livable planet for future generations, but a world where humanity would actually want to live, why not dedicate yourself to really learning about and working now for the only solution to this crisis—an actual revolution…. Get with the Revcoms now, work with those who like yourself do want a better future, not just for themselves, but for humanity and the beautiful web of life in which we live… learn more about this revolution and its leadership, Bob Avakian, as you spread the word about it, go to Revcom.us. 

Time is running out for the planet under this system, but a potentially bright and liberating future awaits if we lift our heads.

Join this revolution, and dare.