Ok yeah explain why we can win. I have looked into Marx and stuff but even if historical materialism is right, I don’t understand why the current capitalist epoch (which you take as starting approximately from 1789 or 1799 ig) will be way shorter than feudal or slave epochs both of which lasted over a millennium while we’re not even a quarter of that timespan in.
Some points in no particular order: A) Capitalism barely survived the 20th century. B) There are still large numbers of people already living under dictatorships of the proletariat. C) Said dictatorships of the proletariat have much more robust and growing economies than the major capitalist powers. D) The major military powers holding the world under capitalism are losing ground wherever serious resistance is demonstrated.
The first proletarian state lasted 71 days, the second lasted 74 years, and though many have lived shorter life-spans since, the PRC and DPRK are still going strong at 76 and 77 years respectively (not to mention the younger states of Cuba, Vietnam, and Laos). And whereas the communist movement faltered in the 20th century due to violent conflicts between the AES states, these five surviving governments are presently making great strides towards mutual cooperation. Is there any comperable resistance in the early history of the feudal or slave epochs?
It is idealism to suggest that because two historical epochs lasted so long, the third must necessarily follow. (After all, the epoch of primative communism lasted several millennia longer than slavery or feudalism. Why are you not dumbfounded that we are not still living under either of these economic structures?) The material conditions of human society determine its historical epoch, not vice versa; therefore each epoch lasts so many years as the material conditions sustain it for--no more and no less. Whereas under slavery and feudalism the productive forces matured slowly, capitalism has developed itself so rapidly that even before maturation it was already outgrowing its skin. For over a century capitalism has been struggling to hold onto itself, whilst the conditions have been ripe for a new order to eclipse the old--if only we can organize to build it!
This brings me to my last point: Whereas previous social orders have been overturned in a half-blind manner, driven by utopian ideals and the feeling that something is wrong, capitalism is the first social order to be combatted with scientific precision. The enemies of feudalism and slavery did not have the means to fully understand their battles in the way that the international proletariat understands its struggle against capitalism. It is hard and bitter work to build a system of cooperative organization on the scale which the communist movement needs. But with each generation of struggle we bring ourselves closer--and once we build it, we will be unstopable.
Even if, against all this, it does take us (the proletariat) a millennium, this does not change the fact that we can win. We will win.
gracieabrams
origamiaround
gummygunk
germansingergirl
theartofmadeline
yousharknotpass
pixelskylines
amandla
prguitarman
