I’m an American Marxist-Leninist, so I know that it is materially possible for a privileged westerner to come around. But a few of us being able to unlearn the constant propaganda and overcome the horrific state of American education and the political climate isn’t enough.
The Overton window is so far to the right here in the United States that most don’t entertain the idea of a future beyond capitalism being possible or necessary. Even when Americans see this wretched system for what it is, they’d sooner turn to nihilism or accept whatever additional crumbs are thrown.
I know it’s important to maintain revolutionary optimism and always strive to be part of the solution, but it feels like an extra big battle to build a proper revolutionary left.
Well we have small numbers. But it does exist. What it needs is organization which is serverely lacking in the west. There are some orgs, but many of the more effective ones, Black Panthers for example, are gone.
Personally i think it will be after a collapse of western hegemony that the conditions are right for full revolution. Which means leftists orgs need to be focusing on surviving that collapse, and having the means afterwards to offer material support to others. Forming a network of decentralized communes that are all members of the same organization unofficially, and keep in contact/support eachother maybe. Start recruiting people now, and do mutual aid to build good will over time. Focus on building a robust parellel production base for basic things like food/medicine, and do security training. That can be your base of power to expand from when conditions are right. Convert the communes into resistance cells, and try to claim some territory.
One of the issues becomes staying under the radar so you don’t get infiltrated by feds. You can’t give them a reason to spend resources coming after you until they’re spread to thin to be able to.