From Bob Avakian, Revolutionary Leader and Author of the New Communism
January 31, 2022
Here is a very important point, a key component of dialectical materialism: Powerfully imposed necessity very often also holds the potential for crucial transformation. And this is one of those times and circumstances where that is the case.
It is true that, if one applies a populist and positivist approach—evaluating things on the basis of where the masses, even (speaking broadly) on the “positive side of the divide,” are at right now; and proceeding linearly from the present quantity and quality of our forces—then certainly the prospect of wrenching a positive outcome out of the developing situation, an actual emancipating revolution, seems extremely dim. But, if one proceeds with the dialectical materialist method and approach of the new communism, and how this is applied in the new presentation (as well as the “Declaration and Call” and “Rare Time”), then the possibility of achieving this can be recognized, and acted on. Yes, right now, the “odds” are clearly not in favor of this, and we are up against powerful obstacles of various kinds (not only on the side of the system, but among the masses, of different strata, as well) but there is the objective possibility of radically transforming all this in a positive way—and this possibility must not be drowned in populism and positivism, especially by those of us with important responsibility to lead the fight to make this a reality.