Time is, according to Engels in his book Anti-Dühring, a perception that can be measured not through change, but through happenings. This does not mean, however, that time stops when no events happen, in fact it means the opposite, as a non-event still happens, even if there is a lack of anything perceivably “happening”. Nothing happening is still just as important to historical progress as an event happening, as Time is made up of both events and non-events. Perhaps another example is needed. Lenin is often erroneously quoted as saying “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.” This is not to say that nothing is happening in these so-called decades of nothingness. It is in these so-called decades where history is made, or, more accurately, where history is primed.

But why does this matter? Surely there are more important things than philosophical quandaries about time at this time, no? The progression of time, and to a more pertinent extent, history, is rife with events happening, as well as events verging on absolutely no change whatsoever. This is where the importance lies, in both the event and the non-event. We are in a time of extreme happenings, all beginning and ending in the blink of an eye. The issue is that each happening event is followed by even more extreme non-events, the lack of organization, the lack of class progression.

This brings us to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a known reactionary, famous for his tours of universities where he debated (then edited out the context of said debate, a fine example of reactionary lies) the unprepared youth. Some of these interlocutors had good points, but many floundered, as liberals tend to do when either revolutionary or reactionary ideas are put forward by their interlocutors, but I digress. The assassination was that of pure Adventurism, where one of the youth shot Charlie for dead, and fled the scene. This does no good for the Communist, as it only allows the reactionary elements of the country to unite behind a martyr.

A mass shooting here, a political assassination there, Adventurism is all around us. That is to say, the reactionary class, the bourgeoisie, is becoming restless. Not only are we seeing useless violence around the United States, but we are seeing it hasten at an alarming rate. The American state, that is, the idea of the American state, is crumbling before our eyes, and the only thing left to witness is the naked platitudes of liberalism, bare to the world, powerless to stop any of this destruction. “Perhaps it would be helpful to the cause!” some may yell, but this is far from the truth. Even with the appearance of anti-Capitalist violence, such as the case of Luigi Mangione, there is little this Adventurism can do besides fracture the state into pieces that can be swallowed by the Fascist factions. “But the man had killed an agent of the Bourgeoisie!” some may retort, but, pertaining to the truth, is further still. The wanton killing of one man does not do anything productive to the real movement to abolish the current state of things. No, in fact it only makes the situation more dire.

One must remember that there is no united “Left” or strong Communist fraction in the United States. The lack thereof speaks to decades of suppression, but that is besides the point. Where we are is where we must begin, and the lone gunman cannot foment a movement any more effectively as a printed newspaper can, at least in this day and age. Adventurism is an attractive alternative to the harder path, the path of organization, of education, and of criticism. However, Adventurism only harms those with which it is associated, making them targets individually, as opposed to a force with combined power. This will not dissuade people, however, from non-Marxist backgrounds, to stop utilizing Adventurism as a path forward. They will exclaim that “Propaganda of the Deed” will one day work in a fashion that won’t leave more who agree with the deed harmed rather than not.

There is precedence for this. One only has to look back at the Italian Years of Lead, mere decades ago, to see it. With the Brigate Rosse committing terroristic attacks against the Italian state, there was a very real unification amongst the reactionary elements. Liberals and Fascists alike saw to it that there would be no Communist (if one could even call the Brigate Rosse that) revolution. The reactionary elements used the Brigate Rosse’s terrorist activities to justify their own atrocities, and, as they always do, the American Intelligence apparatus stepped in, siding ostensibly with the Fascists and liberals. The United States is falling into its own Years of Lead. what will come of it, I know not. Perhaps the liberal status quo will rear its ugly head back into prominence, or perhaps a new Fascist behemoth will form. I do know, however, that there is little chance that a revolution will take place, if this is how we are to go about it. The Italian Years of Lead, ultimately, led to a non-happening, and the American variant will fall to the same fate if there is no effort to organize. A single death will not ever amount to anything, the only thing that will is the total abolishment of the current liberal paradigm, which can only be brought about by the proletariat working en masse to overthrow it.

The new Years of Lead will be violent, and very little will come of it. The proletarian masses are not predisposed to rally behind the Adventurists and lone gunmen of these times. No, in fact, they are predisposed, as seen in the successful October Revolution, to rally behind organized action, formed from the backbreaking work of the party form. Let us not waste our time thinking that the Mangiones of the world will bring about societal change. Instead, let us focus on organizing our disparate, atrophied “Left” into a Communist force to be reckoned with. The Adventurism we see should bring disgust to the Marxist, as it does little but create a rallying point for reactionism. So, spend your time wisely. Speak to your fellow proletarians, and let them know that only through organized effort and action can there be true change. The Years of Lead in America will not be avoided, but a Fascistic outcome can.

We should strive to act in the way the Bolsheviks did, and not in a way that will surely see failure, like the Italian Marxist-Leninists did. We must amass a wide base and establish the firm discipline that only a party can accomplish. Let us work toward a common goal, one of Socialism. This, however, will not be accomplished with small acts of terror. There must be widespread rejection of the current system instead.