I just want to discuss this stuff in peace in hopes that we make lots of progress towards understanding how to apply Marx in the conditions of our ongoing 21st century polycrisis. The fact that I don't necessarily believe that communism is inevitable makes that a bit more pressing when I think about it. I guess I get it from listening to a lot of Marxist commentators who many would call pessimistic when they hear them evaluate the Left's current situation. It's from there that I guess I sometimes describe us here as being a bit too optimistic at times.