The events of February 13, 2026, underscore the relentless dialectic of class struggle, as workers across global industries intensify their resistance to capitalist exploitation. From the docks of Los Angeles to the factories of Duisburg, strikes have erupted not merely for better wages but as a reassertion of the working class’s role as the central subject of historical transformation. These actions echo the timeless truth that capitalism’s crises are not accidents but structural inevitabilities, born of its inherent contradiction between socialized production and private appropriation.
The emergence of transnational socialist networks, as noted in recent analyses, reveals a critical evolution in the movement. Democratic socialists, once confined to national frameworks, now articulate a vision of solidarity that transcends borders—a development that aligns with the Marxist imperative to dismantle the “international character of the capitalist system.” Yet, as István Mészáros observed in his 1970s writings, the theoretical clarity of socialism must always be sharpened by the concrete realities of class struggle. The current wave of resistance demands not only tactical unity but a recommitment to the revolutionary vanguard, whose role is to transform spontaneous struggles into conscious, organized action.
Capitalism’s latest crisis—triggered by its failure to reconcile ecological limits with profit motives—has exposed the bankruptcy of its “end of history” narrative. The working class, once again, stands at the crossroads of history. Whether this moment catalyzes a leap toward socialism or a temporary reformist reprieve depends on the ability of socialist theory to illuminate the path forward. As the struggle intensifies, the need for a political organization grounded in dialectical materialism has never been more urgent. The task remains: to transform the class-in-itself into a class-for-itself, not through passive resistance but through the active construction of a socialist alternative.