Because of events in recent years, especially in light of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a tremendous number of the world’s Marxists have drawn a profoundly wrong conclusion with respect to what has occurred in the world scene.  Many appear to have concluded that the Cold War is, indeed, over and the wrong side has prevailed, and that perception is no doubt strengthened by an immense amount of bourgeois propaganda confirming the alleged final demise of socialism.  In truth, that assessment has little to do with reality because of an incorrect comprehension of Marxist ideology and an erroneous conception of world history.  Two considerations of tremendous importance have been completely overlooked by millions.
         First, what did Marx and Engels predict?  They stated from the beginning, in the Manifesto itself no less, that the ultimate demise of capitalism would be brought about through revolution by the proletariat but, and this is the first key point, they never at any time said that there would not be prior revolutions by other classes in the meantime.  They never said the next revolutions would have to be by the proletariat or that the proletariat was the only revolutionary class at all times.  They never said that peasant revolutions would not come earlier.
         And secondly, the first proletarian revolution is yet to occur.  There has never been a proletarian revolution in history, much less a successful proletarian revolution.  Can anyone name one revolution in which not only the leadership but the primary participants in the actual struggle were proletarians.  Peasants, not proletarians, comprised those who revolted throughout all the revolutions of the 20th century.  Although led by the most advanced elements of the proletariat, the Communist Party, those doing the vast bulk of the fighting and dying were peasants, not proletarians.  This is certainly true of the revolutions that occurred in the Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, Cuba, Albania, etc.
        So what do we conclude from this?  Do we conclude that Marx and Engels were wrong as many have alleged?  Of course not!  We conclude that what they predicted is yet to occur.  Instead of comprising the final chapter, everything that has occurred so far has been mere prologue, the opening scenario, foreshadowing what is yet to arrive.  It’s as if, in an odd sort of way, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Ho Chi Minh, Fidel Castro, Hoxha and others jumped the gun.  It’s as if they could not wait for the arrival of a sane society through proletarian activity and, being the intellectuals they were, decided to start the process early with whatever class was most revolutionary at the time.  And undoubtedly during their era and in their respective nations that class was the peasantry.  But the main event predicted long ago by Marx and Engels is yet to appear, an upheaval that will be generated and executed by the most revolutionary of all classes, the one now growing most rapidly throughout the world, and the only major class that is on a collision course with the capitalist system itself.  The conclusion to be drawn from this analysis is that mankind has not experienced the summation of modern history but only traversed its prelude.  Anyone doubting the accuracy of this synopsis and prognosis would do well to stay around, as the real climax looms on the horizon.