Capital and its states are usually able to respond with amazing speed to crises, using them to consolidate power. Recessions trigger merger-and-acquisition waves, wars are a means and an opportunity to expand into new markets, natural disasters enable the looting of public property. But the phoenix-like ability of capital to rise from its own ashes has a limit, which can be defined precisely as the revolutionary situation.

Given that the establishment has the resources and the inclination to plan strategically — in both public and covert fora — it is no stretch to assume that it invests some resources in heading off the unrest that result from these limits. No doubt most of the time chances for revolution are quite small, but given the devastating potential price, time and money dedicated to heading off revolution are well spent.

So it’s worthwhile to imagine such radical eventualities, if only in order to better understand the actions of the repressive apparatuses. I will attempt to demonstrate this point using my country, Israel/Palestine. What could constitute a revolutionary situation between the Jordan River and the sea?