I believe that due to the inherent contradictions of capitalism a revolution is inevitable, and necessary, but it's still not something that is easily palatable. Revolution is certainly romanticized, yet I still question every day whether or not I would be willing to die for my beliefs. My question to my fellow comrades is do you think non-violent form of revolution is possible, or will the state and reactionaries always crack down? I know that in the past those with power and prestige have been reluctant to give it up.
I personally see it as incredibly naive to think there could be a successful bloodless socialist revolution. The ones there have been are defeated by the reactionaries pretty quickly, although the Bolivarian revolution is still an ongoing experiment. Like you point out, you’re always going to see attempted counter revolution, which has to be fought back in some manner.
The closest I could see to a bloodless rev in our circumstances is that society breaks down to such an extent due to the failures of capitalism and climate change that there is a collapse of the bourgeois state and a power vacuum into which a proletarian state can rise, however I think in this scenario there would be just as many competing reactionary interests that it would lead to widespread bloodshed anyway in the struggle for power.
I’m not trying to glorify violence or be pessimistic, I just find it quite unrealistic given historical precedent. Especially in the imperial core where the bourgeoisie have everything to lose.