ROSA LUXEMBURG PENNED these words while imprisoned in the notorious Wronke Fortress during the First World War, as part of an effort to come to terms with one of the darkest moments of modern history. At the time all hope for radical social transformation seemed to have evaporated in the face of statist militarism and the capitulation of most of the socialist movement to it. We do not face the same conditions today, but in many respects her words reach out beyond the break between the generations. The crisis facing us may even be more serious, since it has become hard to pin hopes for human emancipation on the forward progress of history when existing society seems to be marching headlong toward global planetary destruction—while descending into a depth of racism, misogyny, and political degeneracy not seen in decades. Nevertheless, Luxemburg's comment speaks to us in important ways, since it is hard to envision any alternative to our present predicament that does not acknowledge the capacity of masses of people to awaken, change, and ultimately fulfill the historical mission to realize their human potential.

Luxemburg was no accidental bystander to the traumas of her time, and it is to be expected that her life and work would tell us much about female leadership.