Say you want a revolution

Is the United States a failed state, with a government unable to represent its people? Political cartoonist and columnist Ted Rall thinks so, and he’s on a mission to raise mass consciousness. In a chapter titled, “Why Haven’t We Acted Yet?” he details the reasons that now is the time for Americans to exchange a government that protects robber barons (Big Oil, “too big to fail” banks and the war machine) for one more responsive to the people. Admirably, Rall tries to spur readers to think and act as a class in this “revolutionary moment.” What stands in the way of revolt? Part of the answer, which Rall sidesteps, is the revolutionary nature of capitalism, with its constant production of ever-cheaper commodities that mystifies people. Rall’s section drawing parallels between the United States and the Nazi era are a bit forced. Why fascism, when America loves white supremacy?