The Anti-American Manifesto

Is Rall serious about launching a revolution to overthrow the government of the United States? The cartoonist describes the problems confronting America today as if they were the four horsemen of the apocalypse –wars, financial crises, unemployment, and oil (spills) – and revolution, even a violent one, is the only way. Rall acknowledges the chaos that typically ensues after the collapse or overthrow of an empire, saying that whatever follows will likely, for a time, be worse: "The Terror followed the French Revolution. Stalin's purges followed the Russian Revolution." When it comes to what follows, Rall, like many revolutionaries, has less to say: "We must take the chance." His revolutionary rants and belief in a green, egalitarian world are compelling, yet a stubborn truth remains: most Americans don't want to revolt, a fact about which Rall seems oblivious, making his Manifesto inadvertently ridiculous. While the cartoonist is right about much of what is wrong with America today, it's hard to take this seriously. For once, the joke's on him. Illustrations. (Sept.)