Sep 30 2010
The Anti-American Manifesto: Cartoonist Calls For Armed Revolution
The nation’s largest federation of unions, the AFL-CIO, has begun a major campaign in preparation for November’s mid-term elections. In an obvious counter to the Tea Party movement, millions of union members around the country are receiving fliers in the mail mobilizing them to march in Washington DC for jobs this weekend. But is this enough to turn the tide of unemployment and end corporate bailouts and subsidies? Certainly it is not enough to change the pro-corporate, pro-war agenda of the Democrats themselves. My next guest, Ted Rall, a prominent political commentator and cartoonist has a new book out called The Anti-American Manifesto. In it, he attempts to inspire Americans to revolt. Literally – by taking up arms. Comparing the coming collapse of the American state to the end of the Soviet Union, Ted Rall says “Revolution, though bloody and terrifying, would have been much easier than the slow convulsions of collapse. So it will be here.”
GUEST: Ted Rall, syndicated political cartoonist, columnist, graphic novelist, and war correspondent. His earlier books include “The Year of Loving Dangerously,” “Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?,” and “To Afghanistan and Back: A Graphic Travelogue.”
Visit Ted Rall’s website at www.rall.com.
6 Responses to “The Anti-American Manifesto: Cartoonist Calls For Armed Revolution”
A very interesting conversation–although I strongly disagree with the guest’s statement that individual actions is an utter waste of time. To quote Margaret Meade: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
I’ve witnessed this in action. Several years ago, a small group of citizens got a strong political message on international TV. Sometime later, a large organization tried to emulate it, but they worked too much within the system, in my opinion.
Each of us can save huge amounts of water (e.g., collecting bath/shower water in buckets and using it to flush toilets or water plants or just taking shorter showers). Reducing our driving, even if only here and there, can also make a huge difference over time–and if many people are doing it…
If there were a lot more white roofs, more heat would be deflected back into space.
The issue of violence is tricky. Until recently, I considered myself a pacifist. However, reading about “explorers” like De Soto and Columbus changed that. I’m not a pacifist anymore. De Soto should have been shot with an Indian weapon or by one of his own men. Columbus’s ships should have been firebombed.
Yet, some fairly important people have descended from insidious people. So it’s complicated, IMO.
Now having said that our own individual actions are important, I still worry that the human race is utterly hopeless. But as an anarchist-Native American used to tell me, “Struggle is meaning.”
I think your guest was correct about how activism itself is pointless and doesnt really change things. At least this nutcase didnt try to hide behind buzzwords like “progressive,” he says exactly who he is and what he believes…perhaps Obama could learn something from him.
Thanks for exposing this nut.
I disagree with the comment above. True, the anti-war movement failed to prevent the invasion of Iraq, and nearly eight years later, the U.S. still occupies that country–and we’re still in Afghanistan, and we’re doing horrible things in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world.
However, that doesn’t mean activism in the U.S. has been a waste of time. Both community vigils and organizations like CAMS have stopped many young people from enlisting. The wars go on–but for the many youths that have been reached (and continue to be reached), the course of their lives have been altered hugely–and in several cases saved.
Also, the Organization No More Victims raises money and facilitates medical help for war victims in Iraq. If a child–a victim of our imperialism–can be made to see again or walk again, that’s a HUGE achievement, in my opinion.
If these kinds of things aren’t deemed worthwhile by others, then so be it. My definition of success differs from others.
Regarding lifestyle choices, which was also discussed in the program, each cigarette stub, or dog turd, or plastic pellet, or condom that fails to reach the ocean vis-a-vis our gutters and storm drains is saving marine life.
IMO, there are countless other examples of effective lifestyle choices. The host of this program has said she drives a hybrid car.
While activism in this country doesn’t seem to achieve major goals (like preventing/stopping wars), we’ve seen it happen in other countries.Ten years ago in Serbia, President Slobodan Milosevic was forced to step down, and later turn himself in, because so many people took to the streets. (A Serbian told me that the only death during that incident was a citizen who had a heart attack from being so overjoyed.)
In more recent years, there was a presidential election in Ukraine. The incumbent lost but refused to recognize the results. Everybody refused to go to work, and the economy came to a standstill. The losing candidate gave up within a few days.
Unfortunately, here in the U.S.,too many people seem too comfortable to take the necessary risks that would bring about real change. Here, we fear “our” government. That’s not true elsewhere.
Personally, I consider myself to be working in solidarity with people of other nations–who do have a clue–on problems like climate change.
I’d fear our government too if it were clinton in charge. She’s the kind ot kill to get into office, kill to keep it and kill to keep from losing it. There’s already a series of unexplained deaths in her past. As for the country, i worry constantly that things will reach the end of the rope, with the self-delusions we see every day, with “the messiah” telling us all is well while we watch things slowly being swept into the toilet, why there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but yet thousands of soldiers and marines are sick from low levels of chemical exposure and pictures of these weapons were shown in the news-but we’re told they don’t exist. Is this another “agent orange” situation? or is it “politically expedient’ that we never know they were there so someone can make news with it? Do the terrorists have access to all these things? Should we worry about them bringing them here? or should we listen to “the messiah” tell us our borders have never been more secure while we see captured RPG rockets on the southern border, grenades marked with arabic lettering, Vast Stocks of Hundreds of rifles captured from Cartels Just over the border while hearing of Hundreds of people Murdered? i don’t believe them any more. maybe Nobody should. But we better wake up Before it comes to the Door!
You read more and more that fewer and fewer citizens are disillusioned with the federal government. Stating that it is a certainty that our government is incapable of solving the problems we face due to incompetence or outright corruption. Yet, sound resigned to accept this because nothing better is around (at least that is what a vocal segment of our population believes). So what options do those that do not believe this is the case have available?
America is too far gone to be “saved” and will need to crumble and fall, from within or from outside. No use in even trying to make changes. Conservative Christians are ready for the next Inquisition and Witch Trials.