But still I don't think that the US is ready (or will ever be ready) for a revolution of the "progressive" kind (as opposed to one like this: http://www.dar.org/). Many great empires/societies of the past (Egypt, Rome, Great Britain etc.) never experienced the kind of revolution that is meant here. In each of these cases, the so-called elite managed to stay on top even past the end of empire. On this, read the interesting book by Patrick J. Geary (Before France and Germany) on the survival of the senatorial aristocracy in Francono lant for centuries after the end of the Roman empire.

Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.