The thing about America, is that we're great at usurping freedoms. We'll give up anything if it's in the name of security. Tell us that to be safe we need RFID chips and we'll get them. Tell us we have to get RFID chips and we'll revolt.
A lot of people have more faith than I think is warranted in the willingness of Americans to revolt. It depends on how people are conditioned leading up to it. Much more obvious scams have been pulled on people without leading to a revolt. If you understand human psychology, it can be done. I can't see anything but an open and obvious attempt to destroy the entire nation's way of life causing any serious revolt. As long as people get to keep their TV, their internet, and their general comfort, they'll never revolt. Ever. That being said, there's often no need to force things on people because, as you said, it's often easier to convince people that they need something and let them get it on their own. When you do it that way, they pay for it too.
I do agree with you for the most part. We should have revolted back when Bush was president. We gladly gave up our freedoms back then for security which is shameful. However, we all know what happened, we cried "terrorism" and let everything be. As long as authority is telling us people want to kill us, that everything around us is dangerous, and that we need such-and-such product to keep us safe, we'll keep playing along. The only thing that I have faith in (I'm real rational) today is America's backbone. While a large quantity of our beliefs are misplaced and mildly retarded we will kill to keep them in place. Just look at what is happening in the anti-reform states. Sure, people are upset about healthcare-myths, it's good to see that people are upset; even if it's at the wrong thing. So if our government ever says "Buy this or you'll be arrested" or something along those lines, I'm sure that we will fuck that government up. Hopefully...
As I said, it would depend on the level of preparation the people had been subjected to. It's hard to sell 'buy this or you'll be arrested' when it's something for personal safety, which is why such things always seem to have to progress to being considered issues of 'public safety'. If you can get a majority of people to believe that doing/not doing something endangers others, most people will do what they're told. No one can argue with it without being accused of endangering society. You touched on the issue of subjecting people to constant fear, which is very important. It's well-known that in situations of fear, stress and uncertainty, the large majority of people will forgo the right to make decisions for themselves and simply do what they're told. When you're afraid and uncertain what to do, it's much easier to go along the path you're being led down than to try to find a new one. It's also a grave mistake.
Most of Americans probably would not revolt. We would be offered something to fill our miserable eyes and many minds would be taken off of the subject. Most people build a whole life out of comfort and build a nutshell to live in. Possibly we would not have to revolt, just refuse to participate in something. The worse that could happen is us to be executed. Then more people actually would wake up to the fact of tyranny slapping them in the face. Possibly making those put in horrible conditions making them martyrs. Trying not to take examples to the extreme though. If more people choose not to engage in activities that would hinder our freedoms. Whether RFID chips, choosing to believe everything the FOX news network has to tell us to remembering all have rights as human beings. As long as we can educate others and educate ourselves to not accept ideas without second thought, destructive decisions will not be made by the people.