This revolution against the machine-obsessed United States is surprisingly effective, as evidenced by the fact that the Ghost Shirts have already overthrown Ilium, Salt Lake City, and Oakland. However, Paul begins to see in this moment that it’s hard to direct a revolution, especially when people are so eager to take down the society that once oppressed them. Instead of recognizing that some machines might actually be worth keeping around, the Ghost Shirts run wild with their destruction, suggesting that people are at a breaking point with technology.