Yes,it is inevitable. It is the result of Bush-1's "New World Order",or Bubba-1's and Tony Blair's "The Third Way". In the end,it amounts to "Corporate Governement",which is a version of fascism.
Can you recommend realistic courses of action that Americans who oppose such a scenario could take?
Well,I could say spread the word as far as possible,and encourage everybody you know to get politically active and call or write their representatives. I could,but I honestly think all this is a waste of time at this point. It's gone too far and the elites in both branches of our ruling party stand to make too much money and gain too much power from it for them to give it up. It's a done-deal. All that is left is the fighting,and I doubt there will even be much of that. ESPECIALLY after they issue everybody new ID cards that serve as debit cards,and they make cash money illegal. After all,it just makes sense to have "universal credits" instead of 3 different currencies,right?
Once they establish a cashless society,all they would have to do then to shut-down political dissent is put a freeze on your ID number. If you can't use your debit card to buy gas,you can't go to any protests. If you can't use it to get food,pay your mortage/rent,or even to spend the night in a motel,you will quickly call the police and turn yourself in so you can eat and get warm. Problem solved,and with none of that nasty civil disobedience,either!