In 1935, Novelist Sinclair Lewis wrote a prophetic novel, “It Can’t Happen Here”, stating that what was happening in Fascist Italy under Benito Mussolini and Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, could happen in the United States. Lewis wrote that it would be “clothed in a flag and carrying a Bible!”
This was way before the horrors of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany reached their peaks over the next decade, but already enough evidence of the dangers of the manipulation of minds with emotional rhetoric dividing groups in a society, based upon race, ethnicity, religion, and national origins.
Lewis was warning about the potential dangers represented by Huey Long of Louisiana, who was assassinated months later in 1935, with the story of his assassination covered in my book “Assassinations, Threats, and the American Presidency: From Andrew Jackson to Barack Obama” (Rowman Littlefield Publishers 2015, Paperback Edition 2017).
It could also be applied later, in the 1950s, to Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin; to third party Presidential candidate George Wallace of Alabama in 1968; and to President Donald Trump.
Only Trump, with his Fascist appeal, backed up by military, police and evangelical support, and rallies to appeal to those who are racist oriented, and also nativists, white supremacists at Charlottesville, antisemitic, Islamophobic, and misogynistic, is a clear and present danger, as he is the President of the United States.
He has stoked Fascist appeals as a manipulative method for the past five years since he announced his candidacy in 2015, and has set out to destroy all traditions and norms!
A lot of intelligent people, including those I know or knew, and also a lot of not so bright people who have emotional attachment to Donald Trump, since they are ignorant and share his horrific beliefs, have rallied around him.
And yet, many conservatives and Republicans who really care about our Constitution and rule of law, and the perpetuation of our democracy, are alarmed by Trump’s constant attack on “Fake Media”.
Trump calls everyone and everything which opposes his authoritarian bent as unAmerican. He waves the American flag as if he owns patriotism, when it is his critics who are truly patriotic, and care about human rights and freedom.
Donald Trump incites in a crazy manner on Twitter daily, and in the midst of the greatest crises since the Great Depression and World War II, he ignores and refuses to take responsibility for the Second Great Depression and the CoronaVirus Pandemic!
He stokes bloodshed and violence in attacking those who are promoting the need for racial healing, and encourages right wing hoodlums in the streets of Portland, Seattle, Kenosha and elsewhere,
This presents the danger of greater violence in the two months left to the Presidential Election of 2020, and the interim to the next inauguration, and his stated refusal to accept defeat if the election goes against him, an absolutely terrifying scenario!
It would seem that his opponents, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, face constant threats of assassination, and this author of a book on assassinations is truly alarmed that someone who is a Trumpite will attempt to do that!
If Trump is reelected, this nation will be threatened in its basic values in a way never having come to power with Huey Long, Joseph McCarthy, or George Wallace, despite these earlier threats in the 1930s, 1950s, and 1960s. It will be an authoritarian dictatorship without any control, a nightmare that will mirror the horrors of Fascist Italy and even Nazi Germany!
As Sinclair Lewis wrote in “It Can’t Happen Here”, it actually “Can Happen Here”!
Excellent, thought-provoking piece, Professor. You concluded: As Sinclair Lewis wrote in “It Can’t Happen Hereâ€, it actually “Can Happen Hereâ€!
i would make three points:
1. If it does happen here, it will only be because the American People LET it happen here.
Just to take the most obvious and painful example: The only reason “The Forever War” is 19 years old next week and no closer to being over ~ let alone “won” [whatever that means or may have ever meant] ~ than it was when it started on 9/12… the ONLY reason that f[expletive deleted]ing War is still going on is because the American People have let it by continuing to send to SwampLand tax dollars and, worse, politicians owned and operated by the military-industrial complex and Wall Street.
2. The “manipulation of minds with emotional rhetoric dividing groups in a society” ~ ie, the.tactical and strategic use of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobism, misogynism, xenophobism, homophobism, nativism, nationalism, patriotism, populism, jingoism, and so forth ~ is not now nor has it ever been unique to “Fascism” or “Fascists.” It has been and is used by all systems and forms of Statist totalitarian, authoritarian domination, command, and control on the Socialist/Communist “Left,” as well.
The objective of the proponents of either System is Power, and one of the greatest enemies of Power is Truth; which all those “isms” are designed to bury under an avalanche of Bullsnot.
3. Leaving aside for the moment all the “-isms” noted above, and given what historically constitutes “Fascism” as a system for the organization and operation of a nation’s economy and the political system that makes that possible, the United States has been under a “Fascist” system of political economy since at least FDR and his New Deal.
“Fascism” being defined as a system in which there is still private ownership of property and capital, but all significant decisions regarding production, distribution, and consumption of economic goods and services are made by The State; and that State is also a, if not the, major customer of that system. The only substantial difference between “Fascism” and “Socialism/Communism” is in e ownership of property and capital; in either case, it is The State that determines what is done with them.
In any event, You noted:
“A lot of intelligent people, including those I know or knew, and also a lot of not so bright people who have emotional attachment to Donald Trump, since they are ignorant and share his horrific beliefs, have rallied around him. ”
Have You, or anybody else, ever bothered to ask any of those “intelligent” people ~ and maybe even some of those “not so bright” folks ~ exactly WHY they have rallied around him? And then actually Listened to what they had to say?
Why have his Approval Ratings stayed relatively constantly in the low-to-mid 40% range [very close to his popular vote tally in 2016] IN SPITE OF The COVID-19 Event, The Second Great Depression, the TweetStorms, and all the other reality-tv circus shenanigans that have become standard fare for SwampLand thru the four years of The Age of Trump?
What Trump has said and done, says and does, and will no doubt continue to say and do seems to resonate quite well with a substantial number of American Citizens and Voters, wouldn’t You say? Have You or anybody else ever tried to figure out exactly Why? Or is it just easier to simply dismiss them all as “ignorant” because….; well, because they “share his horrific beliefs”? And leave it at that?
Also, You noted that “[Trump] stokes bloodshed and violence in attacking those who are promoting the need for racial healing, and encourages right wing hoodlums in the streets of Portland, Seattle, Kenosha and elsewhere.”
Are ALL those rioters, looters, and arsonists “right wing hoodlums”? If that’s the case, why does evidence point to the majority of them being Black? Or is there some sort of “BTA”: “Black Trumpatista Army”?
And You are correct: Assassination [of somebody] seems to be most assuredly in the offing. My guess is that Vegas probably is taking bets on that someplace. Remember that scene from THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE? That, or maybe a second 9/11. Or a resurgence of C-19 that starts killing not just Baby Boomers, but Millennials and Gen Z and Xers alike. And Their Kids.
It’s going to be an interesting two months, eh? And the Atlantic Hurricane Season is just hitting its historical stride.
Thank You, Professor, for bringing IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE up for notice.
Given what was happening in the United States and in Europe and Asia at that time [“The First Great Depression,” the rise of Hitler, Japan’s War on China, and all that], 1935 was a good year for Warnings against centralized, consolidated, concentrated government and governance, and the unbridled power of the politicians and bureaucrats, and the special interests that own and operate them.
Albert Jay Nock’s OUR ENEMY THE STATE was also published that year, and makes for a very thought-provoking follow-on to Lewis’ masterpiece.
It explains exactly How and Why The State is the ultimate Enemy of Individual, Family, and Community well-being and security, and the ultimate violator of Human Rights.
It is available to read free at https://fee.org/resources/our-enemy-the-state/ .
Or, as John Whitehead put it in “This Is Amerika: Where Fascism, Totalitarianism and Militarism Go Hand In Hand”:
…..As the Pew Research Center revealed, public trust in the government remains near historic lows and with good reason, too.
This isn’t America, land of the free, where the government is “of the people, by the people [and] for the people.â€
Rather, this is Amerika, where fascism, totalitarianism and militarism go hand in hand.
What you smell is the stench of a dying republic. Our dying republic.
The American experiment in freedom is failing fast.
Through every fault of our own—our apathy, our ignorance, our intolerance, our disinclination to do the hard work of holding government leaders accountable to the rule of law, our inclination to let politics trump longstanding constitutional principles—we have been reduced to this sorry state in which we are little more than shackled inmates in a prison operated for the profit of a corporate elite.
We have been saddled with the wreckage of a government at all levels that no longer represents the citizenry, serves the citizenry, or is accountable to the citizenry.
“We the people†are not the masters anymore.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking about the federal government, state governments, or local governing bodies: at all ends of the spectrum and every point in between, a shift has taken place.
“We the people†are not being seen, heard or valued.
We no longer count for much of anything beyond an occasional electoral vote and as a source of income for the government’s ever-burgeoning financial needs.
Everything happening at the national level is playing out at the local level, as well: the violence, the militarization, the intolerance, the lopsided governance, and an uneasy awareness that the citizenry have no say in how their communities are being governed.
As I have warned repeatedly, the architects of the police state have every intention of manipulating this outrage for their own purposes.
Predictably, the police state is allowing these protests, riots and looting to devolve into a situation where enough of the voting populace is so desperate for a return to law and order that they will gladly relinquish some of their freedoms to achieve it. And that’s how the police state will win, no matter which candidate gets elected to the White House, and “we the people†will continue to lose.
So what’s the answer?
As always, it must start with “we the people.â€
I’ve always advised people to think nationally, but act locally.
Yet as Charlottesville made clear, it’s hard to make a difference locally when the local government is as deaf, dumb and blind to the needs of its constituents as the national government.
Charlottesville much like the rest of the nation has had its fair share of government leaders who are tone-deaf, focused on their own aggrandizement, and incapable of prioritizing the needs of their constituents over their own personal and political agendas; law enforcement officials for whom personal safety, heavy-handed militarized tactics, and power plays trump their duty to serve and protect; polarized citizens incapable of finding common ground, respecting each other’s rights, or agreeing to disagree; and a community held hostage by political correctness, divisive rhetoric and a growing intolerance for any views that may be unpopular or at odds with the mainstream.
It was a perfect storm just waiting for the right conditions to wreak havoc, a precursor of the rage, frustration and fear that is erupting all over the country.
No matter what forces are manipulating these present riots and violent uprisings, however—and there are definitely such forces at play here—none of this would be happening without the government having laid the groundwork.
Clearly, it’s time to clean house at all levels of government.
Stop tolerating corruption, graft, intolerance, greed, incompetence, ineptitude, militarism, lawlessness, ignorance, brutality, deceit, collusion, corpulence, bureaucracy, immorality, depravity, censorship, cruelty, violence, mediocrity, and tyranny. These are the hallmarks of an institution that is rotten through and through.
Stop holding your nose in order to block out the stench of a rotting institution.
Stop letting the government and its agents treat you like a servant or a slave.
You’ve got rights. We’ve all got rights. This is our country. This is our government. No one can take it away from us unless we make it easy for them.
You’ve got a better chance of making your displeasure seen and felt and heard within your own community. But it will take perseverance and unity and a commitment to finding common ground with your fellow citizens.
Right now…, we’re making it way too easy for the police state to take over.
Stop being an accessory to the murder of the American republic.
[Extracted from: https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/this_is_amerika_where_fascism_totalitarianism_and_militarism_go_hand_in_hand%5D
Correction: That’s https://www.rutherford.org/publications_resources/john_whiteheads_commentary/this_is_amerika_where_fascism_totalitarianism_and_militarism_go_hand_in_hand
New ABC/Ipsos poll:
Trump gets zero boost in his favorability rating after his convention. It now stands at 31 percent.
By contrast, Biden’s is 46 percent, up from 40 percent before both conventions.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-favorability-perceptions-covid-19-response-stagnate-post/story?id=72705268
White Supremacists Are Invading American Cities To Incite a Civil War
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/08/30/white-supremacists-are-invading-american-cities-to-incite-a-civil-war/
Thanks, Former Republican. That’s great news. I love it when Scrump (Screw Up + Trump – his new nickname from now on) has a bad day.
Very clever, Rustbelt. Trump deserves that, as he’s been a constant screw up.
Trump’s Visit to Wisconsin is Not Welcomed by State and Local Officials
It shouldn’t be. The president is sowing chaos, anarchy, and vandalism to get reelected.
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/08/31/trumps-visit-to-wisconsin-is-not-welcomed-by-state-and-local-officials/
Trump’s post-convention polling mirrors RNC’s ratings. People just aren’t that into him.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/8/31/1973779/-It-doesn-t-look-like-the-Republican-convention-gave-Trump-the-surge-he-was-looking-for
Biden nailed it in Pittsburgh today! 🙂
https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/31/politics/joe-biden-pittsburgh-violence-speech/index.html
Video of Biden’s excellent speech –
An Ill Wind For Incumbents Blows Across the Heartland
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/08/31/an-ill-wind-for-incumbents-blows-across-the-heartland/
🙂 Excellent poem over at Daily Kos –
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/8/31/1973871/-Things-to-Come-If-You-Vote-For-Joe
Things to Come… If You Vote For Joe
If you can imagine Republicans and Democrats
Shaking hands,
Vote for Joe.
If you want an organized end
To this pandemic plague
With a vaccine true and safe
And free for everyone,
Vote for Joe.
If you are a farmer who wants a soil more fertile
Tomorrow than it was yesterday,
A practice where less poisons
Are spread from your hands,
Where your family resides in a land
Green with growing plants,
Where your children see a future
Living in sustainable harmony
In a life
Producing profitable crops to market,
Vote for Joe.
If you want a job with meaning
Of your own choosing,
That allows your natural talents
Manufacture gold for you
And all those around you…
In fact, if you want millions
Of high paying jobs
In a technology that will reverse
The course of climate change,
Proud jobs
That through science and ingenuity
Will make America the world leader
That will save the planet,
Vote for Joe!
If you want to see lights staying on
After power lines fall
From natural disasters,
Envision an ocean of solar panels
Harvesting the sun,
Bringing real power to the people
In your community
In your home
And owned by you!
Vote for Joe.
Are you ready for policemen who are better trained
To truly protect and serve everyone
And to whom children of all races and creeds
Can look up to,
Vote for Joe.
If you want:
• Bridges fixed
• Levees repaired
• Roads rebuilt
• Broadband Internet linked to farms and small towns
• Airports modernized
• Harbors dredged and ports renewed
• Auto companies making the cars of the future
• Light rail transportation
• Healthcare for your family
• A minimum living wage
• Cleaner water
• Fresher air
• National forests and grasslands to hunt in
• National parks that welcome tourists from around the world
• Smarter, well educated children
• Honesty and truth
If you want to smile more than frown,
Laugh more than cry,
Sleep more than worry,
And be able to talk to ALL of your neighbors,
VOTE FOR JOE!
Some maintenance workers at my office have tested positive. As a precaution, a lot of our maintenance staff are quarantining.
Because of people at work being positive, more co-workers have been scared enough to start wearing masks now.
Trump went full authoritarian in his latest Fox News interview
Trump’s conspiracy theory about a plane a full of “thugs†is exactly what a dictator would say.
https://www.vox.com/2020/9/1/21410203/trump-fox-news-laura-ingraham-plane-thugs-biden
Rational Lefty – It’s like I’ve said before. The Trumpanzees will not take it seriously until it affects them personally.