It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

[PabloQ]

It Can't Happen Here describes an America under a fascist dictatorship. The idea seems far-fetched, but it is actually quite believable. A convergence of a charismatic candidate, backed by a ruthless brain trust, endorsed by radio religious personalities with the tough times of the Depression facilitates a Fascist occupation of the White House. It shows how the masses can be manipulated by a set of overwhelmingly favorable campaign promises that push all the right buttons. One fascinating thing is that in the 15 planks of the candidate's platform actually describes how he will throw out the US Constitution and set civil and women's rights back to the stone age. And he wins. Clearly it can happen here and it does.

Sinclair Lewis has made his name in the American canon by writing novels based on the foibles of Middle Class America. According to the forward written by Michael Meyer in my edition of this novel, the Great Depression's devastating affect on the middle class left Lewis searching for new material. He turned to the events happening across Europe and wrote this novel.

This novel almost seems prophetic. I continually drew parallels to Bush administration and how, with some alignment of other factors, the horrors of this novel could happen in the US today. Lewis is saying that if we, as a people, stand by and just let power-hungry politicians take charge without resistant forces holding them accountable can simply run amok. And if allowed too far afield, we could get caught in a position where the people cannot regain control. Lewis selects a newspaper editor in rural Vermont as his protagonist and its his conscience and sometimes his lack of action that drives the novel. It ends with hope and becomes a somewhat maudlin tribute to the spirit of the American people

The novel may not have much appeal to foreign readers, but it should be must reading for Americans.

[cafolini]

It Can't Happen Here describes an America under a fascist dictatorship. The idea seems far-fetched, but it is actually quite believable. A convergence of a charismatic candidate, backed by a ruthless brain trust, endorsed by radio religious personalities with the tough times of the Depression facilitates a Fascist occupation of the White House. It shows how the masses can be manipulated by a set of overwhelmingly favorable campaign promises that push all the right buttons. One fascinating thing is that in the 15 planks of the candidate's platform actually describes how he will throw out the US Constitution and set civil and women's rights back to the stone age. And he wins. Clearly it can happen here and it does.

Sinclair Lewis has made his name in the American canon by writing novels based on the foibles of Middle Class America. According to the forward written by Michael Meyer in my edition of this novel, the Great Depression's devastating affect on the middle class left Lewis searching for new material. He turned to the events happening across Europe and wrote this novel.

This novel almost seems prophetic. I continually drew parallels to Bush administration and how, with some alignment of other factors, the horrors of this novel could happen in the US today. Lewis is saying that if we, as a people, stand by and just let power-hungry politicians take charge without resistant forces holding them accountable can simply run amok. And if allowed too far afield, we could get caught in a position where the people cannot regain control. Lewis selects a newspaper editor in rural Vermont as his protagonist and its his conscience and sometimes his lack of action that drives the novel. It ends with hope and becomes a somewhat maudlin tribute to the spirit of the American people

The novel may not have much appeal to foreign readers, but it should be must reading for Americans.

I recognize this as absolute disinformation. The last statement crowns it perfectly. It tells foreigners that they are stupid and don't realize that our own people see this as something that's going to happen. This technique of disinformation has been used again and again. It has made many of us laugh over and over. It couldn't be more ridiculous.

[Emil Miller]

It Can't Happen Here describes an America under a fascist dictatorship. The idea seems far-fetched, but it is actually quite believable. A convergence of a charismatic candidate, backed by a ruthless brain trust, endorsed by radio religious personalities with the tough times of the Depression facilitates a Fascist occupation of the White House. It shows how the masses can be manipulated by a set of overwhelmingly favorable campaign promises that push all the right buttons. One fascinating thing is that in the 15 planks of the candidate's platform actually describes how he will throw out the US Constitution and set civil and women's rights back to the stone age. And he wins. Clearly it can happen here and it does.

Sinclair Lewis has made his name in the American canon by writing novels based on the foibles of Middle Class America. According to the forward written by Michael Meyer in my edition of this novel, the Great Depression's devastating affect on the middle class left Lewis searching for new material. He turned to the events happening across Europe and wrote this novel.

This novel almost seems prophetic. I continually drew parallels to Bush administration and how, with some alignment of other factors, the horrors of this novel could happen in the US today. Lewis is saying that if we, as a people, stand by and just let power-hungry politicians take charge without resistant forces holding them accountable can simply run amok. And if allowed too far afield, we could get caught in a position where the people cannot regain control. Lewis selects a newspaper editor in rural Vermont as his protagonist and its his conscience and sometimes his lack of action that drives the novel. It ends with hope and becomes a somewhat maudlin tribute to the spirit of the American people.

The novel may not have much appeal to foreign readers, but it should be must reading for Americans.

I haven't read the book but it is interesting how it concerns middle-class America and events in Europe as the basis for the novel. Only this morning I was reading about the current plight of the middle-class in the US as a result of the economic standstill following the biggest financial crisis since the 1930s, so there are obvious parallels. However, it's worth noting that the establishment of dictatorships in Italy, Germany and Spain was largely due to weak democratic government. There are varying degrees of authoritarianism and Germany, a country that never does things by halves let alone quarters, obviously established it at a higher level than others. It is unlikely that any dictatorship in control of the US, even one driven by German sympathisers, would have resembled its German counterpart to the same degree except that the population at large would have lost the power to change it other than by armed conflict.

[cafolini]

I haven't read the book but it is interesting how it concerns middle-class America and events in Europe as the basis for the novel. Only this morning I was reading about the current plight of the middle-class in the US as a result of the economic standstill following the biggest financial crisis since the 1930s, so there are obvious parallels. However, it's worth noting that the establishment of dictatorships in Italy, Germany and Spain was largely due to weak democratic government. There are varying degrees of authoritarianism and Germany, a country that never does things by halves let alone quarters, obviously established it at a higher level than others. It is unlikely that any dictatorship in control of the US, even one driven by German sympathisers, would have resembled its German counterpart to the same degree except that the population at large would have lost the power to change it other than by armed conflict.

Don't we know you from somewhere? You cannot moderate this no matter how much you try. There will be no civil strife inside the USA or connected in any way to Europe. Case closed.

[Emil Miller]

Don't we know you from somewhere? You cannot moderate this no matter how much you try. There will be no civil strife inside the USA or connected in any way to Europe. Case closed.

Don't we know you from somewhere? There may well be civil strife in Europe connected to USA banks, as happened after WWI, but whether the USA remains immune to it remains to be seen. Case decidedly still open.

[cafolini]

Don't we know you from somewhere? There may well be civil strife in Europe connected to USA banks, as happened after WWI, but whether the USA remains immune to it remains to be seen. Case decidedly still open.

I think I have known you long enough to know that it could actually happen if you were the leader. {EDIT} Go ahead, we will like to meet you. Letran? Vatican? Milan? Hendaya? Verona?

[KCurtis]

I think we need a new President.

[PabloQ]

Kids,
It's just a book review.
It wasn't meant to affend anyone from foreign shores. The book is very much a sermon targeted at American readers of the mid-1930s. My last comment is more of a knock on the book because it's not written in a way that it seems universable or relevant to non-American readers in contrast to a novel like Germinal by Zola. That novel could be about coal miners anywhere, they just happen to be French. The political statements in this novel are specifically directed to the an American people that think we're too big and too smart to succomb to the same political factors going on in Germany and Italy at the time. My apologies to anyone I may have offended.

[cafolini]

Kids,
It's just a book review.
It wasn't meant to affend anyone from foreign shores. The book is very much a sermon targeted at American readers of the mid-1930s. My last comment is more of a knock on the book because it's not written in a way that it seems universable or relevant to non-American readers in contrast to a novel like Germinal by Zola. That novel could be about coal miners anywhere, they just happen to be French. The political statements in this novel are specifically directed to the an American people that think we're too big and too smart to succomb to the same political factors going on in Germany and Italy at the time. My apologies to anyone I may have offended.

{edit}, it could well happen here in La Mancha, Texaz range, led by the glories of the Bluebell instead of Calatrava. We might let you play bearded Dulcinea del Paso.

[Alexander III]

badaboom

[Ubercritter]

PabloQ:

I have been meaning to read this book for a couple of years. your review is a good short introduction to it, and, although I would have liked a little more commentary on the literary rather than political aspects of the book, I am Looking forward to reading more reviews by you.

Thanks,

Critter