It Can't Happen Here - Sinclair Lewis's Prophetic Warning

"It Can't Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis is a political novel focusing around a folksy, self-conscious plain spoken Southern politician named Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip rises to power during a period of profound unrest in America, appealing to the "common man" of the American voters. At this time (in a very pre-World War II setting) the United States is facing a slew of its worst existential crises to date, and the American people, once sunny, confident, and striving, are now scared, angry, and disillusioned.Buzz Windrip appears to be a regular guy, personable, easy to get along with, and reasonable. He claimed to want America to be whatever one wanted, the land of the free and the brave, better than all others. Guided by his secretary Lee Sarason, he cozies up to the electorate by stoking their disdain for fancy ideas and encouraging them to follow their hearts, not their minds.When Windrip is elected, all hell breaks loose. The dissent is crushed, the Bill of Rights is gutted as he stacks the Supreme Court, blame is placed on foreigners and war is declared (on Mexico), and "rehabilitation" (labor) camps are established to help shore up Windrip's vaunted "New Freedom," which toted the beauty of American freedom and branded anyone who disagreed or even questioned the President, as anti-freedom and anti-America while quietly killing freedom.All that's really left of the old America are the flags and patriotic songs, which for many is more than enough because they have others to blame. The blame falls on the "it can't happen here" crowd, those who have yet to realize that being American doesn't change your human nature. Americans are not inherently better than others. Whatever it is in human nature that attracts people to tyranny is in Americans like it's in anyone else. The problem is that Americans are arrogant and oblivious, and so saying they have freedom is enough that they don't believe tyranny can happen in their country, even as it is going on right in front of their eyes.Windrip's most formidable task, convincing Americans to renounce bedrock democratic principles, was already accomplished well before he took power. The United States was ripe for a Fascist takeover, it was just waiting for its moment. Through a combination of influences-his easy bearing chief among them (along with massive cash donations from Big Business, spineless disorganization in the liberal opposition, a stuffy aloof opponent, and support from religious fanatics who felt like they've been unfairly marginalized)-he wins the presidential election (sound familiar?).Once in, he appoints his close personal friends and political advisers to high-level positions, stocks the Supreme Court with 'surprisingly unknown lawyers' who called him by his first name, takes away most of the power of Congress under the guise of national security, allows Big Business to dictate economic policy, consolidates the media to a few rich corrupt owners, and fills newspapers with syndicated gossip from Hollywood to keep everyone distracted.Newspapermen worry that America is moving backward to a time when anti-German politicians renamed sauerkraut "Liberty Cabbage" and "hick legislators"...set up shop as scientific experts and made the world laugh itself sick by forbidding the teaching of true silence while silencing real scientists,'' but newspaper readers, wary of excessive negativity, stop paying attention, even when journalists who don't tow the line start disappearing.Given the nature of "powerful and secret enemies" of America, who are always hiding infiltrated in your neighborhood, and always on the verge of "planning their last charge" to take away our freedom-an indefinite state of crisis is declared, with freedom tossed aside "until the threat passes." The President assures this is for America's own safety, and as soon as the threat is over, the freedoms will come back.Sure, some say these methods are extreme, but enemies are around everywhere, and since everyone is permanently in danger, and plain folks are tired of wishy-washy leaders, and feel the president's decisiveness is good leadership in a time of emergency-not a Fascist takeover. Besides, as one man says, a Fascist dictatorship "couldn't happen here in America...we're a country of freemen!" dr seuss cat in hat history