It can't happen here

[Adrian II]

Remarkable: in the crisis-ridden 1930's Sinclair Lewis wrote a novel entitled It can't happen here (1935) which, now that is has been reissued, seems to evoke a myriad of comparisons with the present situation. A folksy Southern politician rises to power with the support of Big Business, religious fanatics and a popular vote that is fed up with liberal media, fancy-talking intellectuals, shiftless progressives, foreigners, pinkos, promiscuity, welfare hangers-on etcetera. He establishes a de facto dictatorship, based on a climate of continuous fear of 'powerful and secret enemies of America' who are 'planning their last charge'. Oh, and sauerkraut is renamed Liberty Cabbage'...

Go figure.

[Strike For The South]

A defacto dictatorship wouldnt last. Bush would have to go over his term and at that point we would rise as one and slay him. I think im going to have some freedom fries

[BDC]

A defacto dictatorship wouldnt last. Bush would have to go over his term and at that point we would rise as one and slay him. I think im going to have some freedom fries

He'll just be replaced with someone very similar then...

[Geoffrey S]

Terms wouldn't be an issue if there were multiple successive presidents working along the same ideological lines; with marginal differences, that'd essentially be one continuous leadership, and is one of the reasons people are generally against having one particular political party in power for too long. In Russia for instance, despite nominal democracy it's mainly a matter of the sitting president chosing a successor and hoping for a contiuation of his policies.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

He'll just be replaced with someone very similar then...

Yes, he has pets...

Not to mention he'll probably try to ammend the bill of rights against the two term maximum...

[Kaiser of Arabia]

He'll just be replaced with someone very similar then...

or me.

[Sjakihata]

or me.

Thats what he said, someone similar.

[Xiahou]

Not to mention he'll probably try to ammend the bill of rights against the two term maximum...

That's not part of the Bill of Rights(what right would it enumerate anyhow? ) It's the 22nd Amendment, which was created after the death of the first and only president to hold more than 2 terms- which I think speaks to how Americans feel about "dictators".

[Kaiser of Arabia]

Thats what he said, someone similar.

Nah, I make Bush look like Jerry Garcia.

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Thank you for that...lesson...

I didn't have the patience to look that kind of stuff up...

[Samurai Waki]

Nah, I make Bush look like Jerry Garcia.

Even though You look more like Jerry Garcia than Bush.

[bmolsson]

I don't think US can afford having a dictator like Bush.

[Soulforged]

A defacto dictatorship wouldnt last. Bush would have to go over his term and at that point we would rise as one and slay him. I think im going to have some freedom fries

Never say never STFS...That's the first step to ignore and fall in blindness to the absolute truth that rules the universe, everything has to happen sometime and everything falls. The people here did the same, trusting in the leadership of a de facto government to solve their problems, but when things started to go wrong (and after a lot of propaganda an media screening) it actually happened we turned into that monster that we thought we never gonna turn out, and we had a lot of instruments to ensure political correctness during elections and after that, the problem is that a window in the side is always open, and that's an absolute.

[Strike For The South]

It looks like 08 republican nominee is McCain and his polices are quite diffrent from Bushses.

[Lemur]

It looks like 08 republican nominee is McCain and his polices are quite diffrent from Bushses.

I seriously doubt the Republican establisment will allow McCain to win the primary. Do you remember the bag of tricks they pulled out on him in 2000? No, he'd win the general election, but he'll never make it through the Ubercon primaries.

[Strike For The South]

i was 10 in 2000

[AntiochusIII]

That's not part of the Bill of Rights(what right would it enumerate anyhow? ) It's the 22nd Amendment, which was created after the death of the first and only president to hold more than 2 terms- which I think speaks to how Americans feel about "dictators".

Why do I have this feeling when I read the documents involved that it was more like a Republican "vengeance" on FDR rather than a unified effort by the nation? Nonetheless, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. They seem to have their ideological "excuse" ("reasons") based on Washington's denial of the third term, though, even though Washington only denied it because he was sick and tired of being the primary strawman by the opposition.

Nonetheless, FDR's long leadership was due to the World War more than anything else. People don't like changing leaders in wars, so leaders...erm...like wars.

Like today's war, but...ah...no need to repeat the obvious.

I seriously doubt the Republican establisment will allow McCain to win the primary. Do you remember the bag of tricks they pulled out on him in 2000? No, he'd win the general election, but he'll never make it through the Ubercon primaries.

Sadly. Mccain was a good moderate. Something this country desperately needs.

But the Republican party relies more and more on their nutjob powerbases nowadays; the extremists whom you can completely rely on. Men like him stand no chance to be their Presidential candidate.

I'm still here hoping for a worthy Democratic candidate (or a reform within the Republicans to remove them from the far-right lobbyist wolves) in 2008, which, if all goes well, I will cast my first vote for America. Ever.

---------------------------------------------------------------

AdrianII, thanks for the amazing historical parallel. The funny way the funny human minds work...

[Adrian II]

AdrianII, thanks for the amazing historical parallel. The funny way the funny human minds work...

Better thank your country for producing such excellent authors as Lewis. I loved his Babbitt novels. There are a lot of Babbitts in the U.S. just as there are armies of similar arch-hypocrites in other countries, but one Lewis outweighs them all. Funny I never heard of this book, or never noticed it in his bibliography. The point to remember is that the obvious always comes to pass in surprising ways and when you least expect it. I do not suppose for one moment that an American dictatorship along Hitler-lines is possible, but there are disturbing parallels with that Lewis novel. The indefinite state of emergency in the book, induced by vague, diffuse enemies both outside and within the country, reminds me of the way in which Congress in 2001 voted for a 'war against terrorism' which is by its very nature open-ended, meaning that the special Presidential powers deriving from the act will remain in force indefinitely. Over time this will create an imbalance in the system. Another parallel with the book is that the way we (or rather you, Americans) define the enemy is a way of (re)defining yourselves; an internal agenda goes hand in hand with foreign policy goals.

[KafirChobee]

Hmmmmmmmm, I too must admit not to hearing of this novel before. The reason probably is that in its time it was probably considered the "Ferhinhite (ms) 9/11" (by Roger Moore) of its time, and ergo of no consequence after the 1936 elections. Then again, who knows. Sounds like a good read - and no doubt a new movie by next year.

The premise that "it can't happen here" has always been with us - as have thr same cast of characters that existed then exist today (only the names have changed ... from Billy Sunday to Robertson).

Anyway, thanks for sharing this - will definately be adding a book to the library.

Not recognizing evil in the guise of "good of the country" has always been a problem.

BTW, it was a Republican congress that passed the 22nd Amendment in March 1947 - it was ratified in 1951 after 36 of the 48 states signed of on it. Funny thing is that every time the Republicans find someone the think can be re-elected a third time (Reagan) there is a lot of talk about repealing it. Personally, there has only been one Prez since its passing that even had a chance at a third term - even after admitting to getting a hummer.

[Papewaio]

'It can't happen here' ebook

Interesting parrallels from what I have read so far...

[Adrian II]

'It can't happen here' ebook

Interesting parrallels from what I have read so far...

Darn it, didn't even occur to me that it might be available online. This is great. Thank you very much, Papewaio!

[Prodigal]

He'll just be replaced with someone very similar then...

He has children!!!!

[Upxl]

A defacto dictatorship wouldnt last. Bush would have to go over his term and at that point we would rise as one and slay him. I think im going to have some freedom fries

freedom fries

You guys don't really say that do you?

Besides the French part of french fries come from frenzied.

What about the Belgium waffles?

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I guess this would be a bad place to start the .Org Jeb Bush for President committee?

[Strike For The South]

You guys don't really say that do you?

Besides the French part of french fries come from frenzied.

What about the Belgium waffles?

Whats a Belgium?

[Brutus]

Whats a Belgium?

Brilliant statement.

You guys don't really say that do you?

We renamed the 'Patatje Oorlog' ('War Fries') to 'Frietje Feest' ('Party Fries') after 9-11.

[Zalmoxis]

Every food should be reanamed to include freedom or liberty somewhere. Anyone up for liberty dogs?

[master of the puppets]

did yu know that french toast is an american invention? its was just named frenchj toast cause american toast is'nt catchy enough.