Bending the Third Rail
Because We Should, We Can, We Do
Monday, August 21, 2006
It Can Happen Here
Not really a new story but Sinclair Lewis's 1935 novel It Can't Happen Here has been reissued.
The story features America in thrall to a homespun facist dictator. As the Boston Globe review says, it's as unsettling a read as ever.

Through a combination of factors-his easy bearing chief among them (along with massive cash donations from Big Business; disorganization in the liberal opposition; a stuffy, aloof opponent; and support from religious fanatics who feel they've been unfairly marginalized)-he wins the presidential election.

Once in, he appoints his friends and political advisers to high-level positions, stocks the Supreme Court with ''surprisingly unknown lawyers who called [him] by his first name,'' declaws Congress, allows Big Business to dictate policy, consolidates the media, and fills newspapers with ''syndicated gossip from Hollywood.'' Carping 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 evolution,'' but newspaper readers, wary of excessive negativity, pay no mind.

Given the nature of ''powerful and secret enemies'' of America-who are ''planning their last charge'' to take away our freedom-an indefinite state of crisis is declared, and that freedom is stowed away for safekeeping. When the threat passes, we can have it back, but in the meantime, citizens are asked to ''bear with'' the president.

Cautionary tales like this, movies such as Good Night and Good Luck and Syriana should grab more of the public's attention. If only they weren't so distracted with the faux JonBenet killer headlines. There really is nothing new under the sun.
"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."—George Santayana
Written at 5:01 AM by Lynne.
0 comments