Book review - It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

 From Gemini AI on 08/10/25

Sinclair Lewis's 1935 novel, It Can't Happen Here, offers a powerful and enduring message about the fragility of democracy and the dangers of political complacency. While written in a specific historical context—the rise of fascism in Europe and the political climate of the Great Depression in America—the book's themes have proven to be remarkably prescient and relevant to contemporary society.

Here are some of the key benefits of reading It Can't Happen Here:

• A Warning About the Rise of Authoritarianism: The novel serves as a chilling cautionary tale about how a charismatic demagogue can exploit economic hardship, social unrest, and nationalistic fervor to gain power. The fictional president, Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip, is a populist leader who promises a return to "traditional" values and prosperity, all while consolidating power, dismantling democratic institutions, and creating a paramilitary force to enforce his will. This provides a clear illustration of how fascism can take root even in an established democracy.

• Exploration of Political Communication and Propaganda: Lewis, a Nobel laureate, was keenly aware of the power of mass media. The protagonist, a small-town newspaper editor named Doremus Jessup, witnesses firsthand how a demagogue can manipulate the media to spread propaganda and control public opinion. The novel highlights the crucial role of a free press and the dangers of media censorship, a theme that remains highly relevant in the age of social media and misinformation.

• The Importance of Individual Resistance: Through the eyes of Doremus Jessup, the novel emphasizes the necessity of individual courage and resistance in the face of tyranny. Jessup's journey from a complacent liberal to a member of an underground resistance movement demonstrates that citizens cannot be silent bystanders when their rights and freedoms are under threat. The book suggests that even small acts of defiance are vital in a struggle against oppression.

• A Call for Vigilance and Critical Thinking: The title itself—It Can't Happen Here—is an ironic statement that challenges the reader's own sense of security. The novel forces a confrontation with the idea that democracy is not an unshakeable given, but a fragile system that requires constant vigilance. It encourages readers to be critical of political rhetoric, to recognize the warning signs of authoritarianism, and to actively participate in their democracy.

Historical and Social Commentary: By reading It Can't Happen Here, readers gain insight into the political and social anxieties of the 1930s. The novel reflects on the appeal of figures like Louisiana politician Huey Long (who inspired the character of Windrip) and the fear of European fascism spreading to the United States. It also explores how economic desperation can make a population more susceptible to radical promises and demagoguery.

My comment - It has happened here in the US in 2025. The US government has transitioned from a democracy to an autocracy. The question for democracy lovers is not how to prevent autocracy, but how to minimize and eliminate it and restore democratic processes. There are many avenues of correction. Perhaps the most important is to get money out of political campaigns.

The first death knell of democracy was when the Supreme Court opined in Citizens United that a corporation is a person and money is free speech so corporations can contribute unlimited amounts of money to pollical campaigns thereby buying politicians. This single ruling gives immense power to oligarchs to control the political processes.

The second death knell is making the criminal justice system for sale to lawyers who can sue and drag out adjudication processes until they bankrupt opposing parties in legal proceedings. The person with the most money wins.

The third death knell was the rise to "alternative facts" promulgated by social media and unaccountable journalists who promote propaganda and disinformation to obtain political power persuading critical illiterate people to support them.

The fourth death knell was the use of fear of the other to promote a savior idolizing dynamic where people's insecurities are enhanced so they will acquiesce to giving up their power and agency to a charismatic leader who promises security and comfort.

It Can't Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis and 1984 by George Orwell are highly recommended to people interested in exploring the dynamics of our current society.

Autocrats destroy government agencies to take their power and authority for themselves without their knowledge and expertise.

We never ask: Why am I spending another minute of my life reading about and yapping about Donald Trump when I know nothing about the 2 million or so federal employees and their possibly lifesaving work that the president is intent on eliminating?

Lewis, Michael. Who Is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service (p. 6). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

We have been told that DOGE’s gutting of federal agencies was about saving money, and learn today, July 4, 2025, that with the signing of the “one big beautiful bill” the US debt will rise by trillions of dollars and that Elon Musk opposed the bill saying that it would add to the debt whatever if anything his cuts while at DOGE saved and much more. So while services provided by the US Federal government will be crippled and the American people and people around the world will suffer, what was the point of DOGE firing all these federal workers?

It was the accumulation of power by the autocrats who wanted to undermine and sabotage the authority that comes from knowledge, skill, and competence of the federal workforce who work for the good of the American people and the world.

So what have we lost in firing people with knowledge, skill, competence, and the values of public service? That’s what Lewis and his colleagues wanted to learn.

What have you noticed already about the loss of governmental services since the federal workers have been terminated? How has your life and the lives of your loved ones and community been affected?
Science and public health will cease to exist as we know it.

It isn’t just providing healthcare that is impacted—the science that leads to these healthcare measures is being destroyed too. OBBBA is slashing funding for basic science research, even more than the cuts that have already taken place in the last 6 months. These institutions are already woefully underfunded, and these cuts will effectively destroy scientific research infrastructure in the US.

The National Institutes of Health is losing 40% of their budget.

The CDC is losing roughly 50% of their budget.

The National Science Foundation is losing $7 billion in funding.

That means over 1,600 research grants, primarily at public universities, will be gone. 75% of early-career science fellowships will be gone. Even more layoffs at public research labs. That’s years of work lost, overnight.

No support for vaccine infrastructure, food safety, epidemic and pandemic preparedness, maternal health. Preventive services research.

The magnitude of damage will be exponentially worse than the NIH indirect cost caps, which I wrote about earlier this year: (From Immunologic by Dr. Andrea Love, accessed on 07/04/25)

Weekly newsletter 12/02/24: Bill of Rights Day, Disinformation, Autocracy, Inc.

Markham's Slow News newsletter will be published every Monday. Please subscribe and share and comment.

December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. 

There are some great resources here provided by Larry Ferlazzo. As the USA moves further from democracy to autocracy a reminder about the Bill Of Rights is especially relevant and timely.

Disinformation can contribute to avoidable harm and death

Disinformation is prolific in our age of digital media when publishing can occur without any editing. It seems ironic that I am writing this when I engage in this activity myself. However, what distinguishes my publication is that I have taken the Pro Truth pledge and promise my readers to publish only what I have vetted and know to be true to the best of my ability.

Some people hold the value of honesty, accuracy, and validity very highly while others, motivated by any number of incentives, are selling something based on explicit and implicit agendas. It behooves the consumer of media to insist on honesty and accuracy and to discern the motivations and incentives of the communicator. The question “Why is this person communicating this to me can be very illuminating.” In everyday language we should ask “What is this communicator up to and hoping will happen as a result of communicating this message”?

Just as people can spread infectious bacteria and viruses, they can spread false information. Just as infectious diseases can harm and kill so can toxic disinformation.

For more from Hayden Godfrey’s article, “Doctors Who Put Lives At Risk With Covid Misinformation Rarely Punished? click here.

Autocracies, Inc by Anne Applebaum

As the US has slipped further from democracy to autocracy with the re-election of Donald Trump as president, knowledge of the signs and symptoms of autocracy as a form of government and the consequences of this development has become much more important. This shift in governance processes have highly significant influence on the daily events described in the media.

From Autocracy, Inc. by Anne Applebaum

"Nowadays, autocracies are run not by one bad guy but by sophisticated networks relying on kleptocratic financial structures, a complex of security services—military, paramilitary, police—and technological experts who provide surveillance, propaganda, and disinformation.  p. 1

"Unlike military or political alliances from other times and places, this group operates not like a bloc but rather like an agglomeration of companies, bound not by ideology but rather by a ruthless, single-minded determination to preserve their personal wealth and power: Autocracy, Inc.  p. 2

"Instead of ideas, the strongmen who lead Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Angola, Myanmar, Cuba, Syria, Zimbabwe, Mali, Belarus, Sudan, Azerbaijan, and perhaps three dozen others share a determination to preserve their personal wealth and power; Autocracy, inc.  p.3

The world is run by corporations which the US supreme court has deemed as persons for constitutional purposes. What's up with that?

Capitalism where the profit motive is the only legitimate value system for corporations to pursue furthers the power of the oligarchs who can buy the political policies they prefer by financing elections.

What do you think Elon Musk is doing working with Trump heading a concocted government agency called the “Department of Efficiency”? The billionaires run the US.

Our US motto, instead of "In God We Trust" should be "Money Talks and Bullshit Walks."

So, I think Applebaum is on to something in the introduction. And now I am very interested in reading the rest of the book to see what she has to say.