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It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush

It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril in the Age of Bush
By Joe Conason

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“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross.”
---Sinclair Lewis, author of It Can’t Happen Here, 1935
 
 For the first time since the Nixon era, Americans have reason to doubt the future---or even the presence---of democracy. We live in a society where government conspires with big business and big evangelism; where ideologues and religious zealots attack logic and the scientific method; and where the ruling party  encourages xenophobic nationalism based on irrational, manufactured fear. The party in power seems to seek a perpetual state of war to hold on to power, and they are willing to lie, cheat, and steal to achieve their ends. The question must be asked: Are we headed toward the end of American democracy?
Nobel Prize--winning author Sinclair Lewis depicted authoritarianism American-style in his sardonically titled dystopian novel It Can’t Happen Here, published in 1935. Now, bestselling political journalist Joe Conason argues that it can happen here—and a select group of extremely powerful right-wing ideologues are driving us ever closer to the precipice.
In this compelling, impassioned, yet rational and fact-based look at the state of the nation, Conason shows how and why America has been wrenched away from its founding principles and is being dragged toward authoritarianism.
 
Praise for the books of Joe Conason:
 
“A comprehensive, well-researched indictment of a bunch of nasty people who really deserve it.”
---Molly Ivins on Big Lies
 
 “When Joe casts his eye on the cadres of the right, they invariably emerge battered, with their arguments filleted, their sources of money exposed, and their real motives laid bare.”
 —Michael Tomasky, former editor, The American Prospect, on The Raw Deal 
“A hundred years from now the primary source on the so-called Clinton scandals will still be The Hunting of the President by Joe Conason and Gene Lyons.”
---James Carville on The Hunting of the President
 
 
 
 
 
 
Joe Conason writes for Salon and has written a popular political column for The New York Observer since 1992. He is the author of Big Lies, The Raw Deal, and, with Gene Lyons, The Hunting of the President. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Nation, and many other publications. He is a regular commentator on Air America Radio.
 “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross.”—Sinclair Lewis, author of It Can’t Happen Here, 1935
 
 For the first time since the Nixon era, Americans have reason to doubt the future—or even the presence—of democracy. We live in a society where government conspires with big business and big evangelism; where ideologues and religious zealots attack logic and the scientific method; and where the ruling party  encourages xenophobic nationalism based on irrational, manufactured fear. The party in power seems to seek a perpetual state of war to hold on to power, and they are willing to lie, cheat, and steal to achieve their ends. The question must be asked: Are we headed toward the end of American democracy?

Nobel Prize-winning author Sinclair Lewis depicted authoritarianism American-style in his sardonically titled dystopian novel It Can’t Happen Here, published in 1935. Now, bestselling political journalist Joe Conason argues that it can happen here—and a select group of extremely powerful right-wing ideologues are driving us ever closer to the precipice.

In this compelling, impassioned, yet rational and fact-based look at the state of the nation, Conason shows how and why America has been wrenched away from its founding principles and is being dragged toward authoritarianism.
 
"Sinclair Lewis's 1935 novel It Can't Happen Here envisaged a right-wing populist president, advised by a cunning political strategist and backed by a cynical alliance of religious fundamentalists and corporations, who uses security threats to consolidate dictatorial powers, destroy civil liberties and establish folksy fascism. This is a virtual blueprint for the current Bush administration, a 'corrupt and authoritarian ruling clique' that accords the president 'the prerogatives of a king,' argues political columnist Conason . . . He surveys a long list of what he sees as Bush administration affronts to freedom and democracy: military tribunals, torture, warrantless wiretapping, politically motivated terrorism alerts, a war based on fraudulent pretexts, the Abramoff scandals, the handover of policy making to business interests and Christian zealots, tight secrecy coupled with a dissemination of propaganda through the right-wing media and a lawless contempt for constitutional constraints on the presidency."—Publishers Weekly
 
"Conason follows Sinclair Lewis' 1935 book It Can't Happen Here with a firm assertion that fascism can indeed take root and blossom in the U.S. if Americans aren't more vigilant about freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Although we are not facing full-blown fascism, Conason sees a 'gradual and insidious turn toward authoritarian rule' for the first time since the Nixon administration. He explores how and why Lewis' grim and amusing tale resonates today as Americans watch an increasingly secretive Bush administration usurp the power of the legislature and disregard provisions of the Constitution by stoking fear of terrorism. Conason, author of Big Lies (2003) and The Raw Deal (2005), points to periods throughout history when nations have been tempted by tyrants to turn over the reins of government, and the factors in U.S. history and culture that make us vulnerable to similar impulses now, in the midst of manufactured fears. However readers might feel about Conason's political viewpoints, his caution is worth considering."—Vanessa Bush, Booklist

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #364279 in Books
  • Published on: 2007-02-20
  • Released on: 2007-02-20
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 256 pages

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Sinclair Lewis's 1935 novel It Can't Happen Here envisaged a right-wing populist president, advised by a cunning political strategist and backed by a cynical alliance of religious fundamentalists and corporations, who uses security threats to consolidate dictatorial powers, destroy civil liberties and establish folksy fascism. This is a virtual blueprint for the current Bush administration, a "corrupt and authoritarian ruling clique" that accords the president "the prerogatives of a king," argues political columnist Conason (Big Lies) in this lively, if overwrought, j'accuse. He surveys a long list of what he sees as Bush administration affronts to freedom and democracy: military tribunals, torture, warrantless wiretapping, politically motivated terrorism alerts, a war based on fraudulent pretexts, the Abramoff scandals, the handover of policy making to business interests and Christian zealots, tight secrecy coupled with a dissemination of propaganda through the right-wing media and a lawless contempt for constitutional constraints on the presidency. His indictment often hits home, but it's broad and indiscriminate, treating biased journalism, religion-tinged politics and lobbying scandals as signs of creeping fascism rather than age-old commonplaces of democracy. Conason delivers his usual cogent, hard-hitting critique of Republican misdeeds, but his insinuations of authoritarianism, coming just as the Republicans have been voted out of power in Congress, seem badly timed. (Mar. 1)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Conason follows Sinclair Lewis' 1935 book It Can't Happen Here with a firm assertion that fascism can indeed take root and blossom in the U.S. if Americans aren't more vigilant about freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Although we are not facing full-blown fascism, Conason sees a "gradual and insidious turn toward authoritarian rule" for the first time since the Nixon administration. He explores how and why Lewis' grim and amusing tale resonates today as Americans watch an increasingly secretive Bush administration usurp the power of the legislature and disregard provisions of the Constitution by stoking fear of terrorism. Conason, author of Big Lies (2003) and The Raw Deal (2005), points to periods throughout history when nations have been tempted by tyrants to turn over the reins of government, and the factors in U.S. history and culture that make us vulnerable to similar impulses now, in the midst of manufactured fears. However readers might feel about Conason's political viewpoints, his caution is worth considering. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

“A masterfully rational and lucid writer . . . [this is] a serious, focused, and well-reasoned call to awakening.”
--Daily Kos
 
“[Conason] ably catalogs the Bush administration’s attempts to subvert civil liberties.”
--The New York Times Book Review
 
“[Conason] offers pithy insights into each central character in the post–September 11 drama, including Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, and John Yoo . . . [and] a well-written account of an administration bent on establishing authoritarian executive power.”
--The New York Review of Books
 
“Conason eloquently warns of the danger of American authoritarianism.”
--Naomi Wolf, The Guardian
 

Customer Reviews

modus operandi of what brought unchecked power to Nazi Germany 5
Fascist Mussolini once described fascism as simply Big Government & Big Business working hand in hand.
Joe Conason describes Sinclair Lewis's book, "It Can Happen Here", extremely well. In the book the newly elected president with has advisor, seize upon an economic crisis to aggregate more & more power to the White House. The Adminstration proceeds to turn Congress into an advisory board, as they start appointing political hacks to the courts. Acting on the assumption that constitutional procedures are a dangerous hindrance to executive powers, the administration swiftly begins to dismantel them. The U.S. Government begins to conduct business in near total secrecy (controlling or, at best suppressing the media). The country is eventually bankrupted while the wealthy few at the top grow even more wealthy. Any citizen who dares to question the new order is brought before a military trbunal to answer charges of treason. The book ends with the utter suppression of dissent, the complete nixing of the Bill Of Rights, the establishment of labor & dentention camps, and the violent suppression of labor unions & political rivals.
The author gives us pertinent background to Lewis. For instance,Lewis had been married to Dorothy Thompson, who had been expelled from Berlin by the Nazis a year earlier and quickly became America's most outspoken critic of Fascism.
After providing an excellent backdrop to the rise of Hitler's power the author bring us to the present and not so perfect present/future:
Our very corporate style of government, most appropriate to a corporate state, where business executives and government officials can collude & pillage without concern for the troublesome checks and balances of a constitutional democracy. The White House imperative to remove protection for consumers, workers, & soldiers. Deregulate corporate management & subsidize corporate profits. Privitize Public service. Cut corporate and top-bracket taxes. Surrender public assets to private ownership.
A very prescient work. Imperative for a public that should and must understand the message:
TO BE FOREWARNED IS TO BE FOREARMED !!!!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!!

The Bush Administration Collides With Orwell's 19845
While I agree with some of the other reviews that state much of this information is available elsewhere, it was nice to find it in a well written book nicely packaged together.

The book begins with a nicely written piece on the Sinclair Lewis book "It Can't Happen Here" and compares the current administration to that in the Lewis book. The author then begins a tour of the cast, which include all the favorites: Bush, Rove, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and dozens of others, many of whom were players in the Nixon and Reagan administrations.

Descriptions are provided of the actions taken by this administration to create a perpetual war, so that the power of the President can become unitary. There is also thoughtful commentary of how the religious right and the corporate right got together behind Bush.

The book is not flattering to most of the participants, and it is scary how close we were to having a theocracy in the United Sates. Although many people have battled to keep this from occurring, it seems as if it was the self destructive work of the current administration that kept us free from that occurrence.

This book is recommended for any thinking American, and should be required reading for every voting American. This book would also be a good background book for those thinking the President should be impeached. The book is well researched, documented and written!

Election year must read!5
If you read a lot of newspapers every day, there probably won't be a lot of new information you'll learn in this book. But most of us don't--and even for those who know many of the facts, Conason's compelling story of how our government is being transformed into the opposite of what the American Revolution was fought for is necessary reading as we go into one of the most important elections in our history. Read this book and then consider where the different candidates stand--not on the War, not on stem-cell research--but on the fundamental qualities that made America the greatest nation in the world. Conservatives probably think they're going to hate this book, but conservatives more than anyone need to see how their principles have been hijacked to create the biggest, most intrusive government ever.