It Can't Happen Here

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Reading some of the sentiments in the blogosphere coming from the "Patriot" fringe, I am reminded of Sinclair Lewis's overlooked masterpiece, It Can't Happen Here. In it, a populist is elected President and America slips into fascism (hence the title). Written half a dozen years before we went to war with Nazi Germany, it is a disturbing and fascinating conjecture on the tenuousness of our grasp of liberty.

While there are some obvious differences in the political climate between now and 1935 when it was written, it still has a lot to say to our current situation, in particular the rise of the so-called Tea Party movement.

Haven't heard of it? Give it a read.

You can find a free electronic copy of it over at Feedbooks (which I heartily endorse): PDF, ePub and Kindle.

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