It Can't Happen Here"

When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis

A quote that has been attributed to Sinclair Lewis but there is no proof he ever said it or wrote it. There is still a lot of truth there either way.

Lewis did write the novel "It Can't Happen Here" in 1935 which explains exactly how the authoritarian regimes coming to power could happen here if the necessary ingredients came together just right.

People who's never heard of Sinclair Lewis or this book bought it en masse at the end of 2016 because of the curious parallels in it with our current political climate.

To be clear I do not think Trump is a threat to become an authoritarian dictator but the ways he went about obtaining power we're very similar to ways others have done it and similar to the ways we see it happen in Sinclair's book.

If anything perhaps Trump is the canary in the coal mine showing us how easy it would be for either side of the political spectrum to be pushed to the extreme opening the door for an extreme candidate to take power.

We saw something similar in Alabama with Roy Moore but common sense won out. There are races in other parts of the country where these extreme candidates are being pushed to the top by an empowered and extremely vocal minority.

There are disturbing things happening now during this administration which I'd argue are not directly attributed to Trump but rather he has created a climate, intentionally or not, that has allowed shades of fascism to start peeking it's ugly head up.

To be cont....

Trump and Bannon are racists. They have created EXACTLY the America they want.

anything can happen anywhere and anyone that believes otherwise is only fooling themselves ...............

BlackMatters said:

When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis

A quote that has been attributed to Sinclair Lewis but there is no proof he ever said it or wrote it. There is still a lot of truth there either way.

Lewis did write the novel "It Can't Happen Here" in 1935 which explains exactly how the authoritarian regimes coming to power could happen here if the necessary ingredients came together just right.

People who's never heard of Sinclair Lewis or this book bought it en masse at the end of 2016 because of the curious parallels in it with our current political climate.

To be clear I do not think Trump is a threat to become an authoritarian dictator but the ways he went about obtaining power we're very similar to ways others have done it and similar to the ways we see it happen in Sinclair's book.

If anything perhaps Trump is the canary in the coal mine showing us how easy it would be for either side of the political spectrum to be pushed to the extreme opening the door for an extreme candidate to take power.

We saw something similar in Alabama with Roy Moore but common sense won out. There are races in other parts of the country where these extreme candidates are being pushed to the top by an empowered and extremely vocal minority.

There are disturbing things happening now during this administration which I'd argue are not directly attributed to Trump but rather he has created a climate, intentionally or not, that has allowed shades of fascism to start peeking it's ugly head up.

To be cont....

Click to expand...

If the Intelligentsia had done even a halfway competent job at their jobs over the last few decades Trump would not be here.

Trump is intended to be the corrective.

TRUMP IS CHEMO

Of course it could happen here. It couldn’t happen here tomorrow due to our checks and balances and the current makeup of our military. But that doesn’t mean things couldn’t change slowly over time until such checks and balances no longer exist.

Skeptic Bob said:

Of course it could happen here. It couldn’t happen here tomorrow due to our checks and balances and the current makeup of our military. But that doesn’t mean things couldn’t change slowly over time until such checks and balances no longer exist.

Click to expand...

But notice how Flake The Flop and the rest are trying to sell their alternative truths.....AKA either lies or fantasy.....who can tell with these assholes....


"SOUND THE ALARMS, ALL OF THEM, DISASTER IS AT HAND!!!!!!!!!"

If it comes it will be from the violent rejection of the ideas of those you disagree with. Pretty soon the tribes will start killing each other. First come the bloodshed from from the left empowered by there ability to control ideas, and then the unraveling begins.

I like to see this thread as a microcosm that will mean big trouble if these attitudes ever touch the levers of power.

BlackMatters said:

When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis

A quote that has been attributed to Sinclair Lewis but there is no proof he ever said it or wrote it. There is still a lot of truth there either way.

Lewis did write the novel "It Can't Happen Here" in 1935 which explains exactly how the authoritarian regimes coming to power could happen here if the necessary ingredients came together just right.

People who's never heard of Sinclair Lewis or this book bought it en masse at the end of 2016 because of the curious parallels in it with our current political climate.

To be clear I do not think Trump is a threat to become an authoritarian dictator but the ways he went about obtaining power we're very similar to ways others have done it and similar to the ways we see it happen in Sinclair's book.

If anything perhaps Trump is the canary in the coal mine showing us how easy it would be for either side of the political spectrum to be pushed to the extreme opening the door for an extreme candidate to take power.

We saw something similar in Alabama with Roy Moore but common sense won out. There are races in other parts of the country where these extreme candidates are being pushed to the top by an empowered and extremely vocal minority.

There are disturbing things happening now during this administration which I'd argue are not directly attributed to Trump but rather he has created a climate, intentionally or not, that has allowed shades of fascism to start peeking it's ugly head up.

To be cont....

Click to expand...

To be correct no one can prove he said that, while huey long is credited with the original but different saying, when fascism comes to america, it will call itself anti fascism.

The original quote has been twisted numerous times with words changed and misquoted to numerous people including ronald reagan and winston churchill(neither said that saying). The original quote and others similiar to that by huey long are the polar opposite of the later sayings, which tend to say that fascism will happen under the guise of nationalism and religion, while huey long saying meant fascism will not wear it's uniform or fly it's colors, but rather be an enemy at the gates.

If you are looking for fascism in the US, don't be looking at "wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

The Liberal Gulag - National Review
| National Review
Welcome to the Liberal Gulag. That term may be perverse, but it is not an exaggeration. Mr. Weinstein specifically called for political activists, ranging from ...

Why Modern Leftists Are Fascists – Return Of Kings
Why Modern Leftists Are Fascists – Return Of Kings
“The left rails against fascism.” No the left uses the word “fascism” out of ignorance or spite and is at no time in an effort to clarify. Fascism is to the left of socialism. Read Golberg’s book.

Fascism is Left Wing | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche ...
lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/may/2013-04-22/fascism-left-wing
Apr 22, 2013 · Fascism is on the Left. Liberty and personal responsibility are on the Right. Fascism and Marxism are the two primary forms of Socialism, but for decades the Left has told the lie that Fascism is on the Political Right. Fascists pursue government control …

Take AntiFa as an example. Clearly a movement on the far left.

“They have no allegiance to liberal democracy”: an expert on antifa - Vox
https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/.../antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-intervie...
Aug 25, 2017 - If the alt-left exists, it's probably best represented by “antifa” (short for “anti-fascist”) — a loose network of left-wing activists who physically resist people they consider fascists. These are often the scruffy, bandana-clad people who show up at alt-right rallies or speaking events in order to shut them down ...

Yes, antifa is the moral equivalent of neo-Nazis - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/...antifa.../9a13b2f6-8d00-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_...
Last weekend in Berkeley, Calif., a group of neo-communist antifa — “anti-fascist” — thugs attacked peaceful protesters at a “No to Marxism in America” rally, wielding sticks and pepper spray, and beating people with homemade shields that read (I kid you not) “No Hate.” The Post reports how one peaceful ...

If you then look to the excessive PC movement, usually left of center, actively supressing the free speech of others with whom they don't agree, and it's not hard to image that it might in fact happen.

BlackMatters said:

When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis

A quote that has been attributed to Sinclair Lewis but there is no proof he ever said it or wrote it. There is still a lot of truth there either way.

Lewis did write the novel "It Can't Happen Here" in 1935 which explains exactly how the authoritarian regimes coming to power could happen here if the necessary ingredients came together just right.

People who's never heard of Sinclair Lewis or this book bought it en masse at the end of 2016 because of the curious parallels in it with our current political climate.

To be clear I do not think Trump is a threat to become an authoritarian dictator but the ways he went about obtaining power we're very similar to ways others have done it and similar to the ways we see it happen in Sinclair's book.

If anything perhaps Trump is the canary in the coal mine showing us how easy it would be for either side of the political spectrum to be pushed to the extreme opening the door for an extreme candidate to take power.

We saw something similar in Alabama with Roy Moore but common sense won out. There are races in other parts of the country where these extreme candidates are being pushed to the top by an empowered and extremely vocal minority.

There are disturbing things happening now during this administration which I'd argue are not directly attributed to Trump but rather he has created a climate, intentionally or not, that has allowed shades of fascism to start peeking it's ugly head up.

To be cont....

Click to expand...

Trump won the Republican nomination because around 35% of all Republicans were angry at the GOP congress and its leaders. They looked upon Republicans in congress as rolling over and playing dead while Obama did his thing. They equated this to the Republican establishment. If you don't believe the 35% go back and look at Trump's vote totals, percentage wise in the primaries and the percentage he won them with up and until he clinched the nomination. Luck was with Trump and his supporters due to the 18 candidate field, having the largest faction of approximately 35% was enough to defeat the other 65% who were divided among many other candidates.

Luck continued for Trump in the general. The Democrats went with a candidate with tons of baggage. One who had the charisma of a wet mop, one who hid from the media except to go on shows that were in her corner while Trump was calling in to almost every morning talk show. They, the democrats nominated a candidate almost as disliked by America as a whole as Trump was. 2016 wasn't about whom most Americans wanted as their next president was the one they least wanted to lose. The anti election I call it.

You do have to give Trump credit as he out worked and out campaigned his opponent big time. Trump energized his followers, less than Hillary's, but much more enthusiastic. Clinton's supporters were more ho hum and she ran one very inept campaign. Then on election night, the stars and the planets aligned just right for a Trump victory.

For there to be a President Trump, things had to go just right for him and they did. Give Trump credit, he did everything he could, he came out on top. If the divided opposition to Trump had coalesced around a single candidate against him instead of remaining divided, he wouldn't have won the nomination. If the Democrats had chosen a decent candidate, one willing to work at winning the election, they would have won. We have a president Trump directly because of the choices and decisions made by both major parties in 2016.

There is an old saying, "I'd rather be lucky than good." Trump had a ton of luck, but I also think he made a lot of that luck happen. Trump proved one thing, when a candidate out works, out campaigns, even out smarts his opponents, he can win and win trump did.

Skeptic Bob said:

Of course it could happen here. It couldn’t happen here tomorrow due to our checks and balances and the current makeup of our military. But that doesn’t mean things couldn’t change slowly over time until such checks and balances no longer exist.

Click to expand...

It seems ironic to me that this is coming up now with Trump. Just the opposite has been proven. His illegal EOs have been overturned by judges, his health care initiative went nowhere and the press takes delight in attacking him with impunity.

OTOH Obama was able to essentially rule "with a pen and a phone" with an adoring press and a little pushback from the courts. His presidency was as close to a cult as I have ever seen in America.

So yes it can happen here. Perhaps if Sanders won the primary we would be there now.

Democrats dont celebrate job creation....whats new?
You know folks said the same thing about the toyota plant when it opened here. I know a ton of people that work their. Love their jobs and recieve good pay.

chuckiechan said:

If it comes it will be from the violent rejection of the ideas of those you disagree with. Pretty soon the tribes will start killing each other. First come the bloodshed from from the left empowered by there ability to control ideas, and then the unraveling begins.

I like to see this thread as a microcosm that will mean big trouble if these attitudes ever touch the levers of power.

Click to expand...

Yep. Many leftists are already there. You saw it with Hillary referring huge swaths of the American people as "irredeemable deplorables" and receiving praise in the media and across the blogosphere for dehumanizing American citizens. If she won by the end of her presidency concentration camps and re-education centers would become part of the new normal in the United States.

BlackMatters said:

When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis

A quote that has been attributed to Sinclair Lewis but there is no proof he ever said it or wrote it. There is still a lot of truth there either way.

Lewis did write the novel "It Can't Happen Here" in 1935 which explains exactly how the authoritarian regimes coming to power could happen here if the necessary ingredients came together just right.

People who's never heard of Sinclair Lewis or this book bought it en masse at the end of 2016 because of the curious parallels in it with our current political climate.

To be clear I do not think Trump is a threat to become an authoritarian dictator but the ways he went about obtaining power we're very similar to ways others have done it and similar to the ways we see it happen in Sinclair's book.

If anything perhaps Trump is the canary in the coal mine showing us how easy it would be for either side of the political spectrum to be pushed to the extreme opening the door for an extreme candidate to take power.

We saw something similar in Alabama with Roy Moore but common sense won out. There are races in other parts of the country where these extreme candidates are being pushed to the top by an empowered and extremely vocal minority.

There are disturbing things happening now during this administration which I'd argue are not directly attributed to Trump but rather he has created a climate, intentionally or not, that has allowed shades of fascism to start peeking it's ugly head up.

To be cont....

Click to expand...

He ran for office an won in a legitimate election? What's wrong with that? Very few of history's tyrannical dictators siezed power via that avenue.

eohrnberger said:

If you are looking for fascism in the US, don't be looking at "wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

The Liberal Gulag - National Review
| National Review
Welcome to the Liberal Gulag. That term may be perverse, but it is not an exaggeration. Mr. Weinstein specifically called for political activists, ranging from ...

Why Modern Leftists Are Fascists – Return Of Kings
Why Modern Leftists Are Fascists – Return Of Kings
“The left rails against fascism.” No the left uses the word “fascism” out of ignorance or spite and is at no time in an effort to clarify. Fascism is to the left of socialism. Read Golberg’s book.

Fascism is Left Wing | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche ...
lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/may/2013-04-22/fascism-left-wing
Apr 22, 2013 · Fascism is on the Left. Liberty and personal responsibility are on the Right. Fascism and Marxism are the two primary forms of Socialism, but for decades the Left has told the lie that Fascism is on the Political Right. Fascists pursue government control …

Take AntiFa as an example. Clearly a movement on the far left.

“They have no allegiance to liberal democracy”: an expert on antifa - Vox
https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/.../antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-intervie...
Aug 25, 2017 - If the alt-left exists, it's probably best represented by “antifa” (short for “anti-fascist”) — a loose network of left-wing activists who physically resist people they consider fascists. These are often the scruffy, bandana-clad people who show up at alt-right rallies or speaking events in order to shut them down ...

Yes, antifa is the moral equivalent of neo-Nazis - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/...antifa.../9a13b2f6-8d00-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_...
Last weekend in Berkeley, Calif., a group of neo-communist antifa — “anti-fascist” — thugs attacked peaceful protesters at a “No to Marxism in America” rally, wielding sticks and pepper spray, and beating people with homemade shields that read (I kid you not) “No Hate.” The Post reports how one peaceful ...

If you then look to the excessive PC movement, usually left of center, actively supressing the free speech of others with whom they don't agree, and it's not hard to image that it might in fact happen.

Click to expand...

Paranoia strikes deep...

Fascism arrives in political correctness and thinly veiled marxism on college campuses and the media. But make no mistake. It has arrived.

Vetplus40 said:

Trump and Bannon are racists. They have created EXACTLY the America they want.

Click to expand...

Be prepared for a bunch of people claiming Trump isn't racist and demanding proof.

BlackMatters said:

When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis

A quote that has been attributed to Sinclair Lewis but there is no proof he ever said it or wrote it. There is still a lot of truth there either way.

Lewis did write the novel "It Can't Happen Here" in 1935 which explains exactly how the authoritarian regimes coming to power could happen here if the necessary ingredients came together just right.

People who's never heard of Sinclair Lewis or this book bought it en masse at the end of 2016 because of the curious parallels in it with our current political climate.

To be clear I do not think Trump is a threat to become an authoritarian dictator but the ways he went about obtaining power we're very similar to ways others have done it and similar to the ways we see it happen in Sinclair's book.

If anything perhaps Trump is the canary in the coal mine showing us how easy it would be for either side of the political spectrum to be pushed to the extreme opening the door for an extreme candidate to take power.

We saw something similar in Alabama with Roy Moore but common sense won out. There are races in other parts of the country where these extreme candidates are being pushed to the top by an empowered and extremely vocal minority.

There are disturbing things happening now during this administration which I'd argue are not directly attributed to Trump but rather he has created a climate, intentionally or not, that has allowed shades of fascism to start peeking it's ugly head up.

To be cont....

Click to expand...

If an authoritarian regime did come to America it most likely would be from the Left.

The trend on the Right for some time now has been moving to small government conservatism and Libertarian.

The Left however has been trending more authoritarian and at an alarming rate in my opinion.

When Communism comes to America, it will be wrapped in skinny leg jeans and carrying a pumpkin spice latte.

Nickyjo said:

Paranoia strikes deep...

Click to expand...

Observing behavior.

Sent from my HTC6515LVW using Tapatalk

Given the left's tendency to successfully twist and spin to their own advantage, if they ever do trot out the flag and the cross...we are toast.

Vetplus40 said:

Trump and Bannon are racists. They have created EXACTLY the America they want.

Click to expand...

Nickyjo said:

Paranoia strikes deep...

Click to expand...

For the above post, I would agree.

Isn't paranoia believing in a threat that doesn't exist, has no evidence? Yeah, that then.

washunut said:

It seems ironic to me that this is coming up now with Trump. Just the opposite has been proven. His illegal EOs have been overturned by judges, his health care initiative went nowhere and the press takes delight in attacking him with impunity.

OTOH Obama was able to essentially rule "with a pen and a phone" with an adoring press and a little pushback from the courts. His presidency was as close to a cult as I have ever seen in America.

So yes it can happen here. Perhaps if Sanders won the primary we would be there now.

Click to expand...

As a slightly liberal poster also, I find your post to be a painful embarrassment. Like conservatives here, you seem to not realize that there is no “equal but opposite” to the conservative media. It would explain your confusion. President Obama was routinely attacked with impunity with baseless and sometimes vile accusations from the right. Reporting the things Trump actually does and says is not “attacking him with impunity”. It’s simply reporting the facts. People in cults cant comprehend a world where their beliefs are not facts. Hence they are always confused by facts. They cant discuss their beliefs in an intelligent and honest fashion. they simply parrot what their masters tell to

Executive Order tyranny -- Obama plans to rule America with pen, phone
Executive Order tyranny -- Obama plans to rule America with pen, phone | Fox News

Help me understand your point Wash, explain why you are complaining that trump's "health care initiative went nowhere". what is it "proof of" in your mind.

BlackMatters said:

Democrats dont celebrate job creation....whats new?
You know folks said the same thing about the toyota plant when it opened here. I know a ton of people that work their. Love their jobs and recieve good pay.

Click to expand...

As is usually the case, conservatives have to create an alternate version of reality to continue to convince themselves they are right and virtuous. Sometimes its as simple as “both sides do it” to ignore the flaming hypocrisy from the right. Sometimes it’s just beyond delusional. This is an example of the latter.
First it requires to him imagine something that he has simply not seen. Democrats simply don’t root against America for political convenience the way conservatives did under President Obama. Second, it requires him to ignore that republicans actively tried to sabotage the economy and undermine the recovery.

when democracy ends in this country, conservatives like this will cheer the end of tyranny.

eohrnberger said:

If you are looking for fascism in the US, don't be looking at "wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

The Liberal Gulag - National Review
| National Review
Welcome to the Liberal Gulag. That term may be perverse, but it is not an exaggeration. Mr. Weinstein specifically called for political activists, ranging from ...

Why Modern Leftists Are Fascists – Return Of Kings
Why Modern Leftists Are Fascists – Return Of Kings
“The left rails against fascism.” No the left uses the word “fascism” out of ignorance or spite and is at no time in an effort to clarify. Fascism is to the left of socialism. Read Golberg’s book.

Fascism is Left Wing | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche ...
lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/may/2013-04-22/fascism-left-wing
Apr 22, 2013 · Fascism is on the Left. Liberty and personal responsibility are on the Right. Fascism and Marxism are the two primary forms of Socialism, but for decades the Left has told the lie that Fascism is on the Political Right. Fascists pursue government control …

Take AntiFa as an example. Clearly a movement on the far left.

“They have no allegiance to liberal democracy”: an expert on antifa - Vox
https://www.vox.com/2017/8/25/.../antifa-charlottesville-activism-mark-bray-intervie...
Aug 25, 2017 - If the alt-left exists, it's probably best represented by “antifa” (short for “anti-fascist”) — a loose network of left-wing activists who physically resist people they consider fascists. These are often the scruffy, bandana-clad people who show up at alt-right rallies or speaking events in order to shut them down ...

Yes, antifa is the moral equivalent of neo-Nazis - The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/...antifa.../9a13b2f6-8d00-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_...
Last weekend in Berkeley, Calif., a group of neo-communist antifa — “anti-fascist” — thugs attacked peaceful protesters at a “No to Marxism in America” rally, wielding sticks and pepper spray, and beating people with homemade shields that read (I kid you not) “No Hate.” The Post reports how one peaceful ...

If you then look to the excessive PC movement, usually left of center, actively supressing the free speech of others with whom they don't agree, and it's not hard to image that it might in fact happen.

Click to expand...

Few problems with your analysis. The antifa people are no different than the morons that have shown up on the field inges of every liberal movement since the 1960s, whether it was for civil rights, the farm workers movement, the anti-war movement, et al. They are a nice thing for some on the right to point to when they don’t want to address the issues in question. When I was working in that area, they would show up and say we needed to get guns or smash store windows. We would roll our eyes and make sure the police knew the weren’t with us. Probably life seemed to understand, even if the right wing doesn’t.

As to racism, Trump is a stylistically fascist type — if you insist on examples, I can provide them — but doesn’t seem to have any ideology other than narcissism and snake oil. Plus, our institutions are strong, our media not intimidated, and our people, liberal and conservative, too ornery for fascism to triumph.