It Can't Happen Here

What I expected to be a biting satire on American culture leading to the rise of fascism despite the laws preventing such, I instead got a toothless novel that aged poorly for the right reasons - because unlike what the title has you believe, I don't think it can happen here.

Buzz Windrip takes hold of the American consciousness as he rises to the ranks of being a serious candidate for President - except that he's brash, biogoted, and a blatant fascist, but that is not enough to deter support for him. Eventually that lands him a job as President to which he quickly abuses his power and descends America into a totalitarian state.

Ultimately - it does not feel like it has much to say. Sure, it could happen here - but what is here? What makes America stand out from the other countries that have befallen into fascism? Sinclair does not define America as a unique country or dive deep into American culture as exceptional, but instead as just a country that yearns for change. It doesn't feel unique - just a country that is ultimately apathetic to what happens while a dictator spouts unrealistic things to garner support, much to the pleasure of the cult of personality that surrounds him.

Sinclair focuses too much on the consequences of his election rather than the how and why a fascist was elected. A good chunk of the beginning did this, giving the voters a voice and seeing as to why someone like him would be appealing and ignoring the fascistic tendencies in rhetoric and policy because America is a unique country, but it doesn't sustain the energy throughout the rest of the book. It escalates much too quickly - from a country in discontent in the Great Depression to a country tearing itself apart as detractors are placed in camps by their own citizens. I'm not saying that displaying the evils of fascism is wrong, but it's just not an interesting concept to explore anymore - and what ages the book the most since it focuses exactly on that.

To the book's credit, it is impressive to see how much he got right with how fascists would react much before anti-fascist literature would take hold - but it no longer makes for an interesting read when other books have done it better. What could have set this book apart was exploring if America could fall victim to this - but it doesn't make me believe it even could. If it explored how it distorts American ideals more and how it would be fascism dressed as red, white, and blue then it would be interesting; instead, we get a generic rebel against the dystopian government adventure.

I wish we got something that would explore the political ramifications of a fascist by including more of Windrip who serves as almost an implied character aside from a few chapters from his point of view. I would have loved to see how exactly he would erode the democratic process, but the author just seems to handwave how it happens. I expected him to be the villain and for the few chapters he was present, I thought he was an interesting one: racist and misogynistic, blatant in his intentions, and yet getting to be elected. I'm not asking for a moment where it puts the good guy against the bad, just moments where perhaps the big bad could show why he's doing these awful things. Or how he bypasses the Constitution. It was a missed opportunity to show a more sinister side of him rather than having his presence be so distant form the book's main events.

Unfortunately, none of the characters are interesting enough to also warrant interest. Aside from a few moments, they all fall into familiar archetypes and are far from captivating to fill the vacuum of personality that Windrip leaves.

So overall - I'm disappointed. I love the ideas that this book postulates, but there isn't enough to make this the seminal classic I was expecting. I do not regret reading it because it acts as an interesting time capsule for seeing the rise of fascism pre-dating the world knowing how awful Nazis would be, but I just don't think the book says anything too interesting now, and what it does say isn't fully explored. Far from an awful book, but it is middling in how it handles its subject matter.

For a book that I expected to be an interesting commentary on today's political landscape, it was merely something that didn't have much to say at all.

It can't happen here. Not in America. Surely...

But it can and it does. Senator Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip runs for president on a platform to restore American prosperity and stature in the world, and Windrip rapidly becomes popular with the people. Within days of his election, Windrip and his people begin to shut down the legislative and judicial branches of government in the name of what is best for the country. Newspapers are shut down and reestablished with the control of Windrip's people. A citizen's military called the Minute Men is established and soon the thugs are running the country. The unemployed are put into labor camps and dissidents are put into concentration camps. Common people keep their mouths shut or face prison or death.

It Can't Happen Here is a shocking picture of a world rapidly flipped upside down by people seeking power. It's a tragic story of an America marked by lies where it's hard to know what is true. It's a frightening depiction of how easily people will go along with an agenda that sounds like it will improve lives.

It Can't Happen Here a cautionary tale for us all.

The subject matter is fascism in the U.S., as told by someone writing in the mid-30s. As a story, and the main subject of the book both are interesting enough and the book seems fairly realistic if a little jaunty about people facing life and death.

The reason I don't give it full marks is the writing style was difficult for me to parse and keep coherent. I'm fairly well-versed in history and I still didn't understand a good chunk of the references and asides.

Given the time we're living in now, looking at the government converting to more authoritarian rule is quite interesting. But the read was quite a slog.