Law, Power, and Justice

It Can’t Happen Here

In the 1920s, Sinclair Lewis enjoyed a brilliant career “portraying and satirizing what he regarded as the mediocrity, materialism, corruption, and hypocrisy of middle-class life in the United States.”  His major novels of the 20s – Main Street, Babbitt, Arrowsmith, Elmer Gantry, and Dodsworth were all best sellers.  Then came the Stock Market Crash of…

cjjohns08
1 minute

it can't happen

In the 1920s, Sinclair Lewis enjoyed a brilliant career “portraying and satirizing what he regarded as the mediocrity, materialism, corruption, and hypocrisy of middle-class life in the United States.”  His major novels of the 20s – Main Street, Babbitt, Arrowsmith, Elmer Gantry, and Dodsworth were all best sellers.  Then came the Stock Market Crash of 1929.  The middle class was no longer interested in being satirized.  Lewis had to look for new material.

With the rise of Hitler and Mussolini, Lewis began to focus on the discussion of whether fascism could rise in the U.S.

Quote from It Can’t Happen Here

“Windrip (the authoritarian candidate) will probably get elected and then drag us into a war just to prove our masculinity and toughness.”  Sinclair Lewis

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 responses to “It Can’t Happen Here”

  1. cjjohns08 Avatar
    cjjohns08

    Have you ever read “It Can’t Happen Here?”

    Like

    Reply
  2. rawgod Avatar
    rawgod

    One thing he got wrong, El Trumpo has not one masculine bone in his body. He is a coward from the word go, unless he is surrounded by his trum-pets and psychophants. He is neither a statesman, or a diplomat. He is, however, a bully, and as potus he is the biggest bully in the USA. But, as usual, it can’t happen here. Nothing that gross can ever happen HERE!

    Like

    Reply
    1. cjjohns08 Avatar
      cjjohns08

      Thanks for leaving a comment. Yes, it’s interesting that people deeply concerned with displaying “masculinity” are the least masculine really. A new person joined our film group recently and the first two meetings he came to he derisively raised the “homo erotic” aspects of the film. I thought, Jeeze, if this is what’s just below the surface of your brain all the time you must have an issue.

      Like

      Reply
      1. rawgod Avatar
        rawgod

        The issue is generally his own homosexual urges that because of his upbringing he is unable to indulge in. Religion plays a HUGE part in that, since being homosexual is so looked down on by the churches. Normal, if I may use that word, heterosexuals are not scared by homosexuality, they accept people are different. But latent homosexuals are the ones most vocal and most violent. Someone might discover those “perverse urges”!
        Meanwhile, I think el Trumpo and and Vlad have some pretty good times together. And I highly doubt Trump is the dominant in that twosome.

        Like

Leave a comment

Trending