Tyranny & Lessons On Resistance From Novelist Sinclair Lewis

Given the reality we are confronting, spending twenty minutes with this audio and dusting off your old copy of “It Can’t Happen Here” is time well spent.

By Mark Taylor
DeMOCKracy.ink (11/8/24)

I have no idea if Sinclair Lewis’ cautionary classic novel “It Can’t Happen Here” is still taught in American high schools and colleges today, but now — as we live out the world he envisioned — is the time to read, or reread, Lewis’s 1935 masterpiece.

This brief audio gives an excellent review of the novel’s plotline and, most importantly, the fist-in-glove parallels to what we see rapidly unfolding around us. In addition to being a tale of tyranny, “It Can’t Happen Here” is also a guide to resistance, which is centered in the ability to keep the light of one’s humanity lit and to find ways to express the compassion that is the very antithesis of the regimented world we see rapidly dropping into place around us.

Given the reality we are confronting, spending twenty minutes with this audio and dusting off your old copy of “It Can’t Happen Here” is time well spent. If you have young people in your life who have not read this important book, buy them or pass along a copy to them. They will need it.

Resist
Persist
Don’t submit

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‘It Can't Happen Here’: A Review Of Sinclair Lewis' Warning To America & The Key To Surviving

20-minute audio

“A society where a significant portion of the population feels economically marginalized and politically voiceless is a society ripe for the kind of populist authoritarian takeover that Lewis depicts in ‘It Can't Happen Here’.”

My Thoughts On AI (11/4/24)

In this podcast, we delve into Sinclair Lewis's It Can't Happen Here, a prophetic exploration of how fascism could rise within the United States. Written in 1935, Lewis's work remains chillingly relevant today, illustrating the ease with which democracy can erode when faced with charismatic leaders and societal complacency.

Join us as we discuss the novel’s depiction of a populist, authoritarian takeover in America, and explore the frightening parallels to the modern-day political landscape. Through a deep analysis of the story, characters, and themes, we aim to understand why Lewis’s cautionary tale still serves as a critical reminder for all who care about preserving democratic values.

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“There are no guarantees of Victory it's a fight that demands constant vigilance and a willingness to stand up for what's right even when it's difficult or dangerous.”