In the 1930s, Sinclair Lewis wrote a novel entitled “It Can’t Happen Here.” The novel transposed what was happening in Europe to the United States. The summary below is as good as anything to inform about the plot:
“The novel was published during the heyday of fascism in Europe, which was reported on by Dorothy Thompson, Lewis's wife. The novel describes the rise of Berzelius "Buzz" Windrip, a demagogue who is elected President of the United States, after fomenting fear and promising drastic economic and social reforms while promoting a return to patriotism and "traditional" values. After his election, Windrip takes complete control of the government and imposes totalitarian rule with the help of a ruthless paramilitary force, in the manner of European fascists such as Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. The novel's plot centers on journalist Doremus Jessup's opposition to the new regime and his subsequent struggle against it as part of a liberal rebellion.”
Sound familiar? It should as we’ve been living through this scenario in real time for the past four years. In 2016, America elected a demagogue who promised economic and social reforms, along with a return to “traditional values.” He delivered on none of those promises, instead he presided over a mammoth transfer of wealth to the increasingly entrenched oligarchy while expanding wealth inequality in this country.
He did not initiate his promised “social reforms,” instead he divided this nation along racial and ethnic lines. Embracing the white nationalist ideology, he tried to instill fear of the “other.” He consistently ignored traditional democratic values and savaged the rule of law, and encouraged others of his supporters to do the same.
He has signaled his support for the paramilitary “militias” and other violent elements in our society. “Stand back and stand by” was no throwaway line in a debate. Rather, that was a veiled call to future action.
Tomorrow the Congress will take another step along the anti-democratic road to perdition. Tomorrow, January 6, 2021, twelve percent of the senate and and nearly seventy percent of the Republican caucus in the house will object to the acceptance of the electoral votes from at least five states. Discarding the will of over 81 million people, a majority of the votes cast, these feckless legislators will seek to replace the duly elected choice of the people with an un-elected autocrat.
They claim that their opposition to the electors from only a handful of states, states that did not vote for the incumbent, consists only of unsubstantiated allegations of widespread systemic voter fraud. Bear in mind that there is NO evidence in support of these assertions. There is no evidence of thousands of ballots scanned several times for the challenger; there is no evidence of thousands of illegal ballots cast for the challenger; nor is there any evidence that specific voting machines “flipped” votes cast for the incumbent to the challenger.
There was voter fraud in Pennsylvania: one man voted for himself and cast mail ballots on behalf of his deceased mother and deceased mother-in-law. All three votes were cast for the incumbent, the self-alleged victim of voter fraud. But here’s the point: out of the millions of ballots cast throughout a large and diverse state, election officials were able to identify these fraudulent ballots, testimony to the expertise and diligence of election officials whose only interest was to ensure a fair and accurate election.
In the senate, the challenge to the electoral votes is being spearheaded by two Ivy League law school graduates. One of them was the Solicitor General in his state, the other the attorney general in his. Thus this begs the question as to why they are proceeding on this destructive path when 60 courts, some presided by “Trump” judges, resoundingly rejected legal claims that were based on the same “evidence” that will be discussed tomorrow? These were state and federal courts, including the United States Supreme Court to which three “Trump” justices were appointed.
Clearly these two Senators should know better and they probably do, they just don’t care. They will continue to further besmirch and debase the rule of law in furtherance of their own agendas.
These anti-democratic legislators, ignoring their oaths the preserve and protect the Constitution and the rule of law, persist. Make no mistake, there is no precedent for what will happen tomorrow. But supporters of their effort are massing and ready to intimidate the proceedings. This promises to get ugly, not just in Washington but likely elsewhere as the days go on.
So what’s the end game? If you’re as hopeful as me that the rule of law will prevail, probably nothing. What we will witness and hear about will be nothing more than the theater of the absurd in extremis.
But not everyone associated with this challenge is interested in the democratic norms and the rule of law. Some legislators, no doubt, are pandering to the basest elements of our society, those elements who are violent borne out of their own ignorance. These legislators hope to gain the favor of the mob to be employed in service their own individual future political efforts.
Whichever outcome comes to pass, tomorrow will see another step in the devolution into an authoritarian faux “democracy.” We cannot stop what will happen tomorrow but we can vow that it will never happen again. It can’t happen here but only if those of us with a deep love of country, our democratic traditions and principles, and the rule of law working to achieve an egalitarian society work together.
Franklin’s admonition regarding the product of the 1787 Constitutional Convention rings loud today: a republic, if you can keep it. The challenge of the “if” is a challenge we must meet.
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