I considered writing about the upcoming Trump presidency and its likely aftermath, but decided against it because my book would certainly be seen as a knock-off of one written by Sinclair Lewis and published in 1935. It Can’t Happen Here describes a populist elected to the presidency after successfully inciting fear and promising a resurgent economy, dramatic social reforms, and a return to traditional values; he claims to be a fervent patriot and stirs up nationalist sentiment. After his election, and with the help of a paramilitary force, he takes complete control of government. There’s no point in going through the entire plot; obviously, the outcome is ugly, though.
Of course, real life will not follow the fiction, right? I mean, this is America, where our system of checks and balances would not permit such a thing to occur, right? My guess is that Trump also read It Can’t Happen Here and considered how best to overcome the circumstances that led, in the book, to the fascist’s ouster and civil war. Many other people, of course, have suggested similarities between Trump and the fictional Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip of the book. I see far too many similarities to think it impossible that a minority of voters in the last election may have elected the 45th and last President of the United States. Some may think my view paranoid; maybe it is, but I am not as certain of the invincibility of the United States as those who think such a scenario impossible.
