I only had to type six characters and a space: It can’ – and the full title of the movie I woke up dreaming about popped up in my Google Search: It Can’t Happen Here. I suspect Donald Trump’s series of unfortunate events has prompted a lot of other people in their sixties to Google that title.
It Can’t Happen Here was a book written by, Sinclair Lewis, the Minnesotan who wrote one of his books half a mile from my house. But I was wrong. The movie I had in mind was Red Nightmare, which you can see on Youtube. This was a Warner Brother’s Film, about what America would be like if Russian Communists took over whereas Sinclair’s book was published a quarter century earlier. Lewis, long suspected be a Commie by Right Wingers had a differenty bogeyman in his 1935 novel. It was a Fascist demagogue, Buzz Windrip, modeled after Louisiana Governor Huey Long. Like Saturday Night Live the book was considered satire although Lewis probably thought it was more of a wake up call.
Ten years after Lewis, Robert Penn Warren would win a Pulitzer for another treatment of Huey Long called “All the King’s Men.” I’ve only seen the Broderick Crawford movie. Claudia, the novel reader in my household, loved Warren’s book.
The line that Democracy calls for constant vigilance is appreciated on both left and right. Eight years ago “conservative writers” were warning that President Obama was going to instigate a communist take over. Count me among the Obama lovers who fret that the opposite could occur. This post was originally going to be titled: “Trump Supporters are Not Brown Shirts – Yet.” That was meant to be a hopeful title.
I have no trouble seeing Donald Trump put his own ego over the “American Democratic Experiment.” He’s like one of the Tigers in that embarrassing old relic Little Black Sambo. I can only hope he chases the other tigers around the tree turns and to butter. I’m losing hope that he will grow into the Presidency. He looks more and more like the tinytrump pictures in that Reddit Thread.
When I hear him call legitimate news “fake” I can imagine him being gently led to a psyche ward mumbling to all who will listen that he is Jesus Christ. Is this madness, illiteracy, dementia, a lifetime of unpunished bullying or vainglory? I don’t know.
Thankfully, for every Bannon, Pudzer, DeVos and Miller Trump has been coaxed into appointing sensible people. I’ve got no problem with General Mattis or Judge Gorsuch. I read a glowing review of the jurist in the Denver Post when I was visiting my Uncle last month. As long as Trump keeps appointing one Gorsuch for every Sessions I’ll sleep at night. As long as Republican Senator’s McCain and Lindsey Graham birddog Trump, I’ll sleep at night.
