As I sit outside the US and watch what has been happening for several years now within the country, I can’t help but shake my head. From my perspective, the most powerful nation in the world had better practice what it preaches, and struggle with the central tenets of democracy within its own borders, or risk losing democracy all together.
Today’s news if filled with situations and statements and conflicts that every American ought to challenge and question and take to task. A few examples: Bush and his best moment in the White House; Bush and domestic spying; Potential New Head of CIA, General Michael Hayden; and, don’t forget an oldie-goldie (I know you forgot this one), The Waco Affair, David Koresh and the Branch Davidians.
Now, I don’t consider myself left- or right-wing, or some kind of conspiracy monger. I hope that I’m capable of evaluating things and deciding for myself. However, I truly do believe that less government is better, and that civil liberties should prevail, no matter what the cost. What has been happening over the past decade in the US, however, makes me shudder. In fact, it reminds me of a passage out of a book called It Can’t Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis. The book was written in 1935:
“Nonsense! Nonsense!” snorted Tasbrough. “that couldn’t happen here in America, not possibly! We’re a country of freemen.”
“The answer to that,” suggested Doremus Jessup, “if Mr. Falck will forgive me, is ‘the hell it can’t!’ Why, there’s no country in the world that can get more hysterical—yes, or obsequious!—than America. Look how Huey Long became absolute monarch over Louisiana, and how the Right Honorable Mr. Senator Berzelius Windrip (fictitious character) owns his State. Listen to Bishop Prang and Father Coughlin on the radio—divine oracles, to millions. Remember how casually most Americans have accepted Tammany grafting and Chicago gangs and the crookedness of so many of President Harding’s appointees? Could Hitler’s bunch, or Windrip’s, be worse? Remember the Kuklux Klan? Remember our war hysteria, when we called sauerkraut ‘Liberty cabbage’ and somebody actually proposed calling German measles ‘Liberty measles’? And wartime censorship of honest papers? Bad as Russia . . . . Remember our Red scares and our Catholic scares, when all well-informed people knew that the OGPU, were hiding out in Oskaloosa, and the Republicans campaigning against Al Smith told the Carolina mountaineers that if Al won, the Pope would illegitimize their children . . . Remember the Kentucky night-riders? Remember how trainloads of people have gone to enjoy lynchings? Not happen here? Prohibition—shooting down people just because they might be transporting liquor—no, that couldn’t happen in America! Why, where in all history has there ever been a people so ripe for dictatorship as ours?! We’re ready to start on a Children’s Crusade—only of adults—right now, and the Right Reverend Abbots Windrip and Prang are all ready to lead it!”
“Well what if they are?” protested RC Crowley. “It might not be so bad . . . “
“Yes!” said Emil Staubmeyer. “Didn’t Hitler save Germany from the Red Plague of Marxism? I got cousins there. I know!”
“Hm,” said Doremus, as often Doremus did say it. “Cure the evils of Democracy by the evils of Fascism! Funny therapeutics. I’ve heard of their curing syphilis by giving the patient malaria, but I’ve never heard of their curing malaria by giving the patient syphilis!”
Despite the dated context, the book is worth a read. Check it out.
