Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 satire of the same name (without the question mark)was meant to be a warning for Americans during the height of Nazism in Germany. Lewis understood how easy it can be for fascist movements to grow during tough economic times. He observed it in first Italy and then more powerfully in Germany, culminating with Hitler being appointed chancellor in 1933.
In the early 1930s a worldwide economic depression devastated tens of millions of lives. Lewis, as a ‘scribe of the times,’ knew that false populism coupled with ultra-nationalism can influence decent folks to ‘follow the piper over the cliffs of reason.’ In Germany, the choice for radical change was between the Communist Party and the National Socialists Party, a.k.a. the Nazi Party. Hitler and his top echelon made damn sure that the takeover was assured via the legitimate electoral process. Of course, rampant violence and the use of thugs helped to get the undecided to go along. What is more pertinent to this writer was the total ineffectiveness of the major mainstream political parties at that time in Germany, the Social Democrats (today’s Democrats?) and the Centre Party (today’s Republicans?). These pro-Weimar Republic mainstream parties failed to ease the rise in unemployment from 8.5% in 1929 to over 30% in 1932. As this was occurring, industrial production within Germany dropped by around 42%.
Obviously our Amerikan Empire has many more safeguards in place to not allow things here to get as terrible fiscally as in 1932 Germany, or for that matter the 1932 United States. Yet, this neocon globalization has destroyed what the politicians from both empire political parties like to label ‘The Middle Class.’ In reality, the label used should be ‘Working Class’ or as this writer refers to myself and the hundreds of millions: ‘Working Stiffs.’
Regardless , this last election was proof positive that the phony populist ultra-nationalistic approach that succeeded for Hitler’s gang has worked for the Trump gang. Similar to the ineffectiveness of the Social Democrats in Weimar Germany, our USA Democratic Party showed just how out of tune it is with we working stiffs. Hillary Clinton and her husband had more baggage than a busy airline terminal. Honestly, if the Democrats would have run Donald Duck against Trump, they would have won! She was dangerous for her allegiance to the Military Industrial Empire (especially its neocon warmongering policies and Wall Street predators ). Trump came across as the antidote to Ms. Killary, but he is just as dangerous for anyone who works for a paycheck, plus his right-wing foreign policy stances. All the **** about working with Russia, etc., shadows the neocon agenda that he and his new regime will foster.
Sadly, all those good and caring fools who stood on the street corners and shouted ‘rah rah USA USA’ for Trump will be screwed the same way that they have been under Obama, Bush Jr. , Clinton, Bush Sr and Reagan. However, even the died in the wool right-wing Republicans are frightened by this overt fascistic approach of the Trump gang. Just wait and see, folks. Just wait and see!
It is time for all of us who rely on a paycheck, or need to rely on a paycheck to reject this two party con job and demand real and viable change . . . which means some sort of support for working stiffs and small business through socialism and fair wages for all. This Military Industrial Empire is, in reality, a marriage of the corporate state and the military state. It drains our pocketbooks (to the tune of over 50% of our federal taxes paid), gives us financial insecurity and phony wars. To say that ‘It can’t happen here’ should be ‘It is already happening here!’
Philip A Farruggio is son and grandson of Brooklyn, NY, longshoremen. A graduate of Brooklyn College (class of ’74 with a BA in Speech & Theater), he is a freelance columnist posted on World News Trust, Nation of Change Blog, Op Ed News,TheSleuthJournal.com, Intrepid Report, Information Clearing House, Dandelion Salad, Activist Post, Dissident Voice, Counterpunch and many other sites worldwide. Philip works as an environmental products sales rep and has been a street corner protest activist leader and Green Party member since 2000. In 2010 he became a local spokesperson for the 25% Solution Movement to Save Our Cities by cutting military spending 25%. Philip can be reached at PAF1222@bellsouth.net.
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It can’t happen here?
Posted on January 10, 2017 by Philip A Farruggio
Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 satire of the same name (without the question mark)was meant to be a warning for Americans during the height of Nazism in Germany. Lewis understood how easy it can be for fascist movements to grow during tough economic times. He observed it in first Italy and then more powerfully in Germany, culminating with Hitler being appointed chancellor in 1933.
In the early 1930s a worldwide economic depression devastated tens of millions of lives. Lewis, as a ‘scribe of the times,’ knew that false populism coupled with ultra-nationalism can influence decent folks to ‘follow the piper over the cliffs of reason.’ In Germany, the choice for radical change was between the Communist Party and the National Socialists Party, a.k.a. the Nazi Party. Hitler and his top echelon made damn sure that the takeover was assured via the legitimate electoral process. Of course, rampant violence and the use of thugs helped to get the undecided to go along. What is more pertinent to this writer was the total ineffectiveness of the major mainstream political parties at that time in Germany, the Social Democrats (today’s Democrats?) and the Centre Party (today’s Republicans?). These pro-Weimar Republic mainstream parties failed to ease the rise in unemployment from 8.5% in 1929 to over 30% in 1932. As this was occurring, industrial production within Germany dropped by around 42%.
Obviously our Amerikan Empire has many more safeguards in place to not allow things here to get as terrible fiscally as in 1932 Germany, or for that matter the 1932 United States. Yet, this neocon globalization has destroyed what the politicians from both empire political parties like to label ‘The Middle Class.’ In reality, the label used should be ‘Working Class’ or as this writer refers to myself and the hundreds of millions: ‘Working Stiffs.’
Regardless , this last election was proof positive that the phony populist ultra-nationalistic approach that succeeded for Hitler’s gang has worked for the Trump gang. Similar to the ineffectiveness of the Social Democrats in Weimar Germany, our USA Democratic Party showed just how out of tune it is with we working stiffs. Hillary Clinton and her husband had more baggage than a busy airline terminal. Honestly, if the Democrats would have run Donald Duck against Trump, they would have won! She was dangerous for her allegiance to the Military Industrial Empire (especially its neocon warmongering policies and Wall Street predators ). Trump came across as the antidote to Ms. Killary, but he is just as dangerous for anyone who works for a paycheck, plus his right-wing foreign policy stances. All the **** about working with Russia, etc., shadows the neocon agenda that he and his new regime will foster.
Sadly, all those good and caring fools who stood on the street corners and shouted ‘rah rah USA USA’ for Trump will be screwed the same way that they have been under Obama, Bush Jr. , Clinton, Bush Sr and Reagan. However, even the died in the wool right-wing Republicans are frightened by this overt fascistic approach of the Trump gang. Just wait and see, folks. Just wait and see!
It is time for all of us who rely on a paycheck, or need to rely on a paycheck to reject this two party con job and demand real and viable change . . . which means some sort of support for working stiffs and small business through socialism and fair wages for all. This Military Industrial Empire is, in reality, a marriage of the corporate state and the military state. It drains our pocketbooks (to the tune of over 50% of our federal taxes paid), gives us financial insecurity and phony wars. To say that ‘It can’t happen here’ should be ‘It is already happening here!’
Philip A Farruggio is son and grandson of Brooklyn, NY, longshoremen. A graduate of Brooklyn College (class of ’74 with a BA in Speech & Theater), he is a freelance columnist posted on World News Trust, Nation of Change Blog, Op Ed News,TheSleuthJournal.com, Intrepid Report, Information Clearing House, Dandelion Salad, Activist Post, Dissident Voice, Counterpunch and many other sites worldwide. Philip works as an environmental products sales rep and has been a street corner protest activist leader and Green Party member since 2000. In 2010 he became a local spokesperson for the 25% Solution Movement to Save Our Cities by cutting military spending 25%. Philip can be reached at PAF1222@bellsouth.net.