Independent Record
As we face deepening social and political unrest, two mid-20th-century works offer noteworthy insights: “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis and “They Thought They Were Free” by Milton Mayer.
Though one is fiction and the other an oral history, both explore how democratic societies can slide into authoritarianism. The books also illuminate the complex and often complicit role of religion as authoritarianism develops.
Written in reaction to the rise of European fascism, “It Can’t Happen Here” (1935) depicts how American democracy could collapse from within. The novel centers on Buzz Windrip, a populist who manipulates religious and secular fears, promises sweeping reform, and cloaks his authoritarian ambitions in patriotic rhetoric. Once elected president, Windrip consolidates power,