It Can Happen Here: Authoritarian Peril In The Age Of Bush

follow Up Political Title By Bestselling Author Of Big Lies And Hunting Of The President

publishers Weekly

sinclair Lewis's 1935 Novel it Can't Happen Hereenvisaged A Right-wing Populist President, Advised By A Cunning Political Strategist And Backed By A Cynical Alliance Of Religious Fundamentalists And Corporations, Who Uses Security Threats To Consolidate Dictatorial Powers, Destroy Civil Liberties And Establish Folksy Fascism. This Is A Virtual Blueprint For The Current Bush Administration, A Corrupt And Authoritarian Ruling Clique That Accords The President The Prerogatives Of A King, Argues Political Columnist Conason (big Lies) In This Lively, If Overwrought, j'accuse. He Surveys A Long List Of What He Sees As Bush Administration Affronts To Freedom And Democracy: Military Tribunals, Torture, Warrantless Wiretapping, Politically Motivated Terrorism Alerts, A War Based On Fraudulent Pretexts, The Abramoff Scandals, The Handover Of Policy Making To Business Interests And Christian Zealots, Tight Secrecy Coupled With A Dissemination Of Propaganda Through The Right-wing Media And A Lawless Contempt For Constitutional Constraints On The Presidency. His Indictment Often Hits Home, But It's Broad And Indiscriminate, Treating Biased Journalism, Religion-tinged Politics And Lobbying Scandals As Signs Of Creeping Fascism Rather Than Age-old Commonplaces Of Democracy. Conason Delivers His Usual Cogent, Hard-hitting Critique Of Republican Misdeeds, But His Insinuations Of Authoritarianism, Coming Just As The Republicans Have Been Voted Out Of Power In Congress, Seem Badly Timed. (mar. 1)

Author : Joe Conason

Publisher : St. Martin's Griffin

Published Year : 2008

Edition : 1

Format : Paperback, 258 pages

Dimensions : 5.50 (w) x 8.50 (h) x 0.57 (d)

ISBN : 0312379307

ISBN13 : 9780312379308

Overview :

For the first time since the Nixon era, Americans have reason to doubt the future of democracy. Today, to an unprecedented degree, big government conspires with big business and big evangelism, while civil liberties are diminished and war is promoted by taxpayer-funded ideologues, raving pundits, and religious zealots. Could we be headed toward an age of authoritarianism?

Available for the first time in paperback, this compelling, impassioned, yet rational and fact-based look at the state of the nation by bestselling political journalist Joe Conason shows how and why the Bush administration and the neoconservative right have wrenched America away from its founding principles—-and pushed us toward a never-ending series of foreign wars.