When Fascism Comes Wrapped in the Flag and Carrying a Cross
How a 1935 Novel Predicted Trump's Authoritarian Playbook
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." â Sinclair Lewis
Editorial Note: I am a lifelong conservative Republican, ordained minister for 20+ years, voted for Trump twice. I'm not a Democrat or LiberalâI'm an American who remembers when we fought fascism. If I can see what he's doing, why can't you?
In 1935, American author Sinclair Lewis penned these prophetic words and explored their implications in his novel It Can't Happen Here. Lewis understood what many Americans today seem to have forgotten: that authoritarianism doesn't announce itself with jackboots and swastikas. It comes disguised as patriotism and piety, using the very symbols we hold sacred as weapons against the principles we claim to defend.
Today, as we witness unprecedented attacks on democratic institutions wrapped in nationalist rhetoric and religious imagery, Lewis's warning has never been more urgent.âŠ
