It Can’t Happen Here is the title of a dystopian satire by Sinclair Lewis, the American author who won the 1930 Nobel literature prize for Main Street, Babbit and other novels penned in the 1920s. “It” is what he saw happening in Italy and Germany and feared might prove contagious.

Today is the fourth anniversary of president re-elect Donald Trump’s attempted coup to reverse the outcome of the 2020 election. Given that the American electorate has deemed Trump’s assault on the constitution to be of insufficient consequence to deny him a second term, Lewis’ novel makes for an unsettling read...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.