This is impossible with us.

In 1936, Senator Berzelius Buzz Windrip, a charismatic and power-hungry politician, wins the United States presidential election through a populist program, promising to lead the country to prosperity and greatness, and promising each citizen an income of five thousand US dollars per year (about $ 80,000, including inflation). Portraying himself as a defender of traditional American values, Windrip easily defeats his opponents, Senator Trowbridge and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt . Windrip shortly after the election begins to persecute dissent, isolates political enemies in concentration camps and creates a paramilitary organization, Minutemans, which terrorize citizens and promote the policies of Windrip and his "corporate" regime. One of the first steps of Windrip as president is to eliminate the influence of the US Congress, which causes the anger of many citizens, including lawmakers themselves. "Minutemans" react to protests by breaking up demonstrations with bayonets. In addition to these actions, the Windrip administration restricts the rights of women and minorities, and also eliminates the states by dividing the country into administrative sectors. These sectors are run by well-known businessmen or officers. Persons accused of crimes against the government appear before a court chaired by “military judges”. Despite the dictatorial nature of such measures, most Americans approve of them, seeing in them though painful, but necessary steps to restore American power. Others, who are less enthusiastic about the prospects of corporatism , reassure each other, saying that fascism "is impossible with us," hence the name of the novel.

Windrip's opponents, led by Senator Trowbridge, form an organization called the New Underground, helping dissidents flee to Canada in the manner of rescuing slaves through an underground railroad . One of the New Underground recruits is Jessup, the protagonist of the novel, a traditional American social liberal , an opponent of both corporatism and communism (supporters of communism are being persecuted by the Windrip administration). Jessup’s participation in the organization leads him to work in a newspaper in which he writes editorials and condemns the abuse of the new government. As a result, he is arrested, and he, having bribed guards, is forced to flee to Canada.

In Canada, he rejoins the New Underground and travels to the northeastern United States as a spy, urging locals to confront Windrip.

Over time, the Windrip regime is weakening as the promised economic prosperity does not materialize and the number of frustrated Americans is growing, including Vice President Beecroft, who is also fleeing to Canada.

Then a coup follows, and Secretary of State Sarason comes to power, the president is banished to France. Sarason, as it turned out, is a relatively weak ruler, and another coup follows, where General Hayk wins, with troops he enters the White House, kills Sarason and his associates, and proclaims himself president. After two coups, a certain erosion of the power of the Corporate State begins, and Hike is desperately trying to awaken patriotism with an unjustified invasion of Mexico. After slandering Mexico in state newspapers, Hike announces mobilization for invading the country, which annoys even those who were firm supporters of the corporate state before. Riots break out all over the country.

General Kun, one of Hayk’s senior officers, deserts and leads most of his army into the opposition, giving strength to the resistance movement. Although Haik continues to control most of the country, a civil war erupts soon. This ends the novel - the opposition army is trying to gain a foothold in the Midwest, Jessup is still working as a resistance spy.

In 1936, Lewis and John S. Moffitt wrote the same-name dramatization of the novel, ^[1] which is still being staged. The premiere of the stage version took place on October 27, 1936 in twenty-one US theaters in seventeen states. ^[2] The MGM movie version was already in preparation, when studio head Louis Mayer canceled production, after which he received public thanks from the Nazi regime in Germany. Will Hayes, the “Hollywood Chief Censor”, whose name was given to the Hayes Code , informed Mayer of his concerns that after the release of such a film, Hollywood will begin to have problems in the German market ^[3] .

In 1968, one pilot episode of the series “Shadow on Earth” (alternative title: “USA: It Can’t Happen Here”) was released, shot by Screen Gems and remotely based on the plot of the book.

Inspired by the book, director Kenneth Johnson wrote an adaptation in 1982 called Storm Warnings. The script was submitted to NBC for production of a television mini-series, but NBC executives rejected the original version, claiming it was too cerebral for the average American. To make the scenario more understandable to ordinary Americans, the American fascists were replaced by cannibals-aliens. The film turned into a fantastic one. It was named V ^[4] .

Reviewers and literary critics emphasized the relationship of the novel with Louisiana politician Huey Long , who was preparing to run for president in 1936 ^{[5] [6]} . Lewis portrayed an American dictator like Hitler . Since 1936, the Works Progress Administration , an agency promoting the Roosevelt New Deal , has staged theatrical versions of the novel throughout the country.

• Boulard, Garry. Huey Long invades New Orleans: the siege of a city, 1934–36. - 1998.
• Flanagan, Hallie. Arena, The Story of the Federal Theater. - New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1940.
• Lingeman, Richard R. Sinclair Lewis: Rebel from Main Street. - St. Paul, Minn: Borealis Books, 2005 .-- ISBN 978-0-87351-541-2 .
• Perry, Keith. The Kingfish in fiction: Huey P. Long and the modern American novel. - 2004.
• Simpson, MJ Kenneth Johnson interview (neopr.) . MJSimpson.co.uk. Date of treatment September 12, 2011. Archived October 27, 2007.