Can it Happen Here?

I have never been prouder of the media and the judicial branch of our government.  They are saving the country from a maniacal tyrant by standing up for truth and justice at a time when we need it most.  When our president burst on the scene after his inauguration by sticking to the radical tenets of his base instead of working with the opposition, I and many others feared the possibilities of a totalitarian state coming into existence.  The president censored his own media outlets, tried to close our borders, and intimidate the opposition by threatening with enemy lists.  Fake terror was also used in places like Bowling Green and Atlanta- textbook methods of using fear to work out an agenda of attaining control.  When a judge stood up against the travel ban and the media refused to be intimidated, it proved to me that our bill of rights has stood the test of time.  And that Sinclair Lewis was wrong- maybe it can't happen here: "it" referring to a fascist dictatorship, like in Nazi Germany and Mussolini's Italy. 

But I still think it can happen.  I'm about halfway through the Sinclair novel.  What our president failed to achieve in his drive for supremacy is either a thuggish police force or the backing of the military.  In the book, president Windrip was able to mold his "corpocracy" by gaining the allegiances of ex-cons, who solidified into an army called the Minutemen.  This is similar to how Hitler was able to silence his opposition by use of force with the SS.  Immediate promotions were given to criminals and thugs who showed their unyielding loyalty.  Journalists were imprisoned and the courts were over-run.  In our lovely democracy, the military is required to take precedence over judicial decisions, not executive ones.  That is the crucial difference between ours and Lewis' dystopia- he failed to address how the military would be outmaneuvered from these laws by a quasi police force. 

What would have happened if Trump hadn't been leashed in by the media and judiciary branch?  I imagine he would have gone as far as he could go without getting the military involved in domestic issues.  He hasn't even tried reaching out to them, which is a very good thing.  The travel ban would have been expanded until all immigration was likely banned.  Facts would have become meaningless.  Anything he'd say would be true to his base (but let's face it, it is anyway).  The difference is he wouldn't be facing so much scrutiny as a result.  As long as we can fight him with laws and facts, we should be safe.  This will just be a bump in the road, in our long way to progress.  It looks like much of the world realizes that; that after 4 years (God forbid, 8) we will learn from our great mistake and elect someone who is actually qualified for the position.