(OPENPRESS) June 20, 2012 -- You say it couldn't happen here. Some say it has already begun, and they cite bailouts and 60.8 percent ownership of General Motors as examples of fascist ideology.
The simple definition of fascism: collusion between government and industry to create economic stability.
The Next President, a new novel, has as its central theme the possibility that a charismatic candidate who embraces fascism may be elected president of the United States. The novel is set in the near future in a context where many European governments have banded together with a shared ideology that has boosted their economies and made their progress the envy of Americans.
The author, Robert Livingstone, adapted the novel from his screenplay of the same name.
"The premise," Livingstone said, "is not so far-fetched. I don't see it happening; I see it as speculative fiction based on possibilities."
Could it happen? "A popular leader with an extreme political bent who amasses power based on severe economic problems. . . Think about it," Livingstone said.
The novel was published on May 24 by Moore House, a publishing entity started by Livingstone, who is a former magazine publisher. He is a Canadian who lives in North Miami Beach, Florida.
The protagonist of the novel, a television journalist, struggles to expose the secret agenda of the leading candidate for the presidency, whose growing support threatens to usher in a form of government America has never known.
Catherine Cortez follows one story -- a revolution in post-Castros Cuba -- and discovers a bigger one: the man likely to become the next president has a hidden agenda for America.
Francis Ellsworth, the antagonist and presidential candidate, in an exchange with a fellow senator, says, "Define fascism for me. One man's fascism is another man's safe, productive society. We could use a little of that in America."
The Next President is available in both paperback and digital form. For more information, go to Livingstone's web site at http://www.robertlivingstone.com/amazon_page.htm
Contact: Robert Livingstone
Email: boblivingstone@msn.com
Phone: 347-404-3550
