The fight against communism in the Cold War abroad spread to domestic affairs in the second Red Scare. Losing Eastern Europe and China to communism and witnessing the Soviets develop an atomic bomb with alarming quickness convinced many Americans that secret information had been leaked. Adding to this situation were the relentless accusations from the House Committee on Un-American Activities that subversives were in the government, as well as several sensational “spy trials” involving secret documents allegedly sent to the Soviets. Early in 1950, an obscure Republican senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, exploited this growing public fear. He launched an anticommunism campaign with a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia (that you can read excerpts from by clicking here) which he later repeated in Congress because there was some discrepancy over the exact number of names of communists McCarthy possessed. The speech launched a four-year witch-hunt, during which outrageous accusations and fear of communist subversives in the government obscured evidence and substance. His ruthless tactics and militant anticommunism won admirers and detractors. In December 1954, the Senate officially censured McCarthy for unbecoming conduct. He died in relative obscurity three years later.After reading excerpts from McCarthy’s speech, I would like for you to think about and discuss the following: To what does Joseph McCarthy attribute America’s postwar problems? Does McCarthy make a convincing argument that John S. Service should not work in the government? What does this speech reveal about American fears in the early Cold War period? Was Joseph McCarthy’s influence on the United States positive or negative in your opinion? Your thoughts…
5 comments:
I like how he makes this a fight between "atheism and Christianity." He says the problems are caused by traitors in the government. He says that Service thought that Communism would be best for China, and so he should be put on trial, but instead he was promoted. This shows how paranoid the US had become at this time about any mention of Communism
The first thing McCarthy does is point out that we're not fighting a war over land or resources here, we're fighting about differing ideologies and we don't know how. Then he compares communism to atheism, bringing religion into the matter. It's like, ooooo! Oh snap! He went there! Talk about making everyone straighten up in their seats and start listening. His argument against Service is not very strong, all he really has is that letter that he wrote saying that communism is china's last hope. The fact that anyone actually took such a weak speech seriously shows how afraid ppl were during thie time. McCarthy was only fueling the fire.
This guy is NUTS!! ive got to say though, he seems like he knows what he is doing and he knows how to play the religious card for support. He really puts the atheists down. He uses the atheist world for the Communist govt and the Christian world for the capitalist system. he says that the problem is caused by traitors in the govt (mostly the people who have everything) that are in charge of foreign policy. The sad thing is that everyone was so scared that they believed him and followed what he thought should be done. The people who can actually have a mind of there own are the ones who get punished because they arent like everyone else. Just thinking about how those who think through situations gets punished make me wonder what kind of "sick" and paranoid species that we are apart of.
I think that it is a little weird that he uses christianity in his campaign, when its clearly about the desruction of communism. Is he doing that to get people to support him?? weird! I also noticed how fear is greatly used in his ideas, and actually does make a little sense in his statement about John Service, IF his accusations are correct!!
well along with the "evil communists" which are capitalist's enemies,, it looks like today some of the happiest places are collapsing as we speek
i was listening to the radio and it said that Iceland was surveyed and was deternmined the world's happiest nation, with high education, employmet etc...but recently 3 major bandks collapsed, lowering the currency by half of its value and leading to 1 out of every 10 people into unemployment, ...they said this is a capitalist problem
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