McCarthyism
Upon the conclusion of World War II, a new era began. An era of diplomatic manipulation, paranoia, heightened security, intensive economic development of awesome weapons and even awesomer weapons, and yet an era where the greatest of all weapons were words and threats. This was the Cold War era. Fear of Communism in capitalist nations caused the United States government to use propaganda to raise Cold War anxieties. Although the Cold War itself did not involve direct military engagement between the United States and Soviet Union, it had many by-products, such as the Korean War, Vietnam War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and conflict in Afghanistan. It brought a change not only in American foreign policy, but also domestic policy. The Cold War brought fears throughout the nation and paved the way for McCarthyism to take hold. This was a period where millions of Americans felt unnecessary worries and fears. The American media influenced the attitude of Americans, making a hatred of Communism permeate through the United States. Many trials, especially of famous individuals, were televised across the country, leading people to believe that internal sedition was a real problem in America. People were unjustly persecuted and stripped
Citizens were denied these constitutional rights. Logic eventually prevailed and people realised that indeed no evidence existed to back his claims and that most of his accusations had been unfounded. It remains that the tactics used were superfluous and avoidable, and the Communist threat was greatly exaggerated for US interests. Just like the Salem Witch Trials, people were accused for crimes they did not commit just because they were around or near a strange event or they had a very thin red line with their neighbours. Senator McCarthy pursued an investigation of communist subversion in all walks of life. Wisconsin's Senator Joseph McCarthy exemplified this fear and distrust and attained power as a result of it. When McCarthy stepped forward and claimed that a subversive force of underground communists was controlling the United States, people became afraid because this politician proposed that the very sacred ground of America was tainted with unseen forces and unknown control. The concept of "innocent until proven guilty" was lost in a cycle of panic and distrust. Therefore, the McCarthy trials acted as form of US propaganda, which gathered American support for the Cold War and its by-products. This happened despite the fact that many of the accused were not in fact communists. National fear and nothing else was what gave McCarthy control for a period of time. And so, the Communist "witch hunts" began, leading to unsubstantiated attacks on innocent people throughout the nation. Documents proved these convictions to be legitimate only after the sentences were carried out. However, the execution of the Rosenbergs sparked world-wide protest. It can be noted that McCarthy was not always wrong.
Common topics in this essay:
Fortunately McCarthy,
Cold War,
Witch Trials,
Julius Rosenberg,
Joseph McCarthy,
Fifth Amendment,
McCarren Act,
War II,
Senator McCarthy,
Rights Congress,
cold war,
witch trials,
name national security,
communist sympathisers,
policy mccarthyism,
fear communism,
name national,
domestic policy,
salem witch,
throughout nation,
people accused,
salem witch trials,
|
Acceptance Essays
