McCarthyism And Its Effects On America Essay, Research Paper

McCarthyism and its Effects on America

Essay submitted by Unknown

McCarthyism not only destroyed the lives and careers of many Americans but also the

innocent image of the country. Senator Joe McCarthy from Wisconsin was the same as

any man. But when he cried Communism the world seemed to listen.

Following the Cold War between Russia and the United States there came many

hardships, such as unemployment and high inflation. These hardships produced a

restless society. The society then looked for something or someone to blame (Fried,

39). They found someone to blame. Communists. Throughout the country there was a

witch hunt known as the Red Scare. A basic idea was formed: Communism was evil.

Anyone who participated in such evil was considered illegitimate and were to be

excluded from such things as sharing ideas, and jobs (Reeves, 136). This fear of

Communism or anti-Communism as it was called could be described as a type of “virus.”

When all was calm in America the virus would fade, but the moment a crisis struck, the

virus came back stronger than ever (Feuerlicht, 35). Communism was a threat not only

for countries overseas but a threat for America and its people. It was a threat on the

American way of life, a bruise on the phrase “the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of

happiness.” (Feuerlicht, 45) And McCarthy helped spread this fear.

McCarthy and his ways challenged the Bill of Rights. “When free speech or due process

are denied to any individual everyone’s rights are jeopardized. Today’s oppressors may

become tomorrow’s accursed group.” (Feuerlicht, 154) And nothing is guaranteed more

than the destruction of America when the freedoms promised by the Bill of Rights are

denied (Feuerlicht, 154). McCarthy installed a fear in the people. But people feared

tremendously the loss of their jobs. They feared that their political afflictions would

reflect on their job status (Reeves, 99). By trying to keep America from becoming a

Communist nation, McCarthy and his followers turned the country into an anti -

Communist nation. A country that thrived on freedom and was kept in tact by laws

would become a country that was moved by fear alone. Laws would hold no meaning

and innocent people would be accused (Feuerlicht, 154).

Communists were everywhere. But they were hard to identify because Communism was

a philosophy. There was no way a person could provide supporting evidence that

someone believed in something (Feuerlicht, 154). According to McCarthy there were

over 200 Communists in the State Department (Feuerlicht, 55). And some 57 cases of

people who fall into the category of card – carrying Communists, loyalist of the

Communist Party, or risks to the nation (Divine, 265). Despite the issue of Communists

in America there was a bigger issue, Communist spies. Though the truth of the matter

is that all countries spy and are spied on, even America. The shock felt by the nation

was not lessened (Feuerlicht, 54). Communist spies were the worst kind because they

were not the type that stole plans for new weapons they worked from within. They

were the people helping us build our policy (Divine, 265). These Communist spies were

also hard to find because very few made it easy and confessed to being a spy. One

such a person was a German named Klaus Fuchs. He confessed to spying for the

Russians while he worked on the development of the atom bomb (Fried, 120).

Many Americans lives and careers were lost due to McCarthy and his accusations.

Hollywood’s leaders resisted allowing politicians to regulate their hiring practices, but

following the HUAC hearings the “blacklists” began in Hollywood. No one who was known

to be a communist would be employed (Fried, 77-78). Producers started questioning

their employees on many topics including politics and affiliations. In the case that the

employee’s answers did not fit with the Waldorf Statement which was that no known

Communist would be hired, the employee was fired, or let go (Fried, 78). With one

exception anyone who confessed, and gave the names of other “Communists” were

spared (Garraty, 531). After the blacklists, and the scare of Communism films started

containing only anti-Communist themes. Somewhere around forty of these

anti-Communism films were made. None of them being very popular or profitable (Fried,

78).

The blacklists continued in Hollywood while in the Government offices more than

2,000,000 men and women were subject to loyalty investigations no matter what their

status was. The investigations were also required to be done on any person who

applied for a federal job (Feuerlicht, 47). Lists of subversive organizations and groups

were compiled. Its members weren’t even given a chance to defend themselves. If they

belonged to one of the groups listed, they were guilty of “Sympathetic association” and

were fired (Feuerlicht, 47). People even began to be punished for things they hadn’t

even done. They were punished for what they might do (Feuerlicht, 47-48). Soon

almost everyone found their loyalty being questioned. Anyone who liked Russian music,

had ever read or owned a book on Communism, especially those who stood up for equal

rights of African Americans, and those who stood for civil liberties for Communists

(Feuerlicht, 48). Even having a political opinion that was not popular gained you the

treatment of a criminal (Garraty, 531).

No Part of Society was left untouched. Companies like General Electric, General Motors,

CBS, the New York Times, New York City Board of Education, and the United Auto

Workers followed Hollywood’s example and fired employees for being Communists. In

fact very few companies didn’t fire people (Reeves, 99). Even the schools went along

with the dismissal procedures outlined by McCarthy, HUAC, and the FBI. Anyone who

did not fit their standards was fired (Reeves, 99). Quite a few people ended up falling

victim of these firings. And an estimated 20 percent of these fired people came from

the educational system (Reeves, 99).

McCarthy was a fraud from the beginning. He never had anything to go on. In fact “the

shakier his evidence got the bolder he became.” (Feuerlicht, 57). Although McCarthy

didn’t have a shred of evidence it didn’t stop him from making reckless accusations

(Sawtelle,1). McCarthy didn’t even know what he said half the time in fact even he

didn’t know exactly what he said in the speech at Wheeling but because accusations

were beginning to take off, McCarthy could think of no reason not to follow and take

off with them (Feuerlicht, 56). And as the public attention grew McCarthy made more

speeches condemning Communists ( Garraty, 531). McCarthy never showed any

evidence of his accusations. This was in part because he never had any. There was no

list of names and the numbers he came up with were the result of good math skills

(Feuerlicht, 55). And if anyone ever tried to catch him in a lie he would accuse them of

being a “Communist sympathizer.” (Sawtelle, 1) Many things contributed to the fall of

McCarthyism but probably the most significant was the condemnation of McCarthy by

the U.S. senate in 1954. This condemnation ultimately led to the end of McCarthy’s

power over the people and destroyed McCarthyism (Sawtelle, 2).

Even after the fall of McCarthy people and countries still spy on each other. Only now

the spying has passed the level it was at during the McCarthy years (Feuerlicht, 152).

The spying reached its peak when in 1967 it was ordered by president Lyndon

Johnson’s administration officials for the Army to spy on civilians who were involved in

the antiwar, anti poverty, and civil rights movements (Feuerlicht, 152). The

government continued its “snooping” by putting wire taps on telephones with no court

approval. They strongly opposed anyone who tried to put a stop to their “snooping”

(Feuerlicht, 152).

Even after McCarthy was gone, the fear lingered. People feared a comeback. They

were afraid, afraid that behind each corner could be McCarthy (Feuerlicht, 139).

Although McCarthy’s attack on freedom was defeated the possibility of future attacks

could not be ignored (Sawtelle, 2). One of McCarthy’s victims was quoted saying that

“to write freedom into a law is not enough. Unless freedom is practiced, it withers. It

must be affirmed and reaffirmed in every generation.” But in McCarthy’s case it was not

(Sawtelle,2). Even the consequences of his hate teachings were felt long after

McCarthy’s time. They were still fresh in the mind of Lieutenant William Calley when he

was found guilty of Murder he was quoted saying that the Army taught him only that

the enemy was Communism. “They didn’t give it a race, they didn’t give it a sex, they

didn’t give it an age,” sobbing. “They never let me believe it was just a philosophy in a

man’s head.” (Feuerlicht, 153). ” But Communism was a philosophy, and like all

philosophies it needs to be examined and understood. Instead of declaring a holy war

against the concept of Communism, America might have defended freedom more

successfully and more honorably if she had declared war on the oppression and

injustice that make men Communists.”

Communism was indeed a philosophy but it was a philosophy that controlled the

American people for years. It left its menacing mark on a society that was otherwise

good. America may never fully recover from Senator Joe McCarthy and his

McCarthyism.