(USNewsReport.org) – Not long after the Cold War (1945-1990) began between the United States and the USSR, a steady fear took hold in our country. As some of the horrors of communism became known to Americans, the United States entered a period of “McCarthyism,” an era vested in making sure this dehumanizing stance didn’t take hold in a nation best known for its freedom. The Second Red Scare didn’t even last a full decade, but it’s still widely discussed today.
Joe McCarthy
The term “McCarthyism” originated because of the role Joe McCarthy, a Republican senator from Wisconsin, played in it. He took the lead in outing any potential communists and put specific focus on a list he had created. The list contained names of federal officials and employees he believed to hold communist beliefs. The era ended once McCarthy was seen without favor.
HUAC and Blacklisting Hollywood
The House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) and the blacklisting of certain members of the Hollywood community are two of the most significant events associated with McCarthyism, though the HUAC was active as early as 1938. The association is a loose one, not only because the committee existed before McCarthy was even a senator, but because McCarthy’s focus was originally on those in federal positions, while the committee focused on investigating citizens.
The blacklisting of members of Hollywood is probably so well known only because the actors themselves were in the public eye. Whatever the case may be, once they were accused of being communist friendly, many actors struggled to find work and faced social ostracization.
A Failed Movement
During the Cold War, several events took place that further solidified Americans’ rejection of the communist lifestyle. Aside from tense relations with the USSR, conflicts with Korea and Vietnam also brought to light some of the more reprehensible details of the communist lifestyle, many of which would probably do well to be pointed out again today.
Ultimately, the biggest flaw in McCarthyism was that accusations were made, people were investigated, and lives were altered without firm evidence. It also cast a shadow on First Amendment rights as anyone who shared an opinion that resonated at all with communism could be a target.
Lessons Learned
In the 21st century, history has repeated itself. As seen with the unfounded accusations, expensive investigations, and seemingly endless attempts to discredit or even destroy conservatives, rule of law and Constitutional Democracy, any censorship or suppression of personal ideation simply do more harm than good.
While communism certainly goes against everything the United States stands for, the Second Red Scare was nothing more than a worst-case scenario of what happens when personal opinions are given more value than the Constitution. The only sufficient answer to any sort of communist activity is to rely on facts and our Constitution to keep such elements from taking hold.
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