McCarthyism. Genesis and socio-political consequences

Piotr Dryja American Studies, MA 1st year. Conference paper. McCarthyism Genesis and socio-political consequences. Introduction McCarthyism is a term strictly associated with another one worth mentioning. This is Red Scare. Both of them stand for specific periods in American history, when there was a widespread fear of communism. However, McCarthyism rigidly relates to the Second Red Scare that occurred in the 50’s in the United States of America. It had its origins in a figure of Joseph McCarthy who was a U.S. Senator. He believed American politics and culture was infiltrated by communists. His principal aim was to eliminate all political opponents. Having no limits, he accused a number of significant public and political figures of cooperating with communists or being communists. Specially dedicated committees were created to investigate that alleged infiltration. Joseph McCarthy was a person that ascended so high, owing to his determination, he eventually was able to determine who should be disqualified from public life. The intention of this paper is to introduce the phenomenon of McCarthyism on the basis of political activities undertaken during the second Red Scare. I will examine the factors that contributed to the creation of the suspicion period in the US history. A significant part is devoted to a demonstration of social and political effects. Nonetheless, the crucial question I would like to answer is whether those accusations were correct or not. This paper is of high relevance in "1 terms of recent publications, comparing Joseph McCarthy with Donald Trump, the current president of the United States, which is also examined. McCarthyism In order to understand the McCarthyism era, it would be advisable to first learn about some important facts about the person after whom this phenomenon was named. Joseph McCarthy was born on the 14th of November, 1908 in Grand Chute, Wisconsin. During his education he would suspend his schooling a couple of times, but finally he managed to graduate from university and became a lawyer. In 1939 „McCarthy became the youngest circuit judge ever elected in Wisconsin”1. 3 years later he decided to join the army. In 1946, he came back to his political life and was elected senator. He was a member of House Committee on Un-American Activities, investigating communist infiltration of the U.S. government2. The 50’ was a very tough period for the United States because of the Cold War. Furthermore, two empires were fighting over domination in the world, what caused a big concern among the american society. The fact that the Soviet Union was a communist country caused even more anxiety. Bearing in mind the first Red Scare from 1919, the American people felt fear for this to happen again. In 1950, Senate Internal Security Subcommittee was created. Its aim was protection the American government from infiltration and sabotage of communists and related people. However, McCarthy’s activities changed the track and the target of the committee. They 1 Thomas C. Reeves, ”Joseph McCarthy: Biography” acc Dec 12, 2018,, http://www.apl.org/book/ export/html/1012 2 Ibid. "2 began to focus on specific, famous figures representing different environments: politicians, journalists, scientists, celebrities. In 1950, he gave a speech in front of a group of women in Wheeling, Virginia, where he publicly introduced a list of famous individuals who, according to his knowledge, were communist agents working for the USRR. Being asked about those accusations, McCarthy openly told he did not know most of the people listed. He also created his own commission. His interrogations started with the United States Department of State. Librarians were also called in for hearings as their libraries included books written by communist authors. The commission did not omit even Hollywood celebrities and artists who, according to McCarthy, worked for communists. He finally reached army, what was his last straw. McCarthy was not afraid of anyone and anything as his position was secured by the immunity. His communist definition included also members of all left-wing groups, such as Socialist Labor Party of America. George Marshall, the secretary of state, was also accused by McCarthy3. His accusations divided the American society. However, the vast majority disapproved of his activities. He even lost the trust of people who were also against communists, but McCarthy’s strategy was totally incomprehensible to them. Having been supported by the army, he lost their trust once he began investigations in their squads. This was a crucial moment of his career as he was expelled from the House by the Senate4. Joseph McCarthy looked for the sensations in all environments possible. Mccarthyism seemed to be a public paranoia. One man could accuse anyone along with destroying their reputation. This is what happened to a dentist from New Jersey, Irving Peress. McCarthy 3 America’s Story from America’s Library, Marshall and McCarhyism, The Library of Congress, accessed Dec 12, 2018, http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/marshall/aa_marshall_mcarthy_2.html United States Senate, The Censure Case of Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin (1954), acc Dec 12, 2018, https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/censure_cases/133Joseph_McCarthy.htm 4 "3 revealed his name and a photo to the public. As a result, Peress was constantly harassed, he lost his patients, his house was demolished5. Everyone agrees that McCarthy’s intention, although it was right, went too far. He was so involved that he forgot about collecting evidence for his own words. Indeed, McCarthy never showed any evidence supporting his accusations. He became popular because he made people talk about him. However, his actions were put in an extremely negative way. People feared to such an extent that they were even afraid of their neighbors that might have been communists. McCarthy exactly knew how to play with people’s emotions and fears. He used it to build his image. Nevertheless, it eventually became his obsession. The question now is why the government condemned McCarthy’s actions so late. The answer is arguable - maybe the wrongness of the actions had been just unnoticed or the scale of the phenomenon had been expected to be much smaller than it actually was. The recent investigations show that McCarthy was right in some cases of communist infiltration, yet most of these people were harmless to the national security. The image of Joseph McCarthy was created predominantly by media. He was perceived as a person being constantly in search of new victims of his obsessive activity. He was said to be an alcoholic who cannot be stopped. In 1954 his actions were condemned by the Senate that later ignored him till the end of his career6. 5 Bart Byrnes, The Washington Post, Irving Peress, dentist who was subject of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s hearings, dies at 97, acc. Dec 10, 2018, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/irving-peress-dentist-whowas-subject-of-sen-joseph-mccarthys-hearings-dies-at-97/2014/11/18/196bd42a-6f3b-11e4ad12-3734c461eab6_story.html?utm_term=.744c97f105c1 Thomas C. Reeves, ”Joseph McCarthy: Biography” acc Dec 12, 2018,, http://www.apl.org/book/ export/html/1012 6 "4 Consequences McCarthyism undisputably had a negative impact on the American society and the country’s politics. It caused an immense hysteria and phobia of communism. McCarthy himself did not break the Constitution, albeit hurt people living under its rules7. During the McCarthyism era the government adopted the Laws on loyalty towards country, initiated proceedings against leaders of the Communist Party and passed the McCarran Law on internal security. Its aim was to prevent people linked to unamerican organizations from immigration, travelling and working for armament industries. After the big collapse of McCarthy and during Eisenhower’s presidency, the American Congress outlawed the Communist Party USA. Dwight Eisenhower himself managed to pass a few laws that were highly required in order to „fix” the country after the turmoil. In 1956 he signed bills extending the insurance system that included freelancers and differently-able people. He also raised the minimum wage 8. President Eisenhower planned to develop the collaboration between public and private sphere. Specially dedicated private or local agencies took control over different branches of economy. The Republicans wished to cut down on budget spendings, mainly due to high expenditure on Korean War9. In 1954 the Congress reduced different federal taxes by 50%10. The actual position of the United States during McCarthyism era was weakened, so the president Eisenhower made a lot of effort to make the country strong again, especially in terms of national defense and international trade. 7 David M. Oshinsky, A conspiracy so immense: the world of Joe McCarthy, (Norwalk, Connecticut: 1983), p.507. 8 On The Issues, Dwight Eisenhower on Jobs, acc Dec 12, 2018, http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/ Dwight_Eisenhower_Jobs.htm 9 Andrzej 10 Bartnicki, Historia Stanów Zjednoczonych Ameryki, (Warszawa: 1995), p. 117. Ibid. "5 The controversy concerning Joseph McCarthy that emerged following his accusations have recently been rediscussed in terms of similar activities undertaken by the current president of the U.S., Donald Trump. There have been ongoing debates whether „Trumpism” in a new McCarthyism. Links between Joseph McCarthy and Donald Trump People may think that McCarthyism is now only a matter of the past. However, after Donald Trump took the office as the U.S. president, some characteristic elements of McCarthyism have been noticed in his actions. History has a way of repeating itself. Having that in mind, there is a relevant question whether that period in history is going to come back in a new form or it is only an unreasonable fear that has nothing to do with what McCarthy did with the society in the ’50’s. The most significant correlation can be found in the fact that both men’s purpose was, and is, to exclude a certain group from the American society. McCarthy’s case concerned communists, celebrities or politicians being disloyal towards the senator. Donald Trump has been trying to convince Americans that Muslims and Mexicans are responsible for all the wrongdoings in the country. Forgetting the fact that Muslims have been a part of American society for hundreds years, he called for a total ban on Muslims entering the U.S. He believes they pose a serious threat to the national security. His numerous speeches condemning Muslims’ beliefs and actions have created a public anxiety similar to that from McCarthy era. He calls them „danger coming into our contry”11. Trump’s words spread very quickly across the country. People start to consider all Muslims as a real danger. According to a survey by 11 Al Jazeera,, Donald Trump calls for halt on Muslims entering the US, Mar 11, 2016, acc Dec 31, 2018, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/12/donald-trump-calls-halt-muslimsentering-151207220200817.html "6 Pew Research Center conducted in 2016, almost 50% of Americans believe that „at least some” American Muslims are anti-American and 11% think that most or almost all American Muslims are anti-American12. Since then, the situation has only got worse because of latest terrorists attacks. The atmosphere is still being heated up by Trump’s speeches which as a result create an exaggerated fear, nevertheless it is of a much smaller scale than it was done in the ’50’s. The same analogy is used by Trump towards Mexican immigrants. What he voiced over the campaign was calling for building a wall on the border with Mexico in order to prevent immigrants from getting into the U.S. As he says, „they’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”13 Trump’s obsession did not omit even the former president, Barack Obama. Trump accused him of not been born in the United States. He raised different conspiracy theories and insisted on Obama to reveal the actual birth certificate. Once he did so, Trump questioned its authenticity. Conclusion The phenomenon of McCarthyism made America look ridiculously in the eyes of other countries in the world. The years of McCarthyism were one of the most dramatic times in the U.S. history. Benjamin Ginzburg, a research director of the Senate constitutional rights subcommittee, makes a conclusion about those years and describes them as a period of 12 Pew Research Center, Republicans Prefer Blunt Talk About Islamic Extremism, Democrats Favor Caution, Pew Research Center, Feb 3, 2016, acc Dec 31, 2018, http://www.pewforum.org/2016/02/03/ republicans-prefer-blunt-talk-about-islamic-extremism-democrats-favor-caution/ Katie Reilly, Time, Here Are All the Times Donald Trump Insulted Mexico, Time, Aug 31, 2016, acc Dec 31, 2018, http://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-&/ 13 "7 abusing people’s rights and offending government members and average Americans for their personal views. He also mentions the nonsense of all actions initiated by McCarthy 14. Not only politics was affected. The world of mass entertainment, music and film industry were distressed. Film makers were obliged to prepare all the scenarios in such a way so as not to be accused of offending the McCarthyism concept. Some projects were rejected and never shown on screen as they were likely to be disapproved by McCarthy’s people or him himself15. The significance of the McCarthyism has risen in recent years, along with the latest presidential election in the U.S. and its result. The practices performed by Donald Trump undoubtedly evoke the memory of those from the ’50s. Exaggerating, playing the media with panache, accusing others having no evidence, making up juicy stories and voicing populistic slogans are all common features that can be found both in McCarthy’s and Trump’s tactics. Nowadays, the McCarthyism cannot be ignored as a number of its elements are still visible in the contemporary politics. However, the main difference between the events in the ’50 and modern times is that we as the people are now in power, provided with uncontrolled possibilities to check and determine the actual truth. 14 Earl Latham, The meaning of McCarthyism, (Boston: D. C. Heath and Company, 1965), p. 125. 15 Ibid. "8 Bibliography: Al Jazeera, Donald Trump calls for halt on Muslims entering the US, Mar 11, 2016, https:// www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/12/donald-trump-calls-halt-muslimsentering-151207220200817.html America’s Library, ”America’s Story from America’s Library”, Marshall and McCarhyism, The Library of Congress, http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/marshall/ aa_marshall_mcarthy_2.html Bartnicki, Andrzej, Historia Stanów Zjednoczonych Ameryki, Warszawa: 1995. Byrnes, Bart, ”The Washington Post”, Irving Peress, dentist who was subject of Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s hearings, dies at 97, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/irvingperess- dentist-who-was-subject-of-sen-joseph-mccarthys-hearings-diesat-97/2014/11/18/196bd42a-6f3b-11e4-ad12-3734c461eab6_story.html?utm_term=. 744c97f105c1 Latham, Earl, The meaning of McCarthyism, Boston: D. C. Heath and Company, 1965. On The Issues, Dwight Eisenhower on Jobs, http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/ Dwight_Eisenhower_Jobs.htm Oshinsky, M. David, A conspiracy so immense: the world of Joe McCarthy, Norwalk, Connecticut: 1983. Pew Research Center, Republicans Prefer Blunt Talk About Islamic Extremism, Democrats Favor Caution, Pew Research Center, Feb 3, 2016, http://www.pewforum.org/ 2016/02/03/republicans-prefer-blunt-talk-about-islamic-extremism-democrats-favorcaution/ Reeves, Thomas C., ”Joseph McCarthy: Biography”. http://www.apl.org/book/export/html/ 1012 "9 Reilly, Katie, Time, Here Are All the Times Donald Trump Insulted Mexico, Time, Aug 31, 2016, http://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-&/ United States Senate, The Censure Case of Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin (1954), https:// www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/censure_cases/ 133Joseph_McCarthy.htm "10