Contemporary Communism (2)

8/6/2019 Contemporary Communism (2)

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Contemporary Communism

McCarthy, the Red Scare, andContemporary Canadian Politics


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G uiding Questions

What is the contemporary understanding of communism as a recent historicalphenomenon?

(How) does this have an impact on your current perceptions of communism?


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O pening Activity: Placemat

G roups of four or five (not two or three ;)

Each group is given a cartoon and eachperson will have a cartoon analysis rubric


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T he Cold War revived the anti-communist hysteria that hadgripped the United States after World War I. In 1947 Congressrevived the House Committeeon Un-American Activities(HUAC), opposed by HerbBlock since its inception in the1930s and declared byPresident T ruman to be itself the most un-American activity.Herb Block comments: " Th e

FBI, under J. Edgar Hoover,h elped provide t h e committeewit h material from its aptly named raw files'. Some

producers, directors and screenwriters refused to testify or to

play t h e name game' in w h ic h t h e committee demanded t h enames of associates, w h o could t h en be called on to nameot h ers t h us providing an ever-expanding list of suspects to besummoned. "


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By 1949, the Soviets hadexpanded their control tocover most of Eastern

Europe, and it appeared thatChina would soon fall to thecommunists as well. " T hefear-filled forties and fiftieswere a dark period when thespread of communism abroad

increased anxieties andfrustration at home," wroteHerb Block. In their zeal tostamp out all signs of subversion in the UnitedStates, professional andamateur anti-communiststhreatened to suppress

American liberties as well.


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D uring the postwar anti-communist campaignhundreds of elementary andhigh school teachers wereinvestigated and lost their

jobs, sometimes as a result of being named by proliferating"anti-subversive" groups andindividuals. Some individualscompiled and circulated their own blacklists, which wereaccepted by frightenedemployers and castingdirectors who feared beingblacklisted themselves if theysought facts and fair play.T he motives of some self-serving or vindictive accuserswere summed up by HerbBlock in a phrase: "If youcan't crush the commies, youcan nail a neighbor."


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In February 1950, Senator Joseph McCarthy capturedheadlines by his claims thathe held in his hand, a list of names of some 205communists in the StateD epartment which he did notreveal. Many members of Congress, influenced by hissuccess, began to support hisheavy-handed and abusivetactics for political purposes.Here conservativeRepublican senators,Kenneth S. Wherry, Robert A.T aft, and Styles Bridges andRepublican NationalChairman G uy G abrielsonpush a reluctant GO Pelephant to mount theunsavory platform. T his wasthe first use of the word"McCarthyism."


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Senator Joseph McCarthy'scontinued string of recklesscharges of communism ingovernment created such a

sensation that the Senateappointed a special committeeunder Millard E. T ydings toinvestigate his "evidence."McCarthy managed to turn thehearings into a circus, each newcharge obscuring the fact that

earlier accusations weren'tbacked up. D espite a finalreport by the committeediscrediting McCarthy's tacticsand evidence, he emerged withmore general support than ever.

And "anti-subversive" hearings

by other committees of Congress, particularly theSenate Internal SecurityCommittee headed by Senator Pat McCarran (D -Nevada),continued treating rumors andunsupported charges as"evidence."


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As Senator JosephMcCarthy's campaignagainst State D epartmentand Justice D epartmentofficials continued,President Harry T rumanspoke against"scaremongers andhatemongers" who "aretrying to create fear and

suspicion among us by theuse of slander, unprovedaccusations, and just plainlies."


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In 1954, Senator JosephMcCarthy went too far whenhe took on the United States

Army, accusing it of promoting

communists.T

he Senate heldspecial hearings, known asthe Army-McCarthy hearings,which were among the first tobe televised nationally. In thecourse of testimony McCarthysubmitted evidence that was

identified as fraudulent. Asboth public and politicianswatched the bullying antics of the Senator, they becameincreasingly disenchanted.Before the year was outMcCarthy, whose charges had

first hit the headlines inFebruary 1950, was censuredby his colleagues for "conductunbecoming a senator."


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S ome history on McCarthyism

Have a look at the handout I have given you(silent reading)Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07buRRJ6s4k&feature=relatedMcCarthy himself!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iGG

jG

Sdqf8&feature=related


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T hink-Pair- S hare

T he anticommunist era of postwar history wasa scary time for many people, including theaverage citizen.With a partner at your table, think about whatkinds of social and political phobias peoplehave today.

Is a fear of communism dead?If you think so, are there other fears of foreign groups or invasions that pervade our collective psyche? What are they?


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An asidethe Communist Party of Canada

T hey are running in the Federal Election, didyou know?T heir platform:http://www.parti-communiste.ca/


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Assignment

Create a political cartoon or strip cartoon of your own. In this cartoon, depict your view of communism in CanadaWrite a paragraph explaining your cartoonPlease consider:

Its importance as a viable political option for

Canadianshow much you think communism is on theminds of Canadians today

Documents

Contemporary Communism (2)