12 Comments
Arjana Begzati
5/3/2014 10:40:23 am
Joseph R. McCarthy was a Wisconsin senator who with a political speech in West Virginia drew attention to his believes that there were members of the Communist Party in the State Department. He also claimed that his opponent Robert M. La Follette, Jr. was communistically inclined. All this he stated publicly without offering any specific charges or proof. With the fear of communism expanding all over the nation and his intense speeches emphasizing his believe in communism spreading within the United States, McCarthy won the election as a senator in the 1950s. Once a senator, McCarthy continued to talk about the danger of the spread of communism both abroad and at home. He also accused the Secretary of State Dean Acheson and the former army chief of staff as disloyal.
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Rachel Frantz
5/5/2014 08:24:48 am
I really liked the detail you put into this post. I agree with you that the government had no right to accuse people without evidence. To me it seems as if McCarthyism is something that goes against American ideology.
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Timmi Keisel
5/5/2014 08:44:03 am
McCarthyism originated with Joseph McCarthy, a Republican Senator from Wisconsin. If nothing else, Joseph McCarthy was a bold man. He added on to the common fear of communism. He conducted many accusations that were never supported with much evidence. He at one point claimed to obtain a list filled with over two hundred names of communists. He was an intimidating, paranoid man who tried to protect the country in the wrong fashion. Some who weren’t confirmed communists were considered “communist sympathizers.” The accusation of being a communist sympathizer was enough to complete wreck one’s career. In my opinion, it seemed that as the fear of communism began to rise, Joseph McCarthy was a man whom people wanted to turn to to reassure them. I understand that the government obviously didn’t want any traitors in their country; however, I don’t think they had the right to accuse innocent people whose lives could be ruined because of it. It was completely unmoral.
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Ashton
5/5/2014 01:05:47 pm
Good answer. I agree with you, they didn't have the right to accuse innocent people.
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Deborah
5/5/2014 04:49:23 pm
I agree completely. I wouldn't hesitate to compare McCarthy's immorality, ideas, and actions to that of the Japanese internment camps from WWII. Though there may have been Communist traitors in our midst who are we to become the city of Salem and call witch on people who MIGHT(it's highly improbable) be guilty.
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Ashton Reinhardt
5/5/2014 01:04:28 pm
McCarthysim, is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. Senate Joe McCarthy rose to national fame by starting a investigate to hunt out communists holding high up positions. During his investigations, safeguards promised by the Constitution were trampled. Loyalty tests were required for government and other employment and lists of subversive organizations were maintained. "McCarthyism" is not a neutral term, but now carries connotations of false accusation, and of government attacks on the political minority. I get why the U.S. government wanted to keep tabs on everyone, but I also don’t think that was the best way handling the situation
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Zane Boerner
5/5/2014 02:17:34 pm
Joseph McCarthy was a first term Republican senator from Wisconsin. McCarthy claimed that many of the people working in the State Department were communists. It didn't take long for McCarthy to become the leader of the crusade against subversion and accuse many other agencies. To follow through with his accusations, McCarthy investigated his assumptions. Unfortunately he never produced any conclusive evidence. McCarthy He continued to gain power however with many Republicans backing him. His power intimidated many people to the point where even Dwight D. Eisenhower wouldn't speak out against him.
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McCall Etl
5/5/2014 04:28:34 pm
McCarthyism was a campaign that exposed communists in the US government, resulting in the individuals losing jobs or being blacklisted. However, these men were often not communists at all. Joseph McCarthy was behind this idea. He revealed in a speech that he had a list of many communist members during a time when communism was not widely accepted in the US. He became a leader because he made a bold statement which gained many followers in a controversial time. To extend his popularity, he "backed up" his claims by investigating the accusations. Somehow, people still followed him when he couldn't provide conclusive evidence of communists in the government. People were basically following him for his fearlessness.
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Elayna Muller
5/6/2014 01:13:02 am
McCall, I like how you put they were following him for his fearlessness. Do you think it requires bravery to hunt down/search for people who believe in something different than the majority? Or does it take more courage to stand out when everyone is against you?
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Timmi Keisel
5/6/2014 03:00:10 am
Great question Elayna! I think it takes way more courage to be different than the majority. It would be different if these people were terrorizing the country, but in this case the people were just being paranoid and accusing without much evidence.
Keeya Marquez
5/6/2014 03:07:16 am
I love this question. It doesn't take a lot of courage to stand up against something that a lot of people are afraid of, you know you're going to have a lot of supporters, as in McCarthy's case. I think it takes more courage to believe in something that's against the majority of the people.
Keeya Marquez
5/6/2014 03:04:04 am
McCarthyism was developed by a man by the name of Joseph McCarthy, he weas a nearly uknown first-tirm Republican senator out of Wisconsin. In February of 1950 during a speech, he claimed to have a list with 205 names of people within the state department that were communitsts. HIs claims eventually grew to many different parts of the government. He led many large investigations against these people, however no significant evidence was found. Many people in the United States were already terrified of communism, and when McCarthy presented his ideas, they gladly followed him in his "crusade" against communism. I personally think McCarthy was simply looking for a way to make himself known, seeng as he was never able to find good evidence against the peope he claimed were communists. But by allowing the people to have something to put their fear into made him very popular. His "bravery" could've gotton him in trouble, however he got lucky in this instance and managed to intimidate many. However,I do feel that the government has a right to know whether or not a person is a communist in these circumstances. Knowing who the communists are may have even lowered the hysteria that was growing in the United States. However, if they're going to make such allegations they need to have true evidence. These people should also not be treated differently or be punished, this is the United States and we are the land of the free.
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