Intro to Public Writing: Carly Holladay

McCarthyism: Demagoguery after WWII

America post-war or crisis, like any country, is nationalistic and scared. After 9/11, the fear and prejudice against the Middle East and Islam was rampant with its effects still affecting American perceptions today. Similarly, after World War II and the beginning of the Cold War, fear and hatred of communist ideologies or anything that veered against capitalism persisted and continues to be used in debate today. However, like during the Red Scare of the 1950s, communism is often used as a topic to denounce a politician, policy, or debate easily with the classic “us vs. them” approach. Making McCarthyism a demagogue.

McCarthy relied on fallacies to fear monger U.S. citizens during the war. Now that the people are back home from overseas, the best advantage politically was to attack those within. He says in his speech, “In my opinion the State Department, which is one of the most important government departments, is thoroughly infested with communists.” He often made these claims baseless, and yet still created fear among citizens. This fear eventually spread into hysteria, and many lost their jobs based on the suspicion that they were communists/communist-sympathizers without physical evidence. Not only were federal professionals targeted, but McCarthy followers often accused journalists, teachers, college professors. Professionals that had the power to influence others.

While the hatred for communism was justified after the USSR’s disastrous attempt at it throughout the 20th century, it created an unproductive and very costly demagoguery. Causing the Vietnam and Korean Wars, the Space Race, and the several violations of civil liberties.

What makes McCarthyism a demagogue is the polarization, manipulation, and the fallacy McCarthy and his supporters relied on. Following all the steps of what Roberts-Miller described as a “conventional demagogue,” it was, “about passion, emotionalism, populism, and pandering to crowds.” Something that moves crowds regardless of logic and reason, and often pandering to the ideals of these crowds (i.e. nationalism, Christianity, capitalism) as a way of manipulation. In his speech, McCarthy called the Cold War an “all out battle” and “show-down.” Kinds of words that riles the people and gets them excited, while also emphasizing this “us vs. them.”

McCarthy used this demagogue to denounce his political opponents their arguments against him. If they disagreed with his ideas, then they were simply an atheist communist spy in hiding. Creating a dangerous political environment where him and politicians with similar ideals to him had more power over the country.