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What does it mean to be a loyal Canadian? How should our government deal with someone who is deemed to be disloyal to our country?. McCarthyism and The Second Red Scare. Established 1947, The CIA Is the US spy network. 1949- The Soviet Union explodes its own nuclear weapon.
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What does it mean to be a loyal Canadian? • How should our government deal with someone who is deemed to be disloyal to our country?
Established 1947, The CIA Is the US spy network.
1949- The Soviet Union explodes its own nuclear weapon.
House UnAmerican Activities Committee (HUAC) • Subcommittee of the House of Representatives • Purpose: To root out “subversion” of the American system • The Question: “Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?”
Senator Joseph McCarthy • Wisconsin Republican facing defeat in election of 1950 • Turns to a platform of anti-Communism
The List • “I have here a list of 205 names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department.”
Definition of McCarthyism • The fear, suspicion, and scapegoating that surrounded McCarthy, his accusations and the general curtailment of civil rights during the Cold War era. It was a witch-hunt style campaign to silence critics of the Cold War.
McCarthyism • It began when Senator McCarthy, a U.S. senator from Wisconsin, claimed that communists had infiltrated the Department of State. • A special House Committee on Un-American Activities was formed to investigate allegations of communism. • During this period, people from all walks of life became the subjects of aggressive “witch hunts” often based on inconclusive, questionable evidence.
McCarthyism • Persons accused of being communists were often denied employment in both the public and private sector. • In the film industry alone, over 300 actors, writers, and directors were denied work in the U.S. • American writer, Arthur Miller, was one of those alleged to have been “blacklisted.”
Examples of McCarthyism • In NYC, citizens must take loyalty oath to receive a fishing license • FDR’s New Deal is re-evaluated as “a socialist conspiracy” and “20 years of treason” • Jonas Salk invents vaccine for Polio; a congressman suggests that it be distributed to all school-age children for free. Eisenhower’s Secretary of Health rejects the idea as an attempt to “socialize medicine through the backdoor.”
“ Blacklisting” 1947 “The Hollywood Ten “
Lucille Ball 1953-Investigated by HUAC for registering to vote as a communist in the 1930’s at the urging of her Grandfather.
“The only thing ‘red’ about Lucy is her hair & that’s not even real.”
McCarthyism • McCarthy’s influence finally faltered in 1954 when a famous CBS newsman, Edward R. Murrow, aired an investigative news report which revealed McCarthy as dishonest in his speeches and abusive in his interrogation of witnesses. • The public was finally made aware of how McCarthy was ruining the reputations of many individuals through false accusations of communism. Edward R. Murrow
Written Assignment What do you believe to be the responsibility news providers have to the general, democratic public? Is there ever a time when provocative news should be censored by journalists at the request of a government? Explain. You must reference the film Good Night and Good Luck. 1-2 pages, 12 pt font, double-spaced Content: /15 Style: / 5 (Spelling and Grammar)