Why McCarthyism?

Paper Summary:

This paper answers the questions: Could Truman have prevented the virulent anti-Communism that swept across America? No. Could he (and would he) have lessened its virulence? Yes, most probably because of his own personal beliefs and leadership style and because, while he saw the Soviet Union as an enemy, he did not necessarily assume that Communism was anti-American. The author believes that Eisenhower reflected many underlying values that facilitated the rise of McCarthyism and discusses them in this paper. The author uses Arthur Miller's "The Crucible", to illustrates her or his points.

Table of Contents
Introduction
A Madisonian or a Populist Democracy
What Would Adlai Do?
Was McCarthy or Truman the Guiltier Man?

From the Paper:

"The greatest strength and virtue of the nation has always been its ability to blend disparate cultures and traditions together. But such blending " that Melting Pot, to use an outdated metaphor " has its psychological costs, creates its cultural pressures. For long periods of American history, people of good will have been able to negotiate these pressures away, but sometimes they reach a fever pitch and sacrificial victims are thrown into the crucible of American politics and culture to be immolated."

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• Essay # 63326 : "McCarthyism and Anti-Communist Witch Hunt"

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