After reading about McCarthyism in class, seeing anti-communist propaganda, and reading about the money poured into Europe in an attempt to keep them from falling to communism, what strikes you as the most absurd? Why do you think America was this concerned about communism? Does America have a new concern now--if so, what do you think would ever drive us to this point of heightened anxiety again?
I didn't realize people went to such lengths to prove their points. People went crazy during the cold war. I think America was so scared because they couldn't control communism if it took over. It would be hard to control once it stared. Now we are scared of terrorism. We aren't going to the extent that we did to stop communism.
ReplyDeleteWhat was most absured in my eyes, is the fact that people believed McArthury and everythig he had to say. He is just so crazy, how did people believe him? I think america was mainly concerned with the unknown outcome that was going to happen.
DeleteI would agree that people during this era was afraid of the unknown that we did stupid things to make the feel better about the unknown.
DeleteI think the most absurd thing is people randomly accusing other people of being communist with no evidence. I think America was so concerned because one of the things we are most proud of is all of our rights and communism would destroy those rights. Today we are scared of terrorism and I think we are at this point of heightened anxiety because terrorists can strike at any time and you would never know it.
ReplyDeleteWhat strikes me as the most absurd are the witch trials. People didn't have their rights to speak and answer questions, nor did they have the right to go against it. There was no way of getting out of it. America was so concerned about communism because we didn't want to fall under one leadership and lose our bill of rights. Our new concern is terrorism, I do believe someday we will someday get to that point.
ReplyDeleteConnect this to some of our current events in court cases. Do we still have a chance to say the things we want to say? How does the media and the public affect the outcome of the verdict--think Trayvon Martin, Casey Anthony, etc.
DeleteAfter reading about McCarthyism in class, I think it is pretty crazy that people back then would go so far into calling someone a communist over little things like wearing red, without even having proper evidence of them really being a communist. I think America was extremely concerned about communism because the government basically brainwashed them so much back then about how bad communism was and people were scared that communism was going to take over. Today, America is concerned about terrorism, but I don't think people would be punished just because someone called them a terrorism without any evidence.
ReplyDeleteyep, exactly.
DeleteI agree.
DeleteWhat strikes me as most absurd is that people were accused with out any evidence. I think they were concerned about communism because it threatened our beliefs, way of life, and ideals. America's new concern is with terrorism and to drive us to the same extreme with communism during the cold war would require another attack that kills even more people, destroy an American monument or destroy the Pentagon.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to believe that people would turn on their own neighbor or friend, because they were so scared. I know America is a proud country, and loves their way of life. If anyone, or anything threatens our way of life then it becomes a huge treat. Now today we have terrorism. People that hates America because of the way we live. I believe that we as a country are already afraid for our lives and freedom, because we have been attacked at home several times. Hopefully the day will come when we no longer have to worry.
ReplyDeletei wish for that to, but what would we have to do to achieve that peaceful nature, because there is no way we could do it today with this type of government or our way of thought.
Deletethe craziest out of all of them to me would be the thought that McCarthy could just accuse 200 some odd people with no prove and everyone was cool with it. because the government was afraid of it so we had to be to because we don't want the big men to lose their jobs. i don't know maybe terrorism, which is a weird word when you think about it, but even then we haven't experienced something of that scale for a while now.
ReplyDeleteThe most absurd thing about this is the $12.5 billion dollars America spent trying to keep European countries from becoming communist. America was so concerned about communism because it was a very large threat to our form of government and we didn't want to be over thrown by a communist or be outcast because of the amount of communist in the world. Americans new threat is terrorism and another event such as 9/11 would bring back the fear and heightened anxiety again.
ReplyDeleteDo you really think it is so weird that America spent a lot of money to contain communism? I mean at this point and time, America would have done anything to just get a little advantage over the Soviet Union. If that meant to spend tons of money, they would do it.
DeleteGood point. This just points out how hysterical America became over the communist threat! We were willing to spend a TON of money to try and contain it--even without a guarantee!
DeleteI don't get why they were so concerned about to go that far as to say it was "enemy #1" to America. I think that America was so scared of communism because it's different from what we had. We're scared of terrorism now and I think that we won't get that excited about terrorism like we did communism
ReplyDeleteIs there something we will get that excited about? During your lifetime?
DeleteAccusing innocent people of being communist and not letting them defend themselves in court is unconstitutional and goes against everything America stands for. America's concern about communism came from WWII and the damage communists did. Now, terrorism is a new concern. I think, if we have constant attacks of terrorist, maybe even some planned from within the country, it could drive us to the way we were with communism.
ReplyDeleteI agree that is was crazy that innocent people's lives got ruined just because they were accused of being communist. I also agree that we were so concerned about communism came from WWII. I think that we were scared of communism and threatened by what it could to America.
DeleteThe most absurd thing I have learned about so far in this time period is how many organizations were organized because of communism and how many people's lives were changed because of these organizations. People's lives could be ruined because of a simple accusation during this time period. I think people were so scared of communism because the government used crazy propaganda to get them to that point. I think the government used this propaganda because they felt threatened by the S.U. and communism, which is understandable. Terrorism is the new day communism. The scare of communism in the 50's is very close to the scare of terrorism in this decade.
ReplyDeleteI think it's really extreme that America went so far as to shell out billions of dollars just to keep communism at bay. People were terrified, but were they themselves really being harmed?
ReplyDeleteThe media packed it on pretty heavy, and coming out of the Cold War, people just couldn't get over communism.
Today, we are pretty afraid of terrorists, and the use of nuclear weapons. Ever since 9/11, we have pretty much made it our duty to eradicate terrorists. If we ever have any more attacks, conditions could get worse. North Korea's threats of war and nuclear weapons leave us feeling unsure as well. As time goes on, we may see a reprise of these extreme measures against terrorism.
The most absurd thing for me to hear and read about was McCarthyism. I just don't understand how one guy can get so obsessed with his position in the government that he tells such a big lie and that he thinks he can actually get away with it. Of course this would work at first, but didn't he think about what happens after that? Didn't he know that people were still sane enough to question him?
ReplyDeleteI think people always need something to be concerned about, because otherwise their life would be boring. This doesn't only concern America itself, it happens all the time around the world. I mean think about it: Has ever something not happened? Was there ever a chapter in history that was plain boring? I mean, of course that has something to do with communism and that it wasn't the American way of living and that the communist Soviet Union made serious threats against America, but that could have happened at any other point in modern history.
The biggest concern of Americans today is probably terrorism. The fear of terrorism was sparked because of 9/11 after the threat of terrorism became real.
We were concerned with communism because it was such a big threat to our country and our economy. The most absurd thing to me is that our own government accused a large number of government workers that was said to be communistic. So McCarthyism is the most absurd, with a close second of giving money to Europe. Of course our new concern terrorism, it is basically to the point of this time because many many people are called doomsday prep-ers, and terrorist attacks are a big reason for this
ReplyDeleteI dont understand why united states was afraid of communism. I understand it's not exactly a good thing, but they United States doesn't know how it actually is to live with a communism government. It might not be as bad at the world see it to be.
ReplyDeleteAmerica just didn't want to have the same type of government and rule as the Soviet Union because they were our enemy.
DeleteI think what i found most absurd was that we went to full lengths to stop the spread of communism, for example accusing our own government of being communist. America was concerned about communism because it was basically a "plague", plus our biggest enemy was now communist.I think we will have a big commotion one day but i dont know what it will be over, maybe even something as little as a 'threat' that is never going to follow through.
ReplyDeleteCommunism was a huge threat to our country and economy. The most absurd thing to me was when people would accuse other people of being communist without any evidence. Our new concern is just staying out of another big war because it would destroy us.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Ceceelya! It was crazy how people accused other people like that. Why do you think they did that?
DeleteI think the most absurd thing is that we aided half of Europe but not Soviet Russia. We really did think that the way we were governed and that was the way it should be. America was so concerned with communism because it was such a big threat to capitalism. Every way we tried for containment either hadn't worked or wasn't fully successful. I think the only big worry is keep the peace because everybody knows if we went to war right now it would be so destructive. Knowing that war could be on such a massive level would put alot of people on edge.
ReplyDeleteI agree! Going to war at this point would of been insane. I also think that accusing innocent people of being communist and not giving them their constitutional rights in court was something that should of been avoided.
DeleteI can see how america freaked out over communism since the different layout they had. i however don't understand that america went to such a degree to fear and hate communism so much, they accused people of things they didn't do. McCarthyism is a very crazy thing considering he accused others for not doing anything wrong.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to hear that the U.S. did nothing to help Hungary when we had so much money in Europe. America was concerned about communism because it was a threat to western civilization and capitalism. It threatened to undermine what America was working towards. Communism is still a threat though it is not as big as a concern. Some a communist countries to threaten countries America has ties to though.
ReplyDeleteI think that it was absurd that people were just arrested as being 'suspected' communists. Communism is a belief not a crime. The American people are afraid of communism because it takes away ALL their freedom and the government controls everything.
ReplyDeleteThe people being arrested during this time can easily be compared to now, when people are arrested or called in for serious questioning if there is rumor of them being a terrorist or having terrorist tendencies. It is a safety precaution and is takes place so nothing bad happens.
DeleteI was pretty surprised and thought it was absurd that America gave out billions of dollars to keep communism away. Also, people that were innocent were being accused of communism and punished for it. People would turn against their own friends to make sure that they were not accused of communism, but people became pretty selfish. The reason we wanted to keep away communism during this time, is because communism caused so much damage during World War 2, we didn't want to be overthrown or be ruled by one person.
ReplyDeleteI do not think america will ever be completely 100% successful at containing communism. I also don't think they ever even did a good job at attempting it.
ReplyDeleteI agree that communism will always exist, even if the we pretend that we've completely ended it.
DeleteWhat the most absurd thing to me is that McCarthy would lie to all of those people just for his place in the government, Also the amount of money we gave to Europe.
ReplyDeleteIt was horrible to think about someone not being able to explain themselves when they are accused of being a communist. America has now come to a " problem " with terrorism, and they fear it.
I think it is crazy that people would lie and accuse their own brother or sister of being a communist just to remain a loyal citizen. I also think that everyone was overacting. In todays society we still have communist countries but you don't see everyone's guard up in America. The Americans may have just been in the spur of the moment. Coming from WWII everyone is on their edge of their seats and ready to accuse anyone or anything for the problems that had previously occurred.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is crazy that people would accuse someone else of being a communist. It's not fair that people were put into jail for being accused without being able to defend themselves. America was so concerned about communism because we didn't want to be turned into a communist country. We wanted to stay the way things were in the U.S. and stay a free country. I would say America has a problem now with terrorism and it fears a lot of people that they could attack again at any moment without us knowing.
ReplyDeleteI think the most absurd thing that happened was when people would randomly accuse others of being communist, like if they were mad at someone or the other person was just suspicious. America was so concerned about communism because it was the Soviet Union's, our enemy's, government and economics system. Communism was also a threat to our economy, government, and country. We wanted to keep communism from spreading, because if communism spread, so would the Soviets. Today, communism is no longer our biggest worry. America now focuses our concern on terrorism.
ReplyDeleteWould america have cared as much if it was an another country that was communist instead of Russia at first?
DeleteThe most absurd thing to me was all the crazy accusations. It just shocks me that just saying someone was communist many people would think they were. There didn't even have to be evidence to prove it and that person who is being accused is under the spot light an can't to do much to get out of it. I think America was so concerned. with Communism because it's a threat. It could possibly get in the way of America being on top, and Americas number one goal is to be the top power. Now a days I feel like Americas biggest concern is terrorism. It was the most recent and big thing to go on. It has gotten people all pumped up to because of the attacks and threats and all the NSA situations.
ReplyDeleteWe were concerned about communism because we thought it was gonna over power us and affect our political and economy system. The most absurd part was us blaming each other to being communist without having any actual prove. We're still worried about communism today but not as much as we are for terrorism. Terrorism has become a HUGE threat to our way of life recently and we're trying our best to end it. If we were every attacked on our own land like we were on 9/11 then we would be highly full of anxiety and fear.
ReplyDeleteI think it's crazy how people could just say that someone was a communist and people would automatically believe them and start to question that person. I think that people took "being communist" way out of proportion. In today's life there are still communist countries and you don't see the people going around throwing people up under the bus, calling each other communist just because they're mad or want to take the heat off of themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe most absurd thing to me is how far people went in to calling someone a communist even just by wearing the color red. America was so worried about communism because they were afraid to lose our freedom and our bill of rights. Our new concern is terrorism and maybe another terrorist attack would be something that would drive us to this point of heightened anxiety.
ReplyDeleteI think the most absurd was that many people would get scared and sell out friends, family, strangers, all because they were scared of red. i think america was this concerned about communism because they were scared that it would spread like a disease and everyone would lose there freedom and no one wanted that. i think the only way america would get another since of heightened anxiety would be if something like communism or some type of new few started to spread then i think that people would start to get scared and start to accuse many people again.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the craziest thing was that almost anyone could accuse anyone of Communism. McCarthy could accuse anyone of communism, and a lot of people would believe him, even if there was no proof. America was so concerned about communism because it was against our morals. Also, people were heavily influenced by propaganda. And, if communism got out, there would be no way of containing/controlling it. I think our new concern would be terrorism, though it would take a lot to drive us to the point of accusing random people of terrorism. I think we are at a point in society that we would need to have significant proof before claiming someone to be a terrorist.
ReplyDeleteDoes America have a new concern now--if so, what do you think would ever drive us to this point of heightened anxiety again?
ReplyDeleteI think that the accusations with no support or reasoning that someone is communist and that you could be punished for being communist just because someone said that you are is the most absurd part of McCarthyism, no matter how bad things get outside of our country if we are causing chaos inside the US we can't what we're against (communism in this case) we have to work as a unit. I think America was this concerned about communism because we were scared. Fear, or the avoidance of what we fear, causes us to do crazy things. We make rash decisions without thinking about the outcome when we're scared. Currently we definitely have a similar concern, terrorism. We have reached a point of heightened anxiety that is close to this after the attacks on 9/11, and if there were to be another terrorist attack on the US I think we would reach that level of concern that we felt about communism.
What drives me most absurd would "McCarthyism." If referred to the unfair tactic in which assuming someone of being communist, without any real evidence that they really are. Why i think that America was so concerned about communism was that America still wanted the freedom that all the people of america have. Like the freedom of speech, and the freedom of religion. Our country is beautiful cause it is multi cultural. And no I don't think america should have any concerns now.
ReplyDeleteThe reason people were highly punished for supporting communism was to make other people fear the thought of communism all together. Because of the huge rivalry with a country who is communist, it would only make sense to discriminate the people in our country who support their(Soviet Russia) way of living. The less people in our country supporting communism means less of a chance of truly becoming communist. If we were given the title "communist" our government would not be able to benefit off of the people the way they do now.
ReplyDeleteI think the most insane thing is that we did so many things, including spending millions of dollars just to stop communism. I understand that we like our freedom, but at the same time if it wasn't starting to be successful. Why would we put so much time and effort into something that was not getting a direct positive result? I think that America was concerned with communism primarily because we are afraid of losing our own freedoms and rights. I think nowadays one of our biggest concerns is terrorism. I think to drive us to that anxiety we would have to be threatened majorly or attacked quite a few times.
ReplyDeleteI think its crazy that so many people were blindly accused without any evidence. Today we fear terrorism in America, we're scared because we sadly live in a world where terrorism attacks happen more constantly than humanity should.
ReplyDeletei think that the craziest thing we did was send innocent people to jail for something they do. we took them out of their work places and homes and sent them to jail. I think the concern came from WWII and all of the damage it did, also terrorism was a big concern.
ReplyDeleteThere have been many absurdities in the history of America; ranging from a Witch Hunt for Communists to a blacklisting of Hollywood, to a hate toward a President because of his relief plans. I find that the most absurd thing that has been done was the McCarthyism Witch Hunt for Communism, as I call it. Just the thought of a neighbour or friend being called a Communist and being interrogated, tortured and even killed just because of this new Red Scare irks me in a way that can't be fixed. I believe that America was so afraid of Communism solely because of the people that supported it. The dictators that had supported Communism were mostly totalitarian dictators that had a total control over their countries. If America was hit by this "plague" of Communism, the freedoms would have been take from them, and peoples would lose hope for Capitalism. Being a supporter of true Communism, where everybody IS equal, I say that with today's American people, the dictator given to us would not be one of totalitarianism, but one of good intentions. America now has a new enemy, terror. Terrorism is an act of crime that effects the political status of the targeted country, as well as the morale of the country's people. America has the thoughts that "terrorism" is an enemy that can be fought and stopped, but it cannot. America gave Terrorism a face, making terrorism an enemy that can be stopped. With each year, the people of America think that they're stopping "Terrorism," but with each year the fear of "Terrorism" grows. This is terrorism's true effect taking place. Organised "terrorist" groups, people rebelling against the government, and even the outlying serial killer that shoots up a school or theatre; they all have a terrorist effect on the human psyche, as it leave an image scarred in the minds of anyone who witnesses the event. America is attempting to combat an emotion that cannot actually cease, and is actually fighting a group that labels themselves as a "terrorist" group. Our money isn't going toward the battle against terror itself, but the group that causes terror among us, which shall not be named.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the whole situation with blaming and prosecuting communists was stubborn and made the whole of America seem like a cornered animal lashing out at things it doesn't understand. Also, irks made me giggle.
DeleteI'm glad I could entertain. I do find the analogy you used, comparing America to a worried animal lashing out at the unbeknownst, quite satisfactory in terms of comparisons.
DeleteThe majority of American stress and involvement can be justified by our duty to protect humanity. However, I think the absurd aspect of the Cold War era is how far the United States went in some cases in order to prevent communism. In many events, it could easily be argued that risks outweighed benefits. Our nation spent a tremendous amount of money in order to interfere with nations who were at peace with themselves. Considering multiple countries supported their communist leaders, can we really say we had the right, and had intention, to "defend"?
ReplyDeleteIn no way am I saying I support communism, but maybe if America had decided to work more on keeping communism away from our own country, and help countries who clearly did in fact want it, we could've avoided many conflicts.
Today, America centers its focus on the prevention of terrorism. In a way, we have a type of non-extreme McCarthyism on terrorism. If you consider the NSA and stereotypes on people of certain races, you may realize there is a fear installed in Americans, following events such as 9/11 and the Boston Marathon.
DeleteThe most absurd thing America did was how much money they spent on trying to prevent something that they couldn't completely control. Although they got close a few times they knew they would never be able to 100% completely control all other countries' governments. America is so concerned because as a whole, they believe America should be on top. They want to be able to control other countries and make sure nothing is better than them. America's new concern is threats from other countries.
ReplyDeleteI think the most absurd part of the Cold War in America was the accusing of alleged communists on things as little as the clothes they wore. I understand why America was scared of communism, Russia was threatening nuclear attack. Naturally, this scared people. People were very concerned that with Russia being so quick to threaten nukes, that the idea of sleeper agents and spies didn't seem crazy to them. People rallied quickly behind the idea of destroying the attackers, especially if they were in our own country. This is why McCarthyism became standard and why so many people were falsely accused. There are not many things today that could cause a panic quite like the Cold War. Perhaps if North Korea found efficient ways to launch their nukes, that could worry people. However, more threatening is the fact that Russia is currently invading Crimea in Ukraine. Putin also had gotten his troops battle ready and has rallied fighter jets on the South Russian border.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think was the turning point? When did we start enacting these policies?
DeleteAfter reading about the Witch hunt and the "crazies", i think the most absurd thing is how much a persons life can be ruined by one accusation from authorities or citizens of your own neighborhood. No one could ever be right in this situation. I think America was so concerned about communism because a big majority of our battles was to get capitalism in as many countries as possible. When America thought they were right, they wanted everyone to know it and see it also. They were scared of being wrong. I think today there could be a concern to bring us to that craziness. There kind of is. With all the terrorists that try coming into our country, we have had to spend billions of dollars on airport security and things of that sort. Even if someone sees an arabic or religions of that, they automatically think "terrorist". Kind of like people thinking of others being communist.
ReplyDeleteI would say that the craziest thing we did was spend so much money on Europe that we didn't have, we had just come out of a war and could have kept that money in the country to further better ourselves. As selfish as that sounds I feel that we would be in a slightly different place in economics right now. I think America was concerned about communism so much because things spread and the more it spreads the harder it is to contain and stop, and eventually it could spread enough to where it's just America as a capitalist country and we would be forced to change. I think that a serious bomb threat from anyone but North Korea could drive us to this heightened point in anxiety.
ReplyDeleteThe most absurd thing to me is that people in the U.S. feared communism so much. Our country was working hard to help other countries fight communism so I wouldn't think that many people would be scared that the U.S. would become communist. I think that America was so concerned about communism because the government was making a big deal about it in other countries. America has many concerns now, especially after 9/11, and there have been other small threats that has made the country slightly frightened. I think that if there was a real threat that we know would affect the entire country in major ways, anxiety would settle across the nation.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that struck me as the most absurd was the assumption that practically everyone was a communist. People became so concerned and afraid about communism, that they started to propose that their neighbor was a communist or their co-worker. I think America was so concerned about communism because they saw it as a threat. They believed that communism and communist leaders could spread this idea everywhere around the globe. I think America is worried about the war on terror still and the rising threat in North Korea. I think it would take another surprise attack, or nuclear threat to drive us to extreme anxiety.
ReplyDeleteWhat I think is the most absurd is how so many people framed each other as being communist. You could either admit being a communist or deny it. Either way you would still get killed.
ReplyDeleteI think America was so concerned about communism because if it takes over the whole world then America would be all by itself with no allies. Russia and USA are rivals so the thought of communism spreading would scare America.
A current threat to America now would be terrorism. Since 9/11, America has made airports more secure so what happened on 9/11 wouldn't ever happen again.
The most absurd of this anti-communist propaganda was definitely the cartoons. These depictions of the communist threat were completely hyperbolisitic. I think America was so terrified of the Communist threat because it was plain to see that soviet ideals were rapidly spreading to other countries. Once it spread to China, panic was in full swing.
ReplyDeleteAmerica's new concern are these leaders that are suddenly sprouting in the Middle East. These new presidents, prime ministers, and leaders are becoming a major threat to democracy, due to the fact that they frequently suppress the people's desires in wont of their own. I think that if one of our major allies were to convert to this state of Government leadership, then we would immediately sit up and take notice.
I think the most absurd thing that i found out would have to be how extreme people went with accusing people of being communists. You cant just say oh that kid is a communist and I don't think the people of this time realized that that was an insane accusation. I feel like America was so concerned about Communism because they didn't know any different, they thought their government was superior to every other government and wanted capitalism to be all over the world. I don't think America has a new concern now but i do think that the same thing could happen again because there is still communist countries to this day so the same thing could possibly happen.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the way America is concerned about terrorism today is the way Americans were scared about communism during this time. They were trying to contain something that they didn't really have much control over. It's like how America is fighting a war on terrorism. You can't fight something that you can't see.
ReplyDeleteI think the most absurd event after reading about McCarthyism is the fact that everyone believed him. He didn't need one piece of evidence to make an accusation he just did. Whatever he believed was right in the peoples eyes. So innocent people were sent to jail just because this guy thought they were communist.
ReplyDeleteI think America was so concerned because not everyone new what communism was and the government was portraying it as a horrible practice, which it was. So therefore people were brainwashed and scared out of their minds about communism. I agree with everyone else here, the new concern is no longer communism but Terrorism, each year a new threat has grown. But, to drive us to the point of anxiety again i think we would have to have some sort of huge act of terror, something bigger than 9/11. Something that would drive people out of the country.
I believe the craziest thing America did was accuse and punish people for being communist when in most cases, they weren't even communists. America was so threatened by communism because it could harm our country and economy. Today, America is worried about terrorism. I'd like to believe that America wouldn't ever go to such lengths again but in reality if we had more terrorist attacks on America I could see a lot of people wanting revenge and wanting terrorists out and doing whatever they had to do to make America a safer place to live.
ReplyDeletethe most absurd thing we did during that time would have to be being a part of McCarthyism. you would thing we would learn from history and the witch trials, enough to know how ridiculous it was. America was concerned about communism because we had our own type of gov. that worked for our economy and pleased the people, and to have an other type of gov. come in and try to implement a gov. that is the opposite of ours was threatening.
ReplyDeleteI think that the witch hunt for communists was pretty crazy cause some people were falsely accused of things that they were not. I think that the united states was so concerned about U.S citizens possibly turning into communists or leaving the country. The United States biggest concern is if we would go to war with north Korea or syria That Russia would join in on on of their sides.
ReplyDeleteWhat I thought was most absurd during the war on communism was that Americans thought that everyone else was a communist, even their own family. They only hoped that their family wasn't actually communist. America was so concerned for two reasons, 1. The government accused people left and right of being communist with no evidence other than someones word. 2. Americans were led to believe that communism was a government that could only be bad, that communism could never be led correctly. America has recently had serious problems with terrorism, and we've spent tons of money into stopping a force that can't be stopped short of giving no one any rights across the world. This would only escalate to the point that the war on communism rose to if terrorism became something like a from of government.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is absurd that McCarthyism was able to happen. That was the time where America was supposed to band together to fight Communism not cause conflict with in each other. I think America was this concerned about Communism because they were scared. If we had spies over there, they surely had spies over here. Also I am assuming that they were afraid that if Communism took over the world it would only be a matter of time before America did and if we stayed a democracy we would have to become independent because there would be nobody to trade with. We would also be susceptible to attacks. America has lots of new concerns now and I think a couple of them could cause America that much trouble in the future. We could potentially be that scared about a conflict soon.
ReplyDeleteI think the craziest thing that happen during this was that innocent people would get thrown in jail or executed because somebody assuming they were communism. Its sad to see that somebody that was close to you like a family member or a friend would just turn you in so they wont go through the punishment.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that was most absurd to me, was all the accusations. Everyone would accuse other people of being communist because they were trying to protect themselves. I think America was so concerned because they saw what was happening in Russia and they knew it was bad. Americans realized that they were trying everything to stop communism but it just kept spreading. Today, our new concern is terrorism. We are concerned about third world countries attacking us again and we have been trying to put an end to terrorism for years. When we were first attacked 9/11, the anxiety and chaos increased by a huge amount but now its subsided a little bit. If we were ever attacked again, then the anxiety could probably get crazy again.
ReplyDeleteI think it was absurd that many innocent people were arrested without any or weak evidence. The US was very concerned about it, because the Sovjet Union was their biggest rival in weapon and nuclear technology and their goal was to spread communism over the world. Terrorism is Americas biggest concern in this time, especially after 9/11. Another disaster like this would cause immense anxiety.
ReplyDeleteThe most absurd to me is McCarthyism, especially after seeing the propaganda videos like "how to spot a communist." America was so concerned about communism because it's viewed as "evil," and this "evil" is spreading through the world, so we must stop it. The new concern we might have would be a new terrorist attack or threat.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is really absurd that people actually thought that everyone was just going to turn into a communist. it's not right to assume anything. That just shows me how sick people can actually be. I think America was this concerned about communism because they were afraid/knew that all their rights could go away if America were to be communist. I think the only concern would be if North Korea or some other country would want to have a war or fight and just really wanted to take over. Also if America was threatened with a nuclear war or mass destruction. Is when we could have heightened anxiety.
ReplyDeleteI think that the most absurd thing that was done was that people would turn against friends or even complete strangers and point the finger on them for being communist. However, in saying that, if I were in that situation I would probably fold under the pressure and just say the first name that came to my head because I wouldn't want to be known as communist and I would just want to be out of the "hot seat." I think that America is most concerned with communism because they don't want other countries to turn to communism. Mostly everyone saw communism as being a bad thing and they just wanted it to be contained in the places they were already in and to prevent it from spreading out. I'm not sure if this is a true "fear of America" but I think that terrorism is a truly horrible thing and that if something happened that was an act of terror that effected everyone, I think that people may get pushed over the edge when threatened and feel the same kind of anxiety again.
ReplyDeleteI agree.
DeleteI think the most absurd thing that happened in this area was the wild goose chase going around in the United States. But America's concern about communism is apparent because we were in the stand off with Russia. I think America is afraid of other countries becoming communist because we want more allies if war did break out with Russia and not for Russia to have the upper hand. And today I don't believe it is communism that everyone is concerned with, but rather terrorism. Terrorism has actually attacked the United States in recent years and there is concern about terrorism in the United States constantly.
ReplyDeleteI think it was most absurd was how people went against their loved ones. Just to keep themselves safe. Yes, I understand that you don't want to be killed because your assumed of being a communist but to throw people you love under the bus? That's crazy to me. But, I don't see the point to do it no matter what you're going to be blacklisted, its not the worst thing that could happen. But I still wouldn't throw anyone I love under the bus like that.
ReplyDeleteI feel like America shouldn't have went to the lengths that they did to stop Communism. It would spread on it's own. The United States spent tons of money on stopping Communism instead of worrying about it's own country. While Russia was putting all of it's efforts into spreading Communism, America could have prepared more for war during the Cold War and not worrying about the spread of Communism.
ReplyDeleteI think that the most absurd thing was that people would accuse others of being communist without any evidence. People were so scared of communism because they saw what it did to other countries, such as the Soviet Union. Americans wanted to stop communism from spreading around the world. Today, many Americans are very scared of terrorism. I believe that many people are anxious about possible threats of terrorist attacks.
ReplyDeleteI agree, about your most absurd thing. The U.S. was mostly concerned with communism spreading to other countries, and and people today are anxious about terrorist attacks.
DeleteWhat's most absurd in my eyes is that people were so caught up in this craze that they would turn on each other and blame each other for being communist. I think America was so concerned about communism because we saw communist nations rising to power and we took that as a threat.The only thing I can think of that kind of compares to the views and craze about communism back then is the prejudice that we have formed against middle eastern people.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the most absurd thing that i saw was that just because of one single person everyone turned on everyone. In other words what Hitler did only without almost wiping out a whole race. America was so concerned because they were being told that communism is bad and that they are all terrible people. The U.S. currently does have a new concern, terrorism.
ReplyDeleteThe most absurd things to me was the propaganda and just how much America hated Russia. America was so concerned of communism because it was spreading so much over Europe and they were afraid it would come to America. America wanted everyone to be free and not controlled by one leader. Also we wanted everyone to have the right to there own property.
ReplyDeleteI think the most absurd thing that was done was that the U.S. had people killed, or deported for being "communist", without enough evidence against them. I think America was so concerned about communism because they didn't want it to eventually spread to the U.S., or close to it. America always has new concerns, there a nuclear bomb threats from other countries and there are fears of more terrorist attacks; those kind of threats can make people feel that anxiety again.
ReplyDeleteThe most absurd thing about communism was people accusing each other of being communists and then people getting put on trial for it when there was no evidence that they were even apart of communism. I would feel very betrayed if one of my friends or family members accused me of being communist when I had nothing to do with it. America was concerned about communism because they didn't want to get involved in another war. It was communism that started the war, and it could certainly start another if it spread far enough into the world. The thing America worries about now is being threatened by North Korea and our debt which is getting larger and larger everyday which needs to be solved. It would drive people to a heightened point when they could/would be affected and then be consumed by fear.
ReplyDeleteYes I agree with how absurd that really was. I would, too, be devastated if a friend accused me of being a communist.
DeleteThe most absurd think I can think of is the fact that everyone became enemies. People would always suspect one another of being a communist and if any official was ever told, you would be put on the blacklist or even deported. America was so concerned with communism because people were taught that is was the evilest thing on earth. A concern we have right now is trying to stop terrorists from attacking us. It could escalate horribly if we start to think every foreign person is a terrorist.
ReplyDeleteThe most absurd thing was how people just didn't trust each other anymore. America was just scared of the power communism and how the powerful leaders can convince its people. Actual communism will never exist and thats the reality. We don't live in a Utopian world. I don't think America now isn't as concerned with communism as it was 60 years ago. The United States has done a good job in saying communism is bad but whether we like it or not some type of communism will always exist and there will be crazy leaders wanting ultimate power.
ReplyDeleteThe most absurd thing about communism is when people would rat other people out for their own safety, which didn't help anyways, and put those innocent people in danger of being on the black list, or being executed ect. America was concerned about communism because they believed that communists would have secret spies to gather information from the USA and tell the Soviet Union. America does have a new concern, terrorists. Like what I am researching in comm arts, America has gotten more concerned about terrorist since 9/11 that they had the control of taping our phone and anything we look up or post. What would spark this concern would be if they caught a terrorist and think there would be more than one.
ReplyDeleteThe craziest thing is that people weren't given a chance to explain themselves. If you were accused of being Communist, then it was assumed that they were until they put the blame on another citizen. Today, if someone is accused of something, they get a trial.
ReplyDeleteI think the most absurd thing about this era was the extent of the fear. Americans were viewing Communism as something as frightening as death itself. That's what really shocked me. Of course, I can understand why anxiety levels were so high. America had seen the bad the Soviet Union had caused and assumed that communism was the main cause of that. The United States was only worried about becoming an issue like the one they saw in the Soviet Union. Today, the main concern of the United States is the recent increase in terrorism. I think that if another large terrorist attack similar to 9/11 was an imminent threat, the United States would most likely return to a state of heightened anxiety such as they were during the Cold War.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of money we poured into Europe in an attempt from keeping them to fall to communism seems the most absurd to me. This is absurd because I don't get why we had to give Europe so much money, that we didn't have, when we could of used to help us. I think America was this concerned about communism because they didn't like the way communism was set up and they thought it went everything America was built on. I think America is threatened by terrorists and North Korea. We are already involved in the threat of terrorism, 9/11 is what got us majorly involved. To get involved with North Korea they would actually have to prove they are a real threat to the US. Right now they are threatening us with bombs but they aren't a real threat because none of those bombs have been close to America.
ReplyDeleteImagine a different today... imagine a today after the US essentially "losing" the Cold War. How do you think your life might be different today as a result? Any details come to mind that tie directly back to that era?
DeleteThe United States used a lot of money to try and keep communism from spreading but in reality it just put us in an even worse debt. We gave about 4 million dollars to western european countries that needed the help with the Marshall plan. Then we had the Truman Doctrine which also gave Europe a lot money that we did not have. Its just to much money to try and keep communism from spreading.
ReplyDeleteThe most absurd thing to me is that people actually followed a single man who could accuse anyone at any time with no need of evidence. I think that the fact that he could turn around and say your a communist to someone following him is absurd. America was so concerned with communism because it stiffened almost all freedoms. I think that the new concern now is the nuclear bombs. Unless a threat was made on us, i don't think there will be heightened anxiety.
ReplyDeleteWhat's most absurd is that people were convicted with very little evidence, just because of an accusation. Communism was like a virus you could get by association. If someone was being investigated and identified you as a communist, people automatically assumed it was true. Americans were concerned about communism because they had been told it was bad, and America had done so much to suppress communism. People automatically assumed that communism was bad in all forms because the only form of it they had seen was bad. Today, America is fighting a war on terrorism, and with some of the events that have happened recently, people are really scared. People want to be able to spot a terrorist to protect themselves, when really, it's basically impossible to know if someone is a terrorist (or communist) by just looking at them.
ReplyDeleteAmerica was still in the race to be number one in the world and i think that's at least one reason why we acted unprofessional about communism. People were so willing to say with no proof that a friend, loved one, or just a random person was a communist. Our ego and pride was so big that America just went into this time where if you thought someone thought different about America than its plain wrong. We took things too far and it hurt innocent people.
ReplyDelete1) What were we trying to be "number one" at, and why? 2) Did we get there? 3) Was it worth it?
DeleteThe most absurd thing about communism was that you could be accused for being one for some of the dumbest reasons, you'd lose your job and have no chance of getting one in the future. The reason why America was so worried about communism is because they saw how easily it spread people over in Europe and such were turning communist because they were being brainwashed into it so we tried as much as we could to do the opposite and make our people against it. Yes, there are people scared but most just live on with their lives and prefer to worry about themselves.
ReplyDeleteI like your point of view. But if people just lived on with them selfs then the spread of communism would have been alot more greater.
DeleteIt's crazy to me that so many innocent lives were ruined just by people being superstitious that they supported communism. People often times blamed other people simply so they wouldn't be blamed themselves. Instead of banning together to try to annihilate communism, it was as if all Americans feared each other "throwing them under the bus."
ReplyDeleteI believe Americans were so concerned about communism because it ruins individuality, which is something we treasure. Americans love to be unique and not to be controlled, we believe in freedom. Communism shatters all feelings of freedom and the ability to express yourself. Also, it leaves a solitary dictator with total control. To countries that know no different, they may prefer equality among all. Yet, we've become so accustomed to individuality and our democracy, that to us communism sounds horrible.
America will always find something to fear whether the threat is real or not. Right now, we fear terrorism. We also fear the collapse of our economy. These two things are very real, and it is important that we try to take measures in preventing this from happening. Though, we should never fear anything to the point where it is ruining bonds between Americans such as the fear of communism did. When America becomes fearful, we must all ban together in an effort to console ourselves and solve the problem instead.
I like this:
Delete"...we should never fear anything to the point where it is ruining bonds between Americans…"
That's a good way to look at it. I, too, agree that we truly treasure individualism and uniqueness. If you were talking to a non-American who didn't have the ground-level background knowledge on this topic, what would you use to defend this assertion? To what might you point to as "proof" that we adore individuality and freedom so highly?
One last thing I'm curious about… is a dictatorial leader a necessity of communism, or is that merely a coincidence of the situation in the USSR at the time?
I think that the most absurd thing that was happening during the Cold War era was the way people would freak out. Communism was like a zombie apocalypse today. It is a threat, but a highly unlikely one.It was everyman for himself, friendships being broken because people accused someone of supporting communism. America was so concerned about communism because it was the government system of our enemies. Americans are Capitalist and Russians are Communists. We don't like each other and we don't want to have any part of communism in our society or our allies societies and we would do anything to stop Communism from getting near us. I think that America still has that concern with Communism but its not nearly the big threat that was evident during the Cold War.
ReplyDelete