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Fear Vs Individualism

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Fear is a common human emotion. However, people respond to it in different ways. This response is not always the best and can result in tragedy. During various instances in history has fear led people to do things later are regretted. From the Salem witch trials, to McCarthyism to even modern political witch trials has fear played a big role in. In all of these occasions people follow society and what it says. People who go against society are feared and seem as threats. Society fears what is different or unknown and is sometimes shaped by that fear. Should one be one’s own individual,different or should one go with society to fit in? I believe being your own individual is the way to go. Being one’s own individual is something …show more content…

It was during the time the Soviet Union was around. The Soviet government was communist, something Senator Joseph McCarthy feared. This led to a ‘witch hunt’ against communists. From the common folk to politicians people were accused and arrested for being communists. Many of these accusations were actually false, similar to the Salem witch hunts. At this time, many people accused innocents to either seem unsuspicious or to gain something for themselves. Many believed McCarthy in the claims that there was a large threat of communist espionage in the US. They supported him and his investigations and hearings. Few in the press were willing to stand up against him. From the few were comedian Mort Sahl, and journalist Edward R. Murrow ”whose strong criticisms of McCarthy are often cited as playing an important role in his eventual removal from power.”(Doc. C) Even though short lived, the ‘witch hunt’ affected many. “Thousands of people lost their jobs and had their reputations tarnished.”It is true that “ the Soviet spy ring did penetrate the highest levels of the American government. . .”(Doc. B) However, it was wrong to do what McCarthy did and even worst what society did which was promote the injustices and just go with it.(Doc. B) Even though probably criticized at the time they began their criticism, Sahl and Murrow deciding to not follow society and to stand up for their …show more content…

A big part of these take place in politics. The most current one is the ‘witch hunt’ against President Trump. Since after the election of 2016, now President Trump has been accused of cheating in the elections. It is suspected that the Russians interfered with the elections through hacking. Currently, there is no evidence connecting Russia with President Trump. Another modern yet older witch hunt was the one against Hillary and Holder. The cause of Hillary’s cause was mostly because of her EMail scandal in which she used a private email for sending government information. Even though both Trump and Hillary have been witch hunted for different reasons they have all been towards fear of

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1094 Words | 5 Pages

Sam Roberts in the article A Decade of Fear argues that McCarthyism turned Americans against each other. Roberts supports his claim by illustrating fear, describing betrayal, and comparing it to other United States internal conflicts. The author’s purpose is to point out a vulnerable period of American history in order to demonstrate that Americans felt prey to McCarthy’s negative propaganda. The author writes in a cynical tone for an educated audience. I strongly agree with Robert’s claim.

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347 Words | 2 Pages

In the 1940 's and 1950 's, an anti-Communist movement swept the United States of America. Fueled by the anti-Communist actions of Congress, particularly a Senator from Wisconsin by the name of Joseph McCarthy, the movement escalated and many people lost their jobs as a result of various blacklists. Congressional hearings, both in front of HUAC and McCarthy Senate committee were a study in organized persecution. The actions taken during the "Red Scare" were eventually given the general name McCarthyism. McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.

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692 Words | 3 Pages

These years are often referred to as the “McCarthy era”, named after a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin who blamed many of his colleagues of Communist subversion. In many cases, defendants were pitted against their own friends, whose only evidence were their words. Cultural and racial bias ran rampant, and often those accused of a crime against the country, such as espionage or conspiracy of espionage, were not given fair trials. In one such case, a husband

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553 Words | 3 Pages

Joseph McCarthy claimed to have a list of 205 people they were in the state department that were communist. President Truman received a letter from Joseph McCarthy saying “ he posse 57 communist in the state department” , In the following weeks the number of pele rose to 81and then it shave down to 10 (Doc C). In relation to the story about the lack of evidence of Joseph McCarthy’s list of people the story in Document D can relate to to the topic of lack of proof which was also in the times of The Salem Witch Trials. Basically, during the times of the Salem Witch Trials the court relied upon spectral evidence.

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McCarthy manipulated the media, told outrageous stories about the communist conspiracy in the United States, and used his power and America’s fear to besmirch any opponents as “communist sympathizers” to make sure he remained at the top. Actually, most conservative members of Congress supported McCarthy because it helped them gain votes during elections. The majority of McCarthy 's movement attacked liberals and members of the Democratic Party and this aided anyone who was not part of those topics and organizations. Then McCarthy began to target the Army because they wouldn’t favor David Schine, one of his former investigators, who had been drafted in. “Senator Joseph McCarthy began hearings investigating the United States Army, which he charged with being ‘soft’ on communism.

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1039 Words | 5 Pages

In times of fear and hysteria in the U.S. it is mass chaos and it only gets worse and worse. During the time of both the witch-hunt eras, whether for communist or actual witches, they prove to have many similarities between them. Both of these times were full of confusion and lying which lead to the temporary downfall of the authority at that time. Joseph McCarthy proved to be a factor in this time and add on to the chaos that was America. Arthur Miller wrote about these times in a book called The Crucible, based on the witch trial era.

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790 Words | 4 Pages

Hysteria, paranoia, and delusion was what drove the Salem Witch trials in 1692. Many people were executed by decision of the court because it believed in absurd false allegations. Justice in the court was perverted by fear and delusion (Johnson 9). In the 1940s and 1950s, many people in the United States were living in fear of communism; similar to those who feared “witches” in Salem. In the 1953, Arthur Miller came out with a play: The Crucible based on the Salem Witch Trials tackling McCarthyism; accusing others of being communists trying to overthrow democracy in the United States (9-10).

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194 Words | 1 Pages

You never knew whether individuals were coming clean or simply making up a lie since they didn't care for that individual, so they attempted to cause that individual harm, Amid the Salem Witch Trials many individuals were (accused of a wrongdoing) of conversing with the fiend. As indicated by Congressperson Joseph McCarthy began the frenzy/exceptionally compelling feeling that occurred after the second Red Startle and (accused of a wrongdoing) U.S. individuals (who legally live in a nation, state, and so on.) of being communists. These Announcements (that somebody has accomplished something awful) spoke to Midwestern Americans who found that hostile to socialism was to battle against liberals and internationalists. It assumed control over the

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906 Words | 4 Pages

However, during the time of McCarthyism, people suddenly believed if a person went against the government thoughts, they were a communist. Similarly, this is like a time in The Crucible when a mass amount of women were arrested for witchcraft. After Mary Warren comes home from watching the witchcraft trials, John Proctors asks if it is true if only fourteen women arrested. Instead Mary Warren replies, “No, sir. There be thirty-nine now” (Miller, Act II).

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462 Words | 2 Pages

As time has passed, throughout history, during different periods of time there are parallels. There are three eras that we are focussed on, where there are three types of people during each era. The three different eras that we’re focusing on, are The Salem Witch Trials (1600s), The McCarthy Era (1950s), and Today (2000s); the three types of people are the people who are the reasons why there’s accusations towards the accused, the accused, and finally the accusers.     In The Crucible, or during the Salem Witch Trials, the person that’s the reason why characters were accused is John Proctor. The accuser in the play, who decides to point fingers at everyone, is Abigail Williams.

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999 Words | 4 Pages

In a time of economic prosperity, a rise in the standard of living and rock and roll, also known as the “happy days”, the 1950s were a time looked back on with nostalgia. On the other hand, the 1950s were also met with many problems involving civil rights, the Cold War and McCarthyism. After the end of World War II, Americans came home to jobs available and a period of consensus. Consensus meaning there wasn’t much debate in politics. However tensions quickly rose throughout the nation when Joseph McCarthy made serious accusations about the State Department.

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462 Words | 2 Pages

Senator Joseph McCarthy was a merciless politician who would be censured by the Senate in 1954 for his false accusations. However, his political journey throughout the country had a significant impact on the American public. Americans let fear override their conscious and allowed a bully to insert panic into their minds. McCarthy’s crusade was powerful and convinced the naive public during a time of war to question their own government without sufficient

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601 Words | 3 Pages

Arthur Miller used his storytelling to discretely show the US leadership that decisions made in fear were dangerous. Miller in his story had a quote about how “Until an hour before the Devil fell, God thought him beautiful in Heaven.” stating the the Americans may like how the situation is being dealt with but it will eventually cause terrible trouble. McCarthy was making decisions made in fear and it was hurting the US and in fact made it so that if Miller wrote his opinion without hiding it behind a story he too would have been punished and arrested. It can be assured that Miller would have just written his opinion in its raw form if McCarthyism wasn’t a factor.

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469 Words | 2 Pages

Sarah Paroya D period I hate MUSH The end of World War II should have marked a period of relief in America but instead, it lead America into a completely different type of war called the Cold War. The Cold War was an ongoing state of political and military tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. This constant state of tension and fear had been embedded deep in the American public.

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901 Words | 4 Pages

The Red Scare quickly spread across the States as American people feared that communism would take over their country one day. The era had significant impacts on American society during the early stage of the Cold War. Shortly after the beginning of the Red Scare, a phenomenon which is known as McCarthyism appeared and shaped American politics. The anti-communist movement reached its peak in February 1950, when Senator Joseph McCarthy capitalised the fear by claiming he had a list of more than 200 communists working inside the American government.

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