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How Did Joseph Mccarthy Impact On American Culture

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Joseph McCarthy, a former Wisconsin senator and anti-communist, once declared, “Our job as Americans and as Republicans is to dislodge the traitors from every place where they’ve been sent to do their traitorous work.” With this quote alone, one can see the numerous parallels between the ideals of McCarthy and modern government officials. Since McCarthy rose to power in the 1950s, Americans have distrusted neighbors, co-workers, and friends, believing they did not hold “American” beliefs and need to be deported. However, this is not the only way McCarthy and his views permeate modern American society and culture. Joseph McCarthy has had more impact on American society and culture than any other person in history, because Americans still have an intense fear of communist countries and their nuclear bombs, fear of other ideas and beliefs, and the amount of power and influence government workers can gain through accusations. …show more content…

McCarthy practically started the Cold War in America, with his supposed list of two hundred and five names of government officials who were communists. After this, the Soviet Union and America developed and advanced nuclear bomb technology, which is still a prevalent fear in the American public today. With recent arguments between President Trump and Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un and tests of nuclear missiles, American citizens have a justified fear of nuclear war. This fear began with the Cuban Missile Crisis, which was a part of the Cold War, for which many blame Joseph McCarthy. Therefore, McCarthy is to blame for the current distress over the impending threat of nuclear

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The year 1950 was a time of civil unrest amongst the people of America. The Red Scare swept through the nation, and the worry of a communist or a fascist living just down the street became a very real and very common fear of many Americans. This angst then grew due to Senator Joseph McCarthy’s claims in his “Wheeling Speech”, given on February 9th 1950, in which he proclaimed that he was in possession of a list of 205 communists working for the Senate Department. This alone sent a frenzy throughout America; the thought of the corruption communists could cause within the government terrified the American citizens. In this time of uneasiness, a brave Republican Senator, Margaret Chase Smith, takes the house floor and gives a remarkable speech that addresses her concerns about the government and the country.

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