Red Iceberg Propaganda

The topic of the propaganda poster is the Red Scare, which refers to the fear of communism spreading, especially during the Cold War. The poster highlights this topic because it raises awareness about the potential rise of communism in North America and promotes the suspicion of communists influencing American society.

The Red Scare left a lasting effect on US government and society. In doing so, it deeply affected the elements of American popular culture. Pop culture is a key figure in our everyday social world whether we realize it or not. This reading refers to how big of a deal communism was, and how it impacted the nation. According to the text, “popular culture is created and marked by an entertainment industry and transmitted through channels of mass communication” (pg. 232). The key assets to pop culture were mothers and homemakers; each contributed a different role in society. Popular culture can be shaped by many influences, the main one being communism. Communism was taking away America’s freedoms and destroying its culture and it was becoming more than just a social issue.

The late 1940′s were a time when much change happened to the American society. As a result to the expanding threat of the Soviet Union, or its Communistic ideals, America took a stand that lead it to the Cold War.  Although the war didn’t involve fighting directly with Russia, it still affected the American society and domestic policy. The war affected America so much that it lead to a fear of livelihood; precisely when Joseph McCarthy began his “witch hunt”. The Cold war lead to an enlarged fear of nuclear war; as well, it affected many of the domestic policies.

The First and Second Red Scare of the United States paved the way for a long standing fear of communism and proved to be one of America’s largest periods of mass hysteria. Throughout the years authors and analysts have studied and formed expository albeit argumentative books and articles in an attempt to further understand this period of time; the mindset held during this period however is shown to be completely different compared to now.

During the Cold War, America and the Soviet Union were competing to develop more sophisticated weaponry than each other. Because of this, Americans dreaded the Soviet Union. They also feared communism– which according to Achieve 3000’s passage,“Case Against Rosenberg Falls Apart”,“It is the political theory that the Soviet’s lived by” (1). Also according to Achieve 3000, “The Americans thought that the Soviet Union had spies that were in the midst of the American people” (1). This fear lead to many precautions that the government made to prevent the American people from fearing the Soviet Union which was called the “Red Scare”.

Propaganda used to induce terror included posters, political statements, and comics. One such comic was Is This Tomorrow?, a popular dramatization of the Soviets and of communism(Document 7). By depicting the Soviets in such a violent, authoritarian light, it spread anti-communist feeling among Americans, and attempted to prevent any Soviet sympathizers. In the Soviet Union, a secret speech made by Nikita Khrushchev to the closed session of the Twentieth Party of Congress denounces capitalism and fights against the anti-communist campaign(Document 6). The Secret Speech was a counter to recently made anti-communist organizations, and reinforced the Soviet Union’s own ideals, while countering the US’s arguments for capitalism. Through the use of past faults and militaristic policies, Khrushchev argues that the US’s attempts at peace were false, and only a front for their true intentions. This effectively promoted terror and anti-capitalist feeling among Soviet Congress. It gave strong reasoning to fight back against Americans, as it instilled fears of a capitalist overtake, and the need for preservation of the

The Cold War was a significant time for the United States and the Soviet Union, while the rest of the world watched intently. Although no actual war took place, both of these powerful countries did their best to promote their political and ideological ideas while trying to gain some ground in the seemingly never ending arms race. This war was driven by both fear and the strive to become the strongest and most powerful country. During the time of the Cold War, the United States proved to be a strong influence over Canada. Given its location, it was obvious as to which side Canada was on. While Canada believed in the same ideologies as the US, this nation was still reluctant to fully emerge themselves into the hysteria that had been emerging in the US. However, even though Canada had just received world recognition for its contribution during the Second World War, this large yet acutely populated country had much still to prove. During this time, Canada just recently became a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). But while Canada was making huge steps in their peacekeeping and military growth, there were still rumours of espionage circling the country.

One of the Cold War’s most prominent is The Ugly American. Written in 1958, this book was a best seller, filled with different stories about why communism was winning and what must be done about it. The authors of the book The Ugly American used one main argument for its readers: “communism is a monolithic enemy whose fundamental values challenged those of the United States and whose ultimate goal was world domination.” (page 4) There stories were one of main forces driving people like Kennedy and Johnson to go and “save” Vietnam from

The Cold War was a state of economic, diplomatic, and ideological discord among nations without armed conflict. The Cold War was between the United States and the USSR because these were the two major powers after WWII. Basically, the Cold War was a series of proxy wars that had taken place back in time involving surrounding countries. One of the main causes for Cold War was that the Soviet Union was spreading communism and the United States didn’t like that so they were trying to contain communism. However, in the end they failed. Many events took place in other countries. In Korea, Vietnam, Latin America, and China, communism took over; however, before it did, major wars had taken place. The cold war between the U.S. and the Soviet Union worsened the condition of countries involved. The Cold War broke countries into two parts that turned against each other, the United States and the Soviet Union used these countries to fight their war and caused a big disturbance to daily life, and the Communist States fought the Non-Communist States; however, the end results of these wars only caused more damage in these countries.

After WWII, the USA and the Soviet Union faced a conflict as they competed for global power. Neighboring countries, like Afghanistan, were dragged into the conflict causing millions of people to die. Due in part to the high cost of waging this war the Soviet Union fell only four years after the conflict.

The Cold War developed between the Soviet Union and the United States in response to post-World War II tensions between the two nations. The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. emerged from World War II as the only two countries able to propagate their specific social and political systems on a global scale. With expansive capitalist (United States) or communist (USSR) ideologies and powerful military forces, each nation feared and distrusted the other. This cultural clash resulted in mutual suspicions, propaganda campaigns, media battles, and international incidents that brought these two superpowers to the brink of nuclear devastation. No direct military conflict between the two nations ever ensued; however, the constant threat of nuclear proliferation held the world’s concentrated attention on the two superpowers from 1945 to 1991. Fueled by modern weapon development, aerospace triumphs, and spirited Olympic Games, the power struggle was a constant rivalry that permeated all aspects of the global landscape including sports competitions and mass media. By the 1970s, television viewing outstripped the motion picture market, but Hollywood continued to produce a wide array of cinema selections including military, spy, and sports genre films that promoted America’s need for a strong, masculine presence while idolizing the male physique.

At the heights of the Cold War America was paranoid about the sustained fear of nuclear war beginning at anytime between the Soviet Union. These fears lead to “Nuclear Preparedness” becoming a way of life (CliffsNotes, n.d.). Suburban communities were forced to prepare by installing bomb shelters, air raid sirens, and teaching drills to the community, as a result. The paranoia of a Russian attack was inflamed by some political figures during the period, as it was suggested that there were many Soviet spies. It caused Americans to lack trust, even towards their household neighbors. The careless assertions meant that many Americans were forced to bear witness against Government, and even agencies such as the FBI. This was the start to unemployment levels rising, as people were accused of being Communists causing the dismissal from their community, even imprisonment. These events that occurred led to the start of a period where design and innovation hit a peak, not only in America, but also Russia.

The Cold War, in fact didn’t take place in the winter season, but was just as dangerously cold and unwelcoming, as it focused on two contrasting powers: the U.S. and the Soviet Union. After World War 2, the Cold War influenced capitalist U.S. and communist Soviet Union to engage in disagreements causing many disputes having to use military, economic and humanitarian aid. With different goals, the contrasting powers prove through the Marshall Plan, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and SALT that communism really can’t coexist with capitalism.

Propaganda played a major role in the Cold War. In a 1947 comic book, the idea of the future was depicted as, “Communists infiltrate nearly every aspect of America, including subverting the Speaker of the House, before assassinating both the President and Vice-President...” (Document 7 caption) while showing chaos and crisis under communist rule. The cover of the book shows a frantic disarray of people screaming and a burning American flag, implying the damage Soviet Union will bring. The comic book sent a message to Americans that communism will bring horror, murder, and utter chaos to the US if allowed to spread and take over

Philip K. Dick wrote “Time Out of Joint” in 1959 expressing his criticism on the war and on the hysteria generated by the “Red Scare.” However, he could not directly criticize the government and had to recur to the use of literary devices such as symbolism, irony, parallels and, most importantly, a time shift between the author’s present and the setting of the novel. From 1949, when the Soviets tested their own atomic bomb, the tension between America and the USSR, accumulated since the aftermath of the World War, came to a peak. The economic and social differences between the two countries led people in America to associate Communism with the enemy, resulting in an increasing collective hysteria on the perceived threat posed by