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The Second Red Scare During The Cold War With The Soviet Union

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The Second Red Scare started in the opening phases of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. The Second Red Scare refers to the anti-communist passion that affected American politics, culture and society in the 1940s and 1950s. Interpretations of the Second Red Scare have ranged between two poles: one emphasizing the threat posed to national security by the Communist Party, and the other emphasizing the threat to democracy posed by political repression. Americans historically have been fearful of “enemies within.” That 's what made the Second Red Scare a big deal, the hysteria. It is true that there were some people giving information to the Soviet Union from within american borders. However, scholars debate whether or not all of the people …show more content…

However, his ignoring the truth only made him more powerful and frightening. Few dared to challenge McCarthy directly. After a while President Truman got tired of hearing about McCarthy and all of the accusations he was making. The President thought the idea of communists being in the government was silly and did not give into the hysteria like other people were. McCarthy sent a telegram to President Truman telling him that he should pick up the phone and ask Mr. Acheson how many people in the state department, that were labeled as dangerous communists, did not get discharged. His response is said to be probably unsent. But it explained that it was his first time that he has ever heard a senator trying to discredit his own government before the world and that it is not something done by honest public officials. He called his telegraph a untrue and insolent approach to a situation that should have been worked out man to man. He then went on to say that McCarthy was not fit to have a hand in the operation of the government of the United States. McCarthy created hysteria that was not necessary. He made people think that there were large amounts of communists in the government which is what created the hysteria. However people thought there were communists in more places than just the government.

Communists are everywhere. That 's what people thought. That 's what they were told. Hundreds of

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