McCarthyism
Anti-communist witch hunts
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty or subversion without proper evidence, named for U.S.
Senator Joseph McCarthy, who led aggressive investigations into alleged Communist infiltration in the 1950s.
The term now applies broadly to any politically motivated witch hunt or campaign of unfounded accusations: The hearings devolved into pure McCarthyism.
Record of prohibited entities
- witch-huntPersecution of supposed subversives
- purgeEliminate unwanted elements
- scapegoatingUnfairly assigning fault to innocents
- denunciationFormal public accusation
accusation · interrogation · tribunal · inquisition · ostracism · intimidation · informant · testimony
Uncontrollable emotional excess
- fear-mongeringDeliberately spreading exaggerated alarm
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
- distrustAbsence of confidence
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
subversion · infiltration · un-American · disloyalty · pink · collectivism · xenophobia
Red Scare congressional committee
- anticommunismOpposition to collectivist ideology
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
- civil-libertiesPersonal rights limiting government
- seditionInciting revolt against government
Rosenbergs · FBI · propaganda · censorship · dissent
Covert information gatherer
- surveillanceSystematic observation of subjects
- counterintelligenceDefense against enemy espionage
- SovietOf the USSR
- KGBUSSR intelligence service
classified · secrets · treason · defector · mole · intelligence · wiretapping · covert
blacklist
Record of prohibited entities
- witch-huntPersecution of supposed subversives
- purgeEliminate unwanted elements
- scapegoatingUnfairly assigning fault to innocents
denunciation · accusation · interrogation · tribunal · inquisition · ostracism · intimidation · informant · testimony · subpoena
hysteria
Uncontrollable emotional excess
- fear-mongeringDeliberately spreading exaggerated alarm
- suspicionSense of unease about motives
- distrustAbsence of confidence
conspiracy · subversion · infiltration · un-American · disloyalty · pink · collectivism · xenophobia
HUAC
Red Scare congressional committee
- anticommunismOpposition to collectivist ideology
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
- civil-libertiesPersonal rights limiting government
sedition · Rosenbergs · FBI · propaganda · censorship · dissent
spy
Covert information gatherer
- surveillanceSystematic observation of subjects
- counterintelligenceDefense against enemy espionage
- SovietOf the USSR
KGB · classified · secrets · treason · defector · mole · intelligence · wiretapping · covert
- 1950sEisenhower, poodle skirt, Elvis Presley, Rosa Parks, baby boom
- 1950s AmericaEisenhower, suburbs, Korean War, consumerism, Red Scare
- Cold WarBerlin Wall, Iron Curtain, arms race, Warsaw Pact, Cuban Missile Crisis
- Eisenhower EraDwight Eisenhower, Ike, Richard Nixon, Nixon, farewell address
- postwar eraMarshall Plan, prosperity, reconstruction, Cold War, iron curtain
- Red ScareHUAC, blacklist, loyalty oaths, witch hunts, loyalty programs
McCarthyismdue process
Guaranteed judicial fairness
rule of law · presumption of innocence · fair trial · habeas corpus · burden of proof
McCarthyismfreedom of association
Right to join groups
academic freedom · civil liberties · free speech · tolerance · pluralism
McCarthyismopen society
Society permitting free inquiry
marketplace of ideas · loyal opposition · bipartisanship · political amnesty · reconciliation