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Description:
Everything you ever needed to know about the Red Scare. Well, as much as would fit in one video, at least.
Transcript
- 00:07
McCarthyism, a la Shmoop. A twentieth century witch hunt.
- 00:12
I see red people...
- 00:16
Mr. Rogers.
- 00:18
Bill Cosby.
- 00:20
Betty White.
Full Transcript
- 00:21
Imagine living in a time when trusted public figures were being lambasted for their political views...
- 00:30
In mid-20th century America, that's how things rolled.
- 00:33
Senator Joseph McCarthy accused thousands of Americans of being Communists
- 00:37
and painted them as public villains.
- 00:41
Communists were seen as our mortal enemies.
- 00:44
This Anti-Communist hysteria infiltrated all parts of American life.
- 00:48
Americans feared that anyone could be the evil hated Communist.
- 00:52
Was he or wasn't he?
- 00:54
The mailman?
- 00:57
The Jones next door?
- 00:58
The bagel delivery boy?
- 01:01
Anyone who seemed at all un-American,
- 01:04
As McCarthy called it, was assumed guilty before anything else.
- 01:10
McCarthy created the House Un-American Activities Committee and
- 01:12
the Hollywood blacklist,
- 01:14
It targeted citizens, politicians and celebrities who he claimed were Communist threats to the nation.
- 01:21
Many of these assertions were pure speculation,
- 01:24
And many people he put on trial were convicted with false evidence.
- 01:28
Alleged Communists were often alienated from their community,
- 01:31
Fired from their jobs,
- 01:33
Or even sent to jail.
- 01:35
The overwhelming majority of these threats turned out to be untrue of course.
- 01:39
Congress ultimately criticized McCarthy for his illegal and unconstitutional actions.
- 01:44
And like all simple villains, he just faded away.
- 01:48
So was McCarthy's witch-hunt of Communists innevitable?
- 01:51
Were we so scared as a nation that we kinda needed this ethical vomitting?
- 01:56
Do some rules have to be broken,
- 01:58
Some lies told,
- 01:59
And some lives ruined,
- 02:01
In order to make sure the country is safe?
- 02:04
Or were the Committee's actions illegal and wrong no matter what?
- 02:09
Betty White, that commie, wants you to Shmoop amongst yourselves.
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