Senator McCarthy, the Fear Mongering Politician

Senator Joe McCarthy, sincerely concerned with the welfare of citizens and morality of government in the United States, or just an unhinged hysteria causer in it for great political gain and influence? The 1950’s was a time of great turnover and façade, where conservative outlooks took center stage in an ever-evolving world scape, one in which the United States would see great influence. During this time, the Cold War was rearing its ugly head with the rise of two nations out of the destruction of World War 2, and with that rise came a tremendous ideological conflict with dire consequences, and that was republic democracy vs. communism. With the rise of the Cold War came ever present fear hidden in the hearts of Americans, fear in which senator Joe McCarthy was ready to exploit.

Why did McCarthy create the panel that began the communist witch hunt? Well, in one aspect you could look at his strong hatred of communism and his ultra conservative world view that he was just another right-wing bigot who was truly just out to kill communism as loudly and as heinously as possible. But, from another perspective, he could have just as easily been looking to gain political power and relevance in America, feeding on people’s fears and prejudices just like the fascist leaders of the 1930’s and 40’s had done. Richard Rovere, an American political analyst from the time sure seems to believe so, stating that McCarthy was, “Like Hitler, McCarthy was a screamer, a political thug, a master of the mob,” who, “usurped executive and judicial authority whenever the fancy struck him.” (1) His attacks also focused on left leaning liberals, further bringing to question his motives that make it seem like he was grasping for power. He used very tricky and somewhat unethical methods to make his victims seem guilty, by asking very detailed questions about events as far back as ten years ago, and then, when the victim could not answer or pleaded the fifth, he used that to insinuate a guilty verdict, tarnishing the careers and live of copious people while his fame and political influence rose by the day. (2) Instead of using evidence and reason, McCarthy fed off of guilt by association or exploitation of insinuation, spreading conspiracies against his fellow lawmakers and workers in order to take them down or get them arrested. Fortunately, Americans eventually came to their senses after the McCarthy Army hearings in 1954, when his fame evaporated nearly overnight when a Mr. Joseph Welch proclaimed at the hearing, “Have you no sense of Decency?” (3)  After the hearings, he was completely shunned from the senate, taken off of news, and he lost all of his momentum. Three years later, he died an alcoholic fallen from grace. But, his action and his legacy still haunt us today and had a definite impact on American opinion over the Cold War.

1. Rovere, Robert. Senator Joe McCarthy (Published April 12^th, 1996. University of California Press. Original Published in 1959)

     

      2.https://www.mtholyoke.edu/~lillsie/McCarthyism/Victims.html

3.https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/Have_you_no_sense_of_decency.htm