What Was McCarthyism?

["Mohammad J Alam" <alam.m@xxxxxxx>]

What I was taught in high school about the 50's Red Scare II and HUAC
program was that basically a lot of paranoia and false fear was concocted,
that McCarthy never unearthed a single Communist, and that it was
ridiculous in hindsight.

However, a recent book on Vietnam I read briefly mentions that, in fact,
many Communists leading trade unions, working-class organizations and
societies, were culled out and destroyed. The author does not elaborate.

Did Communists actually have any popularity in this period? If so, among
what layer of people and based on what politics? What was the real role of
Hollywood and the supposed hidden or subtle anti-war messages in movies?

Thanks in advance.


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