McCarthyism

Here i looked into modern day 'Whitch hunts' such as the McCarthysim event that happened around the time period of the 1950' where he used politics to create pure terror of Communism during his time. 

Joseph McCarthy was born on November in 1908, at the age of fourteen he dropped out of grade school but later returned to finish his studies in 1928, enabling him to attend Marguette University. During this period he began his journey to be one of the lest qualified, most corrupt politicians of his time. After receiving his Law degree at university he worked among some unsuccessful law practises and also took part in gambling along the way.
To encourage his political career, Joseph quit his job as a circuit court judge and joined the marines during World War II. After the short career in the military he then ran as a Republican candidate for the Wisconsin Senate seat. This is where he used propaganda and accusations against his opponent, Robet La follete, to try and promote his of political campaign. After damaging Roberts reputation by claiming he hadn't enlisted in the military during the war, which enables McCarthy to win the election and become senator.

As re-election became close McCarthy made sure he would have Political success even though his first term was unimpressive. Here he even resorted to corruption. A man called Edmund Walsh suggested a crusade against so-called communist subversives. McCarthy agreed and took advantage of peoples terror against communism. He later claimed he had a list of 205 people in the state of department who were known members of the American communist party in 1950. The American public went crazy with the idea of communists living within United States, this roared for the investigation of the underground agitators. These people were in fact not all communists some were proven to merely be alcoholics or sexual deviants. McCarthy didn't care he relentlessly pushed through and became the chairman of the Government Committee on operations of the relentlessly questioning numerous government departments and the panic arising from the witch-hunts and fear of communism became known as McCarthyism. McCarthy continued to accuse several innocent citizens purely to benefit himself.

McCarthy's downfall began in October 1953 when he started the investigate "communist infiltration into the military" this was the final straw for then president Dwight D. Eisenhower, who realised that McCarthy needed to be stopped. The army retaliated, sending information about McCarthy and advisers abusing congressional privileges to known critics of McCarthy. Reporters and other critics jumped on the band waggon and published unflattering articles about McCarthy and his methods of the supposed communists in America.

Through the televised investigations into the United States army and reporters, the nation began to realise that Joseph McCarthy was "Evil and unmatched in malice". McCarthy lost his position of chairmanship of the Government Committee on operations of the senate, The media also became disinterested in his communist allegations leaving McCarthy virtually stripped of his powers. The lasting effects of McCarthy's era symbolised the pure terror of communism during the time due to the Cold War, Although it came to an end in a few short years, it attributed to the growing dissension between the soviets and the united states.
References
1. The Cold War Museum.  Joyce Oh and Amanda Latham (N/A) Senator Joseph McCarthy, McCarthyism, and The Witch Hunt. Retrieved from http://www.coldwar.org/articles/50s/senatorjosephmccarthy.asp
2. Socialism today. Arthur Miller. (2000) The psychology of the witch-hunt. Retrieved from http://www.socialismtoday.org/51/crucible.html