Anti-Communist Cold War Era

Introduction

In the mid-20^th century, Americans from various groups began uniting against corporate interests, which had a stronghold on the American system. Students, labor unions, immigrants and white liberal activists recognized that corporate capital was becoming the most significant threat to American democratic ideals. The unity was showcased in the Seattle movement of the 1960s, which unified people of color, the working class and disfranchised groups in America[1]. These groups had a point when corporations took over the system; they had power and money to ensure the government always passed policies, even if it was to the detriment of the people. However, this unity among Americans against corporations was short-lived as the anti-communist movement began to take full effect. The anti-communist Cold War era began to create divisions among Americans; it established distrust among people. Suddenly, Americans stopped questioning why the government only served their corporate overlords. They concentrate on spewing hatred and fighting each other. As they focused on each other, the wealthy elites grew even richer as the government passed favorable policies to cater to them, increasing inequality. The paper will argue in support of the idea that inequality and division America is experiencing today result from anti-communist Cold War politics.

Distrust and Division

The anti-communist Cold War era politics created tremendous distrust among Americans. Government security agencies first took their time to educate the public on how dangerous communism is to the world. During this time, these agencies conducted massive campaigns to warn Americans about the ideology. FBI director Edgar Hoover played a role in framing to the American Congress how communism was a threat to America. According to the director, communism came with the basis of Marxism-Leninism, which would destroy American democracy and capitalism, after which it would cause a world revolution, ending the free world.[2]. To Edgar Hoover, communism meant anti-America. In this era, trust in the government was extremely high.

So, when the FBI director explained the dangers of communism, one had to accept that a significant portion of the American population believed him. The director warned the public that communists were likely to infiltrate the labor unions, Hollywood, and liberal and leftist organizations. The government agencies identified people of color, social outcasts, labor activists, and anti-capitalists as likely communists.[3]. The so-called patriotic Americans targeted these groups, spewing hatred. People were terrified and avoided raising their voices to question any government decision or policies for fear of reprisal and being branded a communist, which at that time would destroy an individual. It is the reason why the government in this era would pass controversial policies such as the Japanese internment without any major pushback from the public.[4].

The anti-communist Cold War era gave the government an excuse to go after people they did not like. Civil rights movements such as Black Panther and activists like Martin Luther King Jr. became a target for government spying as agencies sought to cause disunity among these groups. It led to a situation where people of color lost their trust in government agencies and those who supported them. The era also gave the government license to target democratically elected governments in other parts of the world, such as Guatemala, which was considered communist.[5]. Such behavior did not sit well with certain groups in America that had ancestral ties to those places. The distrust among the various groups also ended mass coordination.

Many of America would not unite with the other side, whom they considered unpatriotic. During this era, movements such as labor unions, where Americans from various racial and ethnic backgrounds could unite to fight for their economic gains, started to lose steam. Middle-class consumer activism experienced in the early 20^th century lost its power.[6]. It was now easier for the government to attribute any mass pushback to communism. Americans have yet to recover from the division, as even today, society has painted particular political affiliations as unpatriotic. Currently, anyone in the political sphere who calls for the implementation of favorable policies such as Medicare-for-all is branded as a communist. People of color still distrust law enforcement due to how they were treated during the anti-communist Cold War era, while others shout in support of them, which is a depiction of the disunity.

Inequality Growth

The anti-communist Cold War era created a conducive environment for thriving corporate interests. The distrust among Americans led to divisions, which meant they would not unify effectively against corporate and elite forces protecting their interests, even if it were to the detriment of other socioeconomic classes. Most Americans knew that the government was not responsive to them anymore as policymakers were catering to the needs of their big donors. However, the hatred that the government had cultivated towards certain groups meant that mass coordination was impossible. The death of the labor movement during this era also contributed to the inequality Americans experienced. According to various sources, inequality was at its lowest when the labor movement thrived. The inaction of the labor movement meant the working class was left behind. The elites succeeded when a significant portion of the population was more compliant with the government, and the anti-communist era created a period of compliance.

Conclusion

Anti-communist Cold War era politics contributed heavily to the division and inequality that Americans are experiencing today. The era increased the distrust and disunity among various groups in the United States. Since the period lasted so long, people still feel its effect. Even today, whenever an individual pushes for policies that are beneficial for society, such as the Green New Deal is easily branded as a communist, which turns off a significant portion of the population. The anti-communist war cold war era politics created a period of compliance, excess government power and reduced mass coordination that ensured corporate interests thrived to benefit the wealthy elites. As the rich thrived, the working class was left behind, which led to inequality that America had yet to recover from during that period.

Bibliography

David, Takaki. ” A History of Asian Americans.” (1989): 643-646.

Holland, Max. “Private Sources of US Foreign Policy: William Pawley and the 1954 Coup d’Etat in Guatemala.” Journal of Cold War Studies 7, no. 4 (2005): 36-73.

Paul, Andrew. ” Primary Source Reader: Modern American History.” University of Minnesota, 2019.

Robbins, Mark W. Making a Middle-Class “Public” Middle-Class Consumer Activism in Post–First World War America. University of Michigan Press, 2017.

Robin, Corey. The Battle of Settle. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2000.

[1] Robin, Corey. The Battle of Settle. Johns Hopkins University Press. 2000, p.3.

[2] Paul, Andrew. ” Primary Source Reader: Modern American History.” University of Minnesota, 2019, p. 57.

[3] Paul, Andrew. ” Primary Source Reader: Modern American History.” University of Minnesota, 2019, p. 57.

[4] David, Takaki. ” A History of Asian Americans.” (1989), p. 381.

[5] Holland, Max. “Private Sources of US Foreign Policy: William Pawley and the 1954 Coup d’Etat in Guatemala.” 2005, p. 36.

[6] Robbins, Mark W. Making a Middle-Class “Public” Middle-Class Consumer Activism in Post–First World War America. University of Michigan Press, 2017, p. 4.