I agree with the assertion that Harry Truman, as much as Joe McCarthy, gave force to the postwar ‘Red scare’. Several undertakings at the time the two political leaders were in office show their significant fear of the rise of communism in other nations and an increase in the partisanship of communist ideas in the United States. The concern was mainly placed in the government, army, different employees, and other groups of individuals who seemed to join hands against or in support of government policies. It is imperative to understand that both Truman and McCarthy had real and sometimes imagined communist fear, aspects that influenced their political actions and orientations.
Different instances exemplify the force on red Scare just in equal measure by both Truman and McCarthy. In the second term of Truman’s presidency, for example, the president feared developments such as China’s fall to communism and the theft of atomic secrets by those who were in favor of communist ideals. To ensure unwavering support to his anti-communist foreign policy, the president strategized on eliminating communist ideals through the creation of the Employee Loyalty Program, among other strategies( Foley & Cronkite, 2009). McCarthy supported the president’s efforts of exposing those loyal to communist nations and political orientation, for example, the Soviet Union.
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The collaboration between McCarthy and Truman in uncovering individuals spearheading communist related undertakings is undisputed. A telegram from McCarthy to President Truman shows how both were likeminded and feared the spread of communism. In the telegram, McCarthy claimed to be knowledgeable about 57 individuals working in the state department, all of which were supporters of communist ideals ( Michaels, J. (2017). Besides the above, whether warranted or unwarranted, McCarthy, while in charge of different senate committee investigations on government operations, accused several individuals of supporting communism. Although the president did not have a positive reply to the telegram, the two had personal interests that made them detest communism.
References
Foley, M., & Cronkite, W. (2009). Harry S. Truman . Infobase Publishing.
Michaels, J. (2017). McCarthyism: The Realities, Delusions and Politics Behind the 1950s Red Scare . Taylor & Francis.
