Red, White and Bruised, America Behaving Badly

Over the last few days I have been looking into the US - Russian relations, and the strain is more than evident. Before getting into that however, it would be prudent to address the fact that there are many issues, so many issues right now that are affecting the world globally, and the US domestically that history should be looked at. If for nothing more than trying to initiate a "lesson learned" philosophy. The US's actions, policies, and subsequent global aggression has triggered world wide events, alliances and domestic outcries that can no longer be ignored.

Instead of ignoring, the US has decided to forcefully quiet the masses, using subtle techniques of fear and spying, the same as they did in the 1950s. In a related post a keen observer in the comment section noted that HR 1955/S 1959 was the spawn of HUAC, a committee abolished in 1975. The HUAC, or House Un-American Activities Counsel, was in charge of first researching, then ferreting out, and eventually fully prosecute Communists in the US, as they were deemed "A clear, present and continuing danger to National Security"[1] It should be noted here, that much like the HR 1955 and S 1959 act currently on the table, the HUAC was in charge, prior to the Communist Control Act of 1954, of studying the Communist Party and its members to determine the danger they pose, if any. (Ahem what is the "commission's" duties with regards to HR 1955?).

In the 1940's and 50's Senator McCarthy frantically hunted down Communists, and insisted that the government do the same. Many Americans, and members of the government felt that he went too far, and didn't support his actions, at first. After the "Red Tide" came sweeping through the world, and countries were taking on not only Communist governments, but uprisings, strikes, and protests world wide were occurring with a very anti-capitalistic tone (at the very least) that made the US worry about her own survival. Even in the US Communist and Socialist tendencies, organizations, and sympathizers were gaining support after the Great Depression. Citizens began to understand the inherent flaws of capitalism, and wanted something a little more secure for their children.

Enter in the Internal Securities Act of 1950, an act that brought about the HUAC, and forced Communist and Communist leaning businesses, fronts or organizations to register with the government. In 1954 came the Communist Control Act, and the hunting began in earnest. HUAC detained, questioned and held citizens in contempt if they choose not to answer their questions, or were hesitant in answering. Pamphlets were passed out nation wide explaining to the regular population why they should be anti-Communist, who Communists were, and where they could be hiding. People were expected to turn other citizens in.

The propaganda machine was running at full tilt, explaining that Communists were dangerous, violent, and spying on the government in efforts to overthrow it and turn America into the destitute tyranny of Communist oppression. Two individuals, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, were detained, and subjected to a tainted trial, and eventually executed by the electric chair. Even after Global appeals were made on their behalf, the US pulled the lever. It was, as Howard Zinn put it "a demonstration to the people of the country, though very few could identify with the Rosenbergs, of what lay at the end of the line for those the government decided were traitors." [2]

So it was.

Other categories and organizations that fell victim to the anti-Communist hysteria included; Ku Klux Klan, The Chopin Cultural Center, the Cervantes Fraternal Society, the Committee for the Negro in the Arts, the Committee for the Protection of the Bill of Rights, the League of American Writers, the Nature Friends of America, People's Drama, the Washington Bookshop Association, and the Yugoslavia Seaman's Club. [3]

Is this beginning to sound familiar?

This, at a time when the president did not suspend Habeas Corpus, this at a time when "terrorism" wasn't a household word with groups dedicated for the sole purpose of studying it, it's effects, and causes in order to prevent further attacks. This, at a time when our constitution still had at least a few teeth.

What does this have to do with our laws today?

Quite frankly, everything. The proposal shortly coming to the Senate for review and voting will create the same propaganda driven hysteria that the "Red Scare" did in the 50's. Only this time it will be the "Red and Black, Islamic, Arabic, and Single Issue Scare". This time, the net that will be cast to catch citizens who are "Un-American" will be much greater in size and strength. Communists, Socialists, Anarchists, Muslims, followers of Islam, and any other "fringe" groups are already being painted as a dangerous threat to National Security.

Only this time around, instead of having some modicum of protection or oversight, we have this blanket term "terrorism" which has become the broadly used code word for "anything goes".

Our country has done it before.

They will do it again.


In the next installment I will be focusing, not on the Thought Crime Bill, but rather on world politics, and steadily growing alliances, all of which are serious cause for concern. It does tie into all of this however, as everything in life is inherently linked. If our cries are silenced, our voices not heard, our wills imprisoned, we will be powerless to stop what lays ahead.


{Unlinked sources:

[1] Civil Liberties and the Constitution, Cases and Commentaries Barker, Lucius and Barker Jr., Twiley W. 1970, Prentice Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J. chapter 4, pg. 195

[2] A People's History of the United States, 1492 - Present Zinn, Howard 2003 HarperCollins Publishers, N.Y., New York. chapter 16, pg. 435

[3] A People's History of the United States, 1492 - Present Zinn, Howard 2003 HarperCollins Publishers, N.Y., New York. chapter 16, pg 432. }