Introduction

The Cold War brought about an irrational fear of communism and communist activities in the United States. As we are learning this week, one of the most vocal instigators of this paranoia was Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthy delivered a speech about the imminent threat of communism on February 9, 1950. Our country again experienced a state of paranoia after the attacks of September 11, 2001, this time of Islam. (The purpose of this assignment is not to defend communism, but to examine the fear surrounding communism and Islam and whether it was/is valid.)

Instructions

Perform a search on the internet and locate and read Joseph McCarthy’s speech given in Wheeling, West Virginia on February 9, 1950. Copy and paste the following keywords into your Google search bar: “Joseph McCarthy, Wheeling, West Virginia.” The speech is also referred to as “Enemies from Within.”

Construct the case study by responding to the following prompts:

How does Senator Joseph McCarthy define communist nations and what are the threats they pose?

• Assess if Senator Joseph McCarthy charges were accurate?
• Replace the word communism in his speech with Islam. Analyze if there similarities between what McCarthy said about communism and what has been said about Islam, particularly shortly after the attacks of 9/11?
• Do you believe it is valid to draw comparisons between anti-communist rhetoric and anti-Islam rhetoric?

Make sure to cite and reference sources. Make sure that the writing is clear, well-developed, and free from spelling and grammatical errors. Please note that part of your grade is to include a documented example of the primary source.

Writing Requirements (APA format)

• Length: 3 pages (not including title page or references page)
• 1-inch margins
• Double spaced
• 12-point Times New Roman font
• Title page
• References page
• Use in-text citations that correspond with your end reference

Textbook:  Keene, C. & O’Donnell (2012). Visions of America: A History of the United States (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.