McCarthyism: The Manipulation of Fear in America During the Red Scare Is war the greatest weapon political leaders can use? The answer is no, because manipulation of citizens' minds can be used to enforce almost any demand imaginable. During the Red Scare, Senator Joseph McCarthy used this tactic to exploit fear of communists in ordinary citizens of the United States. The Red Scare was the most influential event on America in the 20th century because it made the United States prejudiced against different forms of political ideology, created a judgmental society with too large an ego, and paved the way for America to take part in unnecessary events. foreign affairs. Joseph McCarthy's negative influence initially manifested itself through his ambition to gain political power. He used his senatorial position to try people thought to be part of the Communist Party. An example of this would be targeting the Hollywood Ten. These were citizens of the film industry who were cited for contempt of Congress after refusing to answer McCarthy's questions. The author of The Crucible, Arthur Miller, was even cited for contempt of Congress when he refused to identify writers who attended communist meetings. He went on to explain how the House Un-American Activities Committee, or HUAC, was deceptively informing citizens that the Soviet way of controlling culture could be successfully exported to America. According to professor and historian Regin Schmidt, when McCarthyism was at its height, only 1 percent of the public was concerned about the domestic threat of communism. This fact demonstrates how manipulative and cynical the government has been in stoking the fire of the anti-communist movement, as well as subjugating… the medium of paper… and the world. Given these points, it can easily be argued that the Red Scare was the most influential event during the 20th century. Works Cited "Arthur Miller Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television and Web. February 24, 2014. "Arthur Miller's McCarthyism." PBS. PBS, August 23, 2006. Web. February 26, 2014. Heale, Michael J. McCarthy's Americans: Politics of the Red Scare in State and Nation, 1935-1965. University of Georgia Press, 1998. Google Scholar. Network. February 26, 2014Miller, Arthur. “Are you now or have you ever been?” The guardian/observer (2000). GoogleScholar. Network. February 26, 2014Murray, Robert K. Red Scare: A Study of National Hysteria, 1919-1920. University of Minnesota Press, 1955. Google Scholar. Network. March 19, 2014.Schmidt, Regin. Red Scare: The FBI and the Origins of Anti-Communism in the United States, 1919-1943. Tusculanum Museum Press, 2000. Google Scholar. Network. February 26. 2014