The Case against the Reds (1920)
A. Mitchell Palmer
One of the chief incentives for the present activity of the Department of Justice against the "Reds" has been the hope that American citizens will, themselves, become voluntary agents for us, in a vast organization for mutual defense against the sinister agitation of men and women aliens, who appear to be either in the pay or under the spell of Trotzky and Lenine [sic]. . . .
The Department of Justice will pursue the attack of the "Reds" upon the Government of the United States with vigilance, and no alien, advocating the overthrow of existing law and order in this country, shall escape arrest and prompt deportation.
It is my belief that while they have stirred discontent in our midst, while they have caused irritating strikes, and while they have infected our social idea with disease of their own minds and their unclean morals, we can get rid of them! And not until we have done so shall we have removed the menace of Bolshevism for good.
-Which later event was most reminiscent of the United States' government's disposition toward communism that is described in this passage?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

McCarthyism was a period in the 1950s characterized by a heightened fear of communism and a government crackdown on suspected communists, with many individuals being falsely accused, investigated, and sometimes blacklisted based on flimsy evidence or mere rumors. This is similar to the government's disposition toward communism described in the passage, particularly in regards to the pursuit of suspected communists and the promotion of mutual defense against perceived threats.

The Case Against the Reds (1920)