Summary Of The Paranoid Style In American Politics

The First and Second Red Scare of the United States paved the way for a long standing fear of communism and proved to be one of America’s largest periods of mass hysteria. Throughout the years authors and analysts have studied and formed expository albeit argumentative books and articles in an attempt to further understand this period of time; the mindset held during this period however is shown to be completely different compared to now.

The biggest and most fervent effect of the Cold War on American culture was the state of anxiety that swept the nation. Americans have always harboured a fear of radicalism entering the country and destroying any parts of the government that give power to the people, but when the Cold War begun, this fear was immensely heightened. This time period became known as the “age of anxiety”.

In Ta-Nehisi Coates essay “The Paranoid Style of American Policing,” he briefs the readers on the rise in police violence against the black community and the lack of trust people have for the officers causing this crime. He concludes by saying “A state that allows its agents to kill, to beat, to taste, without any real sanction, has ceased to govern and has commenced to simply rule.” Almost all would agree with this statement, for it does has many examples supporting its authenticity.

Sam Roberts, A Decade of Fear (published March 2010) addresses the topic of the Red Scare and declares that McCarthyism turned Americans against each other after WWII by accusing one another of being a communist. These accusations led to targeting many famous or well-known people in Hollywood or politics. Therefore, Senator Joseph McCarthy had exploited the nation’s fear of communism for what many believed to be for his own gain, also the mass hysteria that came with the Red Scare and McCarthyism had a huge impact in the United States after the end of World War II. The explanation Mass Hysteria occurred was because the majority of people did not want to be accused of being a communist. A lot of innocent people, even children, had been blamed

The Cold War propelled the United States of America into a seat of previously unattained power in the world . American citizens spearheaded the push toward advancement in their search for the epitome of happiness: the “American Dream”. Post-war paranoia was driven by the supposed threat of the spread of communism, which Americans feared could interfere with the freedoms and liberties the founding fathers fought to achieve. This paranoia eventually controlled the thoughts and actions of citizens everywhere. The Second Red Scare spread across America like a virus, leaving a trail of dread and despair in its wake. The fear of the growing communist regime, a lack of trust between citizens and the government, and a zealous streak of American pride drove the U.S. toward internal conflict and potential devastation.

In a journal article written by John Mirowsky and Catherine E. Ross they focus on how social positions cause victimization which in return leads to paranoia. They believe that individuals with paranoia believe they have no control of their lives and are living in fear of being harmed by outside sources.

“When a great democracy is destroyed, it will not be because of enemies from without but rather because of enemies from within” said Joseph McCarthy, on February 9, 1950 (Enemies from Within). McCarthy may have missed the mark in claiming that communist infiltration was the enemy from within, but his statement was accurate: the rise of demagogues can erode the rights and freedoms upon which democracy is built and without which they could not gain power. From the 1920’s on, ‘red baiting’ had produced anti-communist sentiments in the American populace that had largely eradicated most communist organizations in the United States (Hillstrom 17). The culmination of over thirty years of hysteria over communist infiltration bred an atmosphere of suspicion and agitation. Combined with the Alger Hiss conviction and the Hollywood blacklisting period under the House Un-American Affairs Committee, the 1940’s and early 50s represent a climax of the Red Scare (Hillstrom 36). The Truman administration’s “Loyalty Order” requiring the FBI to investigate government employees suspected of disloyalty, and actions like it created fear of being labeled as disloyal and bred a populace that was inclined to accept the word of authority. The emergence of McCarthyism was the failing of society’s core institutions: the entertainment industry (satisfying the people), the government (serving the people), and the media (informing the people). It is easy to stand up for the cause of justice when the

Adam Berinsky and Gabriel S. Lenz draw on the concept that the Red Scare, with the

The last book on cultural conspiracy to be examined exemplifies newer trend in the historical scholarship on conspiracy on American culture since sixteenth century up to nineteen century. John Farrell’s Paranoia and Modernity study bases on works of historians through variety of detailed readings who have represented variety of symptoms of paranoia from deluded judgement to importance in society. The book as a whole reflect on historians as “metaphorical extension” who demoralize individuals ability to differentiate subject’s thought rational delusion and schemed apparatus. Farrell’s book provides a fascinating glimpse into modern

America’s paranoia is misplaced. Since the onset of the Cold War, Americans have feared and prepared for a nuclear attack. However, less attention has been paid to relatively more feasible threats: biological and chemical weapons. It is without a doubt nuclear weapons, if ever used could inflict an unparalleled level of damage. However, the likelihood of a biological or chemical attack on US citizens is greater. The mutual deterrence of the United State’s second-strike capability makes a nuclear attack against Americans unlikely. Meanwhile Chemical and biological are widespread and accessible to sub national actors who are not deterred from attacking by American nuclear and conventional forces. Both chemical and biological weapons present are

The 2016 campaign for the presidency has turned this nation into a swarming hive of publicity seekers, doomsday enthusiasts, and impetuous and reckless lunatics stirring the pot of chaos. Rarely a day goes by without someone new jumping on the lunacy bandwagon so shamelessly driven by both political parties. However, the madness goes far beyond politics. As

Hofstadter’s theory the Paranoid Style is chiefly grounded in psychological and socio-political origins and addresses the role of paranoia and conspiracy theories. The term Paranoid Style was used to suggest that relatively normal people evoke the traits of “heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy” (Hofstadter, 1965, p. 3). He implies that the difference between paranoid style and clinical paranoia is that of a mindset that is against oneself compared to that of the culture or society at large. Hofstadter (1965) argued that powerless and disadvantaged individuals drew comfort from conspiracy theories particularly when faced with a crisis. Likewise, recent research suggests that conspiracies are psychologically appealing and persuasive because they offer a sense of control in times of uncertainty and fear (Radford, 2016). At the basic level of conspiracies, there is a desire to make sense of what it is that threatens society and its cultures (Knight, 2003). However, we must take into account the different guises and diverse functions conspiracy theories pertain

Professor Emeritus Tom Konda provided a very informative lecture on conspiracism in American politics. Overall I learned many new things on conspiracism and a better understanding on what a conspiracy theory is. For example, I did not know that conspiracy theories grew popular in the late 18th century at the time of the French Revolution. Probably the most popular conspiracy theories are developed around the Illuminati. This group came up in May of 1776. Historically it is mentioned that it was the Illuminati was a strong role in the startup of the French Revolution. This was because the group wanted to remove religious influence over public life and abuses of state power. I also learned that conspiracy theories are mostly driven by three main

Postmodernism is broadly defined as a late 20th century movement in which Enlightenment ideals dominated. The most important viewpoint of postmodernism is the idea that there is no truth. According to Bran Nicol, the postmodern age can also be described as “an age of paranoia.” Therefore, relating back to the idea that conspiracy theories are prominent in times of great anxiety and paranoia. The paranoia of postmodernism was the result of the transition from modernism to postmodernism. Although postmodernism focused on the inability to achieve knowledge, people still desired knowledge, thus creating a paranoia surrounding the desire for something that cannot be acquired. Therefore, the link between conspiracy theories and the Postmodernist

The first among the pathological beliefs is fear which Fettweis strongly believes is a sort of paranoia where one believes that the world is full of enemies and makes decisions based on these deeply held beliefs which is often misguided. He then provides example of how America’s paranoia about