The Communist Menace

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The Communist Menace

• 1947
• By J. Edgar Hoover

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Background Information

• Founder of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
  (FBI) in its current form and was the director
  for 48 years
• Known to be supporter of civil rights and
  liberties and in contrast was known for abusing
  his position and using unwarranted political
  persecution
• A graduate of George Washington University where
  he received a law degree
• He never married and has been rumored to have
  been homosexual he had a close male companion,
  Clyde Tolson, of more than 40 years and both were
  lifelong bachelors
• Hoover devoted most of his career to uncovering
  subversive activities which probably led to his
  obsession with Communism

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Background Information cont.

• Huge supporter of the HUAC (House of Un-American
  Activities Committee)
• Hoover was thought to have used the
  investigations into political corruption as a way
  to gain power over prominent political officials
• He had a collection on all of Americas leading
  politicians known as Hoovers secret files, the
  files were used to influence the actions of these
  politiciansthese files were destroyed by his
  close friend Clyde Tolson shortly after his death
  on May 2, 1972. He died while still in office.

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Hoover, Royal Miller, Clyde Tolson, and Joseph
McCarthy
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Main Points
The Communist Menace

• The Communists of the United States are here to
  overthrow the American way of life and democracy.
• - The Communist movement in the United
  Statesstands for the destruction of free
  enterprise and it stands for the creation of
  a Soviet of the United States and ultimate
  world revolution.

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Main Points cont.

• There is a reason to be scared, the size of the
  American Communist party means nothing. There
  influence is much greater. BE AFRAID!
• What is important is the claim of the
  Communists themselves that for every party member
  there are 10 others ready, willing, and able to
  do the partys work. Herein lies the greatest
  menace of communism. For these are the people who
  infiltrate and corrupt various spheres of
  American life. So rather than the size of the
  Communist Party the way to weigh its true
  importance is by testing its influence, its
  ability to infiltrate.
• when the Communists overthrew the Russian
  government there was one Communist for every
  2,277 persons in Russia. In the United States
  today there is one Communist for every 1,814
  persons in the country
• Many good Americans are prone to be duped by the
  Communists trickery and double talk.

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Historical Significance

• The Anti-Communist movement was very big at the
  time the document was written.
• He was addressing the HUAC
• Hoover himself had a big impact on society
• Really hurt liberals or anyone who got in the way

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Questions to consider

• Was there are real threat of Communism in
  America?
• During the Anti-Communist movement the civil
  liberties of many Americans were threatened, are
  we experiencing the same threats now with the war
  on terrorism?

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References

• http//www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAhooverE.ht
  m
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._Edgar_Hoover