Effects of Communism on the United States

In 1947, the Truman Doctrine announced that the United States needs to take responsibility for defending people throughout the world from communist aggression. The battle between communism and capitalism affected Americans for decades. Known as the Cold War, this conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union, the two dominant world powers after World War II, never actually resulted in a battle. However, the tension itself led to a change in the social, political, and economic aspects of society in America.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, the Red Scare, fear of communism, terrorized American citizens. The lookout for Soviet espionage began with Ethel and Julius Rosenberg in 1951 and paved the way for the Manhattan Project. During this time, neighbors and friends suspected one other of being Russian spies, which led to discomfort in cities and neighborhoods. Not only was suspicion taking over, but this led to an easy path to revenge: if someone was hurt by his or her neighbor or acquaintance, that person could easily say that the other is a Soviet spy.

“The Hollywood Ten” is another example of how communism changed the lives of Americans in a social regard during the Cold War. Most people look up to movie stars as their idols or role models, so seeing some of their favorite actors, screenwriters, or producers blacklisted from Hollywood because they were believed to have been spies only intensified distrust between citizens in the country. A country cannot expect to win a war against another country if its own people are not united and do not collaborate.

After communism became known in the United States, some people were curious about it. These people would research it or attends seminars about communism not because the...

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...thermore, the government needed to be ready to attack the Soviets if a reason suddenly arose. Therefore, a military had to be on hand at all times. In order to keep the military clothed and fed, the government needed to spend money. Also, the government needed to have bombs and weapons ready in case of attack. Since there was never a direct battle between the Soviets and the Americans, all the money put into the war was useless in the end.

The Cold War affected the United States in three ways: socially, politically, and economically. During the Manhattan Project, citizens turned against one another. Joseph McCarthy caused havoc in politics while undergoing trials for “communist sympathizers,” and the government spent money on a war that never even took place. These reasons led to a strain in the social, political, and economic aspects of the nation for decades.