WI Joseph Mcarthy was President?

Yes, what if Joseph Mcarthy, the extremist of anti-communism and athority had become resident in the early 50's. what would happen to the United States. An even more extreme version of the Mcarthy Trials?:confused:
 
America is a stronger better place and racism is stomped into the ground because he would view it as anti american and only create enemies for the US
 
Yes, what if Joseph Mcarthy, the extremist of anti-communism and athority had become resident in the early 50's. what would happen to the United States. An even more extreme version of the Mcarthy Trials?:confused:

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

run! hide!
most democrats are put in jail, the press is banned, hollywood stars are shot in great numbers ect.
 
From the typo in the OP, I thought "Wasn't he already resident? Was he actually a foreigner who moved to Wisconsin and became senator?"
 
Some factors to consider:

McCarthy was a drunk. Not just an alcoholic, but a flat out boozer. There was one incident where he went to a club, on the way out tried to pick a fight (with of all people, Drew Pearson), then got into his car and wondered why it wouldn't start. He'd got in the back seat!

McCarthy was emotionally disconnected. He would spend an hour or two tearing into some fellow solon on the Senate floor, then wonder why the guy rejected his friendly overtures afterwards.

McCarthy was, finally, utterly ignorant about Communism. Really. He didn't bother learning anything about its nature, doctrines, or activities. He picked on "Commies in the gubbmnt" as an attention-grabbing activity.

In fact he had been elected with the support of the Communists. He'd run against Robert LaFollette. The Party had decided that LaFollette didn't love Uncle Joe enough. And if LaFollette had even bothered to campaign in the primary, at all he would have won -- or so said his frustrated campaign staffer, Robert Bloch.

[Now there's a setting for you: On the campaign trail, Tailgunner Joe stays one night in the Bates Motel, and manager Ivan Vladimirovich Khoklov, alias "Norman Bates", not aware of the party line, sees a chance to strike a blow against a capitalist exploiter . . .]


So, a McCarthy presidency would be pathetically embarrassing, with whiskey-fuelled State of the Union Speeches, pathetic sobs of "Why can't we all just get along . . ." and the like, along with the frantic, lashing out in every direction save the right one, hunts for perceived Red influence. All which would collapse when the President died in office, making anti-Communism utterly discredited for a generation or more.

It's a lot more plausible than the standard-issue "McCarthyite Tyranny" story that takes the established perception at face value.
 

bard32

Banned
Yes, what if Joseph Mcarthy, the extremist of anti-communism and athority had become resident in the early 50's. what would happen to the United States. An even more extreme version of the Mcarthy Trials?:confused:

He'd be worse than Nixon. He'd also be impeached. Here's an example of McCarthyism in action: An intelligence analyst working in the Defense Department was fired for being a communist. The notification of termination was encoded. When she decoded it, to find out she was fired for being a communist, guess what? She was fired for being a communist. I don't know
about you, but I wouldn't like signing a loyalty oath.
 
Some factors to consider:

...


So, a McCarthy presidency would be pathetically embarrassing, with whiskey-fuelled State of the Union Speeches, pathetic sobs of "Why can't we all just get along . . ." and the like, along with the frantic, lashing out in every direction save the right one, hunts for perceived Red influence. All which would collapse when the President died in office, making anti-Communism utterly discredited for a generation or more.

It's a lot more plausible than the standard-issue "McCarthyite Tyranny" story that takes the established perception at face value.

Interesting stuff... never having studied the postwar US properly (i.e. in education), I only get the second-hand impression gained from having read 'We Could do Worse', by Gregory Benford; and having seen Good Night and Good Luck. :eek:
 
America is a stronger better place and racism is stomped into the ground because he would view it as anti american and only create enemies for the US

:rolleyes:

Of course, Liberals, minorities, and foreigners are also stomped into the ground, but I suppose that's just a 'small' price to pay for this 'utopia'.
 
:rolleyes:

Of course, Liberals, minorities, and foreigners are also stomped into the ground, but I suppose that's just a 'small' price to pay for this 'utopia'.



he would not touch minorities he would not touch liberals he would go after commies and those who supported them
 
Beyond slap-dash anti-communism, he wasn't exatly friendly to the Unions either- I can see Unions being purged of 'Reds', legislation being put through to curb Union power, and combined with his manner alot of strikes.

I never bought the idea of a McCarthy psuedo-dictatorship but certainly one extremly embarrassing, bitter term- possibly with impeachment if things get out of hand.

This might in turn actually cause the Democrats to take an extremly passive line when they return to the White House, moving a mile from conservative, and now quite laughable, anti-communism. Would this hurt America in the cold war or possibly lead to early detente?
 
he would not touch minorities he would not touch liberals he would go after commies and those who supported them
Because, of course, freedom of speech only applies if you ain't one of them damned commies, coming over here being a threat to our freedom! Let's lock them up or deport them, we must become a police state in order to remain free.

(Yes, I know I'm not actually American but I'm mocking him :p)
 
Because, of course, freedom of speech only applies if you ain't one of them damned commies, coming over here being a threat to our freedom! Let's lock them up or deport them, we must become a police state in order to remain free.

(Yes, I know I'm not actually American but I'm mocking him :p)

its not like freedom of speech actually exists now does it
 
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