The Red Channels Essay -- Politics Communism Communist

I am a man of a thousand faces, all of them blacklisted.-Zero Mostel, comedian featured in Red carryThe Red Channels The Illegitimacy of Americas Own Little Black Book A mindless observer flipping through Red Channels would not find anything shocking, significant, or laughable throughout its 213 pages. This small book, published in 1950 by the American air Consultants, initially looks like an attractive collection of rsums, discern with a persons name, occupation, and a comprehensive listing of confused activities in which the person was involved. These rsums, however, were not made to string a person look appealing to an employer. In fact, if ones name were found in this book, they would most certain(prenominal)ly not be employed, or if they were employed, would be fired. Developed by three ex-FBI agents, Red Channels was Americas Holy Book of the 1950s. It was referred to and analyzed, being the basis of each major decision in politics, media, and music. Duri ng this era, the majority of American citizens thought that this fussy book was a tool of protection for America, weeding out influential Communists who were formidable to their government and way of life. Yet this potent book was in pragmatism harmful to society and illegitimate for a number of reasons. First, the books overt discrimination caused people to lose their jobs or their reputation, ultimately violating certain constitutional rights the right to privacy, the right to property, and freedom of speech and association. Second, the book was the American Business Consultants corrupt means to extract profit, undermining the alleged goal of this number to protect Americas interest. Third, the booklet added to the public ho... ... untested York Thunders Mouth campaign/Nation Books, 248, 254-255, 702.Capaldi, Jim. (2002, February 20). Pete Seeger Appreciation Page sack site. Retrieved May 17, 2002, from the World Wide Web http//home.earthlink.net/jimcapaldi/ redchannels.htm Caute, D. (1978). The Great Fear the anti-Communist purge under Truman andEisenhower. New York Simon and Schuster, pp. 509, 521-532, 617-618.Fleming, D.F. (1954). Are we piteous Toward Fascism? The Journal of Politics, (16)1, 39-56, 58-75.Fried, R. (1990). Nightmare In Red the McCarthy era in perspective. New York OxfordUniversity Press, 156-157.Malin, P. M. (1951). The Status of Civil Rights in the United States in 1950. Journal of pitch blacknessEducation, (20)3, 279-289.Stowe, D.W. (1998). The Politics of Cafe Society. The Journal of American History, (84)4,1384-1406.