What If McCarthyism And The Red Scare Never Happened?: Jefferson Grant Spears, Nihilist Priest (02013)


Aug 07 2013 8 mins  
There are few words in American social and political culture that carry as heavy a stigma as communism and socialism. This is true now, and was especially true during an ideological era known as the Second Red Scare, or McCarthyism, bearing the namesake of Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. What if the panic, finger-pointing, propaganda, and witch-hunting associated with this movement were absent from history? Would things be different? If they were, would they be better? Worse? Neutral? Jefferson Spears will attempt to cast aside the dogma and take a look at the ramifications, particularly in the American political and intellectual spheres, of the question: What if McCarthyism and the Red Scare hadn't happened? Jefferson is an arguer. If he has nothing better to do, he will argue with you about any topic, ranging from political debate to musical tastes to whether or not you know anything. When he isn't arguing, he spreads his time between the Internet, writing poetry, doing nerd activities, pondering the inherent dichotomy in being a Southern-born Communist, wondering why the FBI considers him to be a gang member, or generally doing nothing in particular. Don't take anything he says personally unless there is no room for interpretation. He probably doesn't care that you're offended, but he probably didn't mean to offend you either.