The Red Channels Essay -- Politics Communism Communist

I am a man of a thousand faces, all of them blacklisted.-Zero Mostel, comedian featured in scarlet ChannelsThe Red Channels The Illegitimacy of Americas Own Little Black Book A mindless observer flipping through Red Channels would non find anything shocking, significant, or suspicious throughout its 213 pages. This small book, published in 1950 by the American Business Consultants, initially looks like an attractive collection of rsums, complete with a persons name, occupation, and a comprehensive listing of various activities in which the person was involved. These rsums, however, were not do to make a person look appealing to an employer. In fact, if ones name were found in this book, they would most certainly 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 every major(ip) decision in politics, media, and music. During t his era, the majority of American citizens thought that this special book was a tool of protection for America, weeding out influential Communists who were dangerous to their government and trend of life. Yet this potent book was in reality harmful to society and illegitimate for a number of reasons. First, the books overt discrimination caused nation 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 natural selection profit, undermining the alleged goal of this publication to protect Americas interest. Third, the booklet added to the public ho... ...New York Thunders Mouth Press/Nation Books, 248, 254-255, 702.Capaldi, Jim. (2002, February 20). Pete Seeger Appreciation Page Web site. Retrieved May 17, 2002, from the institution Wide Web http//home.earthlink.net/jimcap aldi/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 Moving 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 NegroEducation, (20)3, 279-289.Stowe, D.W. (1998). The Politics of Cafe Society. The Journal of American History, (84)4,1384-1406.