Patriot's History: Cold War, 1946-59 (Chap 18)
I'm Just Wild About Harry, Al JolsonHave I Told You Lately That I Love You, Gene Autry
It's a Sin to Tell a Lie, Patti Page
I'm Sorry, The Moonglows
Midnight in Moscow, Kenny Ball and the Orchestra
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Summary Post-war, the Roosevelt/Truman policies were hurting us, and serving only to appease the communists, a very real and growing threat. We faced it in Korea, feeling some regret for stirring China. In the end, democracy would challenge and expose our nation's enemy. Chapter The government had grown throughout the war. In '46 Republicans took Congress, and at last the politics of socialism slipped away, as taxes were reduced, the budget balanced. Stalin's growing fascist state produced authentic fears -- not paranoia. Churchill recognized the evil. Some of FDR's New Dealers idolized the Russian; even Truman had been fooled. (How frightening to learn that Henry Wallace, FDR's VP, would bring associates to Congress who were Russian spies!) And real were fears about the bomb, as KGB reports reveal that even Oppenheimer may have helped the Soviets! A post-war strategy was underway, with benefits for those resisting fascist dominance. The Marshall Plan replaced the Stalinist in Europe with the businessman; the Truman Doctrine pledged no tyranny would subjugate a helpless people; and "containment" would eliminate expansion by the Russians. NATO likely saved the day, as Russia planned invasions. Truman, starting to display his toughness, challenged Moscow with an airlift to Berlin. Korea next: MacArthur helped America to win another communist engagement, but he went too far, arousing China. Even though a U.S. superstar, MacArthur faced the wrath of Harry Truman, rightfully. Korea ended in a stalemate, and the war that we "can't win, can't lose, can't quit" was over. Truman's legacy: "Fair Deal" was socialist, but decent foreign policy. McCarthy's time was next: unfair to link 'hysteria' to his assault on communists; he touched an area of true concern -- indeed, his claims would underestimate the ranks of infiltrators. Yet the times would demonstrate our country's rights and freedoms. All accused were fairly tried, and through it all the communists existed side-by-side with patriots -- its "Daily Worker" paper even thrived! So even as the furtive Russian fellowships contrived to steal our freedoms (Eisenhower standing by), our Constitutional protections served to glorify democracy, in time diminishing our enemies through union votes, not purges at the universities. |