100 Things You Should Know about Communism, published by the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1951, is a prime example of U.S. Cold War propaganda. In your response, discuss how one of the pamphlet’s question-answer pairings reflects the ideological construction of Americanism during the Cold War.
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The pamphlet 100 Things You Should Know about Communism reflects the value that Americans at the time placed on freedom and free will, using rhetoric that paints Communism as an attack on American independence. In one of the question/answer pairings, the pamphlet states, “you have to obey the Party in all things. It may tell you to change your home, your job, your husband, or wife” (12). By displaying this attack on the nuclear family that was a truly vital symbol of American life at the time, the pamphlet equates Communism as a full out assault on the American lifestyle. In contrast to the American idea that everyone’s unique voice is vital to the greater good of the country, the pamphlet displays communism as an irreverent attack on the individual, stating, “the communist party does not rely upon actual party members for its strength” (10). The pamphlet warns that communism prevents citizens from having freedoms that have long been symbolic of life in the US, such as the right to an education, the right to unionize, and the right to join a church. The sharp contrast between the communist values and the portrayed American values place emphasis on these characteristics of American life.