Black Pages: The American Industry of Fear

Many Americans, and along with them many citizens of the world, often look upon America as the world’s beacon of shining freedom and democracy. America is considered the first defender of the free world and human rights, as was propagated throughout the Cold War in the ideological confrontation with communism.

However, those who believe so are ignorant of the truth about democratic development in America and the abuses that it has committed and still commits under various pretexts, under claims to protect the nation and to defend national security, or to combat terrorism and strike its elements.

Thus comes the book that we introduce today by the author, Jay Feldman, entitled, “Manufacturing Hysteria: A History of Scapegoating, Surveillance, and Secrecy in Modern America,” to shed light on America’s record, which is full of abuses that have affected immigrants and even American citizens who have adopted viewpoints deviating from the official establishment’s. Feldman’s book demonstrates how authorities sought to defame others, even those within America, and how they broadcast an atmosphere of fear and panic within the community to warrant their heinous practices.

To uncover a dark page in American history, the author focuses on the period immediately proceeding and following World War I. During this time, authorities deported thousands of peace activists, trade unionists, and the remainder of the government’s adversaries. The deportations, which sparked fear of foreigners and immigrants and facilitated the government in later stages, particularly in the 1930s, began an extensive campaign aimed at Mexican immigrants. This ended in the ’50s with the deportation of no less than 500,000 Mexicans from Texas, of which a large number were U.S. citizens.

Feldman begins with America’s decision to participate in World War I alongside the Allies, after a period of hesitation seized the official establishment. However, once the decision was taken, the authorities proceeded to mobilize public opinion in preparation for sending American forces to Europe. To ensure consensus, many Americans were not allowed to express their desire to remain neutral, particularly an important portion of citizens of German descent. Thus, President Woodrow Wilson during the public mobilization condemned Americans “with dual loyalties.”

This discrimination against such Americans, who were labeled with venomous epithets, extended from past practices and old conflicts that America inherited from the end of the 19th century, when American citizens who dubbed themselves natives poured their anger out on the Irish Catholic and Chinese immigrants. Even Americans who opposed the war on a purely religious basis, such as some Christian sects calling for peace, found themselves under doubt and suspicion. As New York Mayor John Purroy Mitchel expressed it, “we are divided into only two classes—Americans and traitors!” Under such a tense atmosphere, immigrants and opponents of the war bore the largest burdens: unjustified prosecutions, arbitrary arrests, and unlawful surveillance. It was thus necessary for Congress to sustain the state of fear and doubt to which authorities sought to dedicate themselves, through a law limiting Americans’ civil liberties.

However, the restrictions that prevailed prior and during World War I continued, as the writer portrays, even after the end of the war. This time, they targeted workers of the same bloc known at the time as the union of Industrial Workers of the World. With the deportation of and restrictions upon the workers, this process culminated in what is known as the “Palmer Raids,” which is attributed to Palmer’s aggressive campaign waged against the trade unionists among migrant workers. He exploited the incident of a failed assassination attempt to prosecute the workers and to deport hundreds of them without trial. Although the FBI was aware of the extremist group behind the incident, it deliberately left the issue open, and the investigation continued to draw attention to the migrant workers. This process is considered an introduction to what American citizens of Japanese descent were to suffer from throughout World War II, when the American government detained them in guarded camps.

The writer refers to the extension of the same practices violating human rights, which continued until the ’50s as “McCarthyism.” During this period, paranoia about communists in the U.S prevailed, as well as the persecution of art and political symbols in America that were claimed to belong to communism. Some of these black pages, in which the authorities resort to intimidation of the public to pass unjust laws against human rights and freedom, would continue throughout American history. With the “national” law approved by former President Bush allowing for security agencies to eavesdrop and spy on Americans under the pretext of the war on terrorism, the principles of democracy and freedom, and America’s self-proclaimed title as the first defender of these values in the world is entirely flouted.

Zuhair Alkassab

——

Book: Manufacturing Hysteria: A History of Scapegoating, Surveillance, and Secrecy in Modern America

Author: Jay Feldman

Publisher: Pantheon

Date of Publication: 2011