The Paranoid Style in American Politics

The Paranoid Style in American Politics

Introduction

• The paranoid style is a way of seeing the world that is characterized by a belief in vast and sinister conspiracies.

• This style is not new to American politics, but it has become increasingly prominent in recent years.

• The paranoid style is often associated with the right-wing, but it can also be found on the left.

Part I: Studies in the American Right

The Paranoid Style in American Politics

• The basic elements of contemporary right-wing thought:

  • A sustained conspiracy to undermine free capitalism and bring the economy under the direction of the federal government, culminating in Roosevelt's New Deal.

  • Top government officials infiltrated by Communists, influencing American policy since Pearl Harbor to sell out national interests.

  • A network of Communist agents throughout education, religion, press, and mass media, paralyzing loyal Americans' resistance.

• McCarthy's Indictment of George C. Marshall:

  • Described in a Senate speech on June 14, 1951, and later published as "America's Retreat from Victory: The Story of George Catlett Marshall."".

  • Marshall was portrayed as a key figure in betraying American interests, from WWII strategic plans to the Marshall Plan.

  • McCarthy claimed Marshall's decisions consistently served the Kremlin's world policy, leading to a planned loss of peace.

  • He saw Marshall's mission to China as propaganda for other interests and accused Marshall and Acheson of intending to deliver China to Russia

  • The Marshall Plan was described as an evil hoax, and the decline in America's strength from 1945 to 1951 was attributed to treasonous conspiracy.

  • The ultimate aim was to contain and frustrate the U.S., making it a victim of Soviet intrigue.

• Robert H. Welch, Jr., and the John Birch Society:

  • Welch claimed "Communist influences are now in almost complete control of our Federal Government".

  • According to Welch, Communists started a run on American banks in 1933, leading to their closure.

  • They also allegedly contrived the recognition of the Soviet Union by the United States in the same year.

  • Welch accuses them of stirring up the fuss over segregation and taking over the Supreme Court.

• Senator Thomas R. Kuchel's "Fright Mail":

  • Senator Kuchel receives a large volume of letters expressing fears of plots to overthrow America, with vivid and elaborate scenarios.

  • Examples include claims of 35,000 Communist Chinese troops poised to invade San Diego and the U.S. military being turned over to a Russian colonel.

  • Some letters allege that almost every well-known American leader is a Communist agent, and military exercises are actually UN operations to take over the country.

• Basic Elements of the Paranoid Style:

  • The central image is that of a vast and sinister conspiracy undermining a way of life.

  • While conspiracies exist in history, the paranoid style uniquely views a "vast" or "gigantic" conspiracy as the primary force in historical events.

  • History is seen as a conspiracy driven by demonic forces, necessitating an all-out crusade rather than political give-and-take.

  • The paranoid spokesman views the conspiracy in apocalyptic terms, dealing with the birth and death of worlds and political orders.

  • There is a constant sense of urgency, with time always running out to organize resistance.

• Apocalypticism and Adventism:

  • The paranoid style's apocalypticism flirts with pessimism but usually stops short, using warnings to arouse passion and militancy.

  • These warnings, similar to revivalist sermons, portray impending dangers that can still be avoided.

  • Robert Welch in 1951 predicted Stalin would attack in October 1952.

  • Fred C. Schwarz of the Christian Anti-Communism Crusade suggested 1973 as the year Communists would control the world if not stopped.

  • They often refer to a "Communist timetable" with intimate knowledge of focal dates.

  • They bear resemblance to William Miller, who predicted Christ's return in the 1830s and 1840s, leading an adventist sect.

• Militant Leadership and Uncompromising Goals:

  • The paranoid is portrayed as a militant leader, perceiving the conspiracy before others, unwilling to compromise with absolute evil.

  • The focus is on fighting to a finish, demanding complete victory and total elimination of the enemy.

  • This leads to unrealistic, unattainable goals, constantly heightening frustration.

  • Even partial success leaves the paranoid feeling powerless.

• Delineation of the Enemy:

  • The enemy is clearly defined as a perfect model of malice: amoral, superhuman, sinister, ubiquitous, powerful, cruel, sensual, and luxury-loving.

  • Unlike others, the enemy is not seen as a victim of history but as a free, demonic agent who manufactures crises and profits from misery.

  • Events are interpreted as consequences of someone's will, not as part of history's stream.

  • The enemy is often believed to possess special powers like controlling the press, influencing minds, having unlimited funds, and using techniques like brainwashing or seduction.

• Imitation of the Enemy:

  • The enemy can be a projection of the self, with both ideal and unacceptable aspects attributed to him.

  • A fundamental paradox is the imitation of the enemy, such as matching the cosmopolitan intellectual in scholarship.

  • Examples include McCarthy's documented tracts, Welch's evidence, Robison's study of documents, and anti-Masons' discussions of Masonic ritual.

  • Secret organizations combatting secret organizations give the same flattery.

  • The Ku Klux Klan imitated Catholicism, and the John Birch Society mimics Communist cells.

• David Brion Davis on Nativist Movements:

  • Davis commented on how nineteenth-century nativists inadvertently fashioned themselves after their enemies.

  • As nativists sought unity in a noble cause, they professed democracy and equal rights but assumed characteristics of their imagined enemy.

  • They condemned the subversive's fanatical allegiance to ideology while affirming their own uncritically.

  • They attacked intolerance of dissent while working to eliminate it, and criticized licentiousness while engaging in sensual fantasies.

• Cold War Strategy:

  • Stephen Shadegg, known for his success in Senator Goldwater's campaigns, writes:
    Mao \,Tse-tung … \, has \,written \,a \,valuable \,book \,on \,the \,tactics \,of \,infiltration. \,In \,it \,he \,says: 'Give \,me \,a \,handful \,of \,truth, \,and \,I \,will \,shake \, the \, world.' In \,the \,Goldwater \,campaigns \,of \,1952 \,and \,1958 \,and \,in \,all \,other \,campaigns \,where \,I \,have \,served \,as \,a \,consultant \,I \,have \,followed \,the \,advice \,of \,Mao \,Tse-tung.

  • Goldwater himself declares: "I suggest that we analyze and copy the strategy of the enemy; their has worked and ours has not."

According to Hofstadter, the defining characteristics of the "paranoid style of politics" include:

1. Belief in vast conspiracies: A central image of a vast and sinister conspiracy undermining a way of life.

2. Apocalypticism: Viewing the conspiracy in apocalyptic terms, dealing with the birth and death of worlds and political orders.

3. Urgency: A constant sense of urgency, with time always running out to organize resistance.

4. Militant leadership: The paranoid figure is portrayed as a militant leader, unwilling to compromise with absolute evil and focused on fighting to a finish.

5. Clearly defined enemy: The enemy is delineated as a perfect model of malice, possessing superhuman and sinister qualities.

6. Imitation of the enemy: A paradoxical imitation of the enemy, mirroring their tactics and organizational structures.