How the U.S. Govt Spread Anti-Communist Propoganda in 1950's

In 1955, when the U.S. government was running amok with the fear of the supposed 'second Red scare,' an era defined by fear-mongering among U.S. agencies like the FBI, CIA and others against communists, the U.S. First Army Headquarters prepared a manual, named, "How to Spot a Communist."

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In 1955, the pamphlet warned its audiences to look for specific keywords such as "McCarthyism," "violation of civil rights," "racial or religious discrimination" or "peace" to spot a communist, urging the citizens to use literary criticism to identify "communist language." 

"While a preference for long sentences is common to most Communist writing, a distinct vocabulary provides the more easily recognized feature of the "Communist Language." 

The publication noted, "Even a superficial reading of an article written by a Communist or a conversation with one will probably reveal the use of some of the following expressions: integrative thinking, vanguard, comrade, hootenanny, chauvinism, book-burning, syncretistic faith, bourgeois-nationalism, jingoism, colonialism, hooliganism, ruling class, progressive, demagogy, dialectical, witch-hunt, reactionary, exploitation, oppressive, materialist."

"This list, selected at random, could be extended almost indefinitely. While all of the above expressions are part of the English language, their use by Communists is infinitely more frequent than by the general public..." When the U.S. government was running amok with the fear of the supposed 'second Red scare,' an era defined by the fear-mongering  among the U.S. agencies like the FBI, CIA and others against communists, the U.S. First Army Headquarters prepared a manual, named, "How to Spot a Communist."

The manual was circulated widely to spread fear and was also published in popular U.S. magazines, warning readers, "there is no fool-proof system in spotting a Communist." 

"U.S. Communists come from all walks of life, profess all faiths, and exercise all trades and professions. Also, the Communist Party, USA, has made concerted efforts to go underground for the purpose of infiltration."

"There are, fortunately, indications that may give him away. These indications are often subtle but always present, for the Communist, by reason of his "faith" must act and talk along certain lines," the manual read.