I was wondering during the Red Scare what kinds of actions would lead people to believe (either rightly or wrongly) that you were a communist? Obviously, belonging to the Communist Party or spouting Marx would be a tip off, but I’m wondering if there were other, more subtle things you could do that would cause people to raise an eyebrow. Were there certain styles of dress or speech? Types of music, publications, etc? Hairstyles? Were certain ethnic or religious groups believed to be Communist? Thanks for your answers.
Union organizers were primary suspects. In fact, any organizers of the “lower classes”, who by the nature of their work and beliefs challenged many of the basic precepts of capitalism, were accused of being communists.
“When I gave food to the poor, they called me a saint. When I asked why the poor had no food, they called me a communist.”
The main “evidence” used was guilt by association. If a person was part of a group which had Communist members, then it could be inferred that that person was also a Communist.
Wearing a red tie is a dead giveaway.
Clog dancing.
There was, apparently, a pamphlet called “How to Spot a Communist” which was published and distributed by the US Army in the 1950s. The ACLU eventually pressured the government to withdraw it. (Source: New York Times, 12 June 1955.)
That sounds like an interesting pamphlet. I can only find this excerpt in someone’s sig:
That, and a list of similar titles here (section 12). Still can’t advocate peace and be a “Good American”. 
Actually, that U.S. Army pamphlet isn’t that off the mark. I used to work for a lefty newspaper for several years. During the interminable weekly staff meetings, those of us staffers of the skeptical/apolitical persuasion used to amuse ourselves by keeping silent tabulations of how many lefty buzzwords would get spoken during each meeting. “Fascist” and “progressive” were biggies.
While one might well argue that most Communists like to discuss civil rights, discrimination, immigration laws, and trade unionism, it does not follow that the people who like to discuss these topics are mostly Communists.
According to one character on The West Wing, Communists look exactly like non-Communists.
The Rev. Cotton Mather had a tried and true method for spotting Commies.
The one that sits in front of me keeps uttering things like “roll the government tanks into corporate headquarters and rich people’s neighborhoods and take all of their money”. Not only is he a commie, he is militant!
Uh, guess what? The vast majority of people hauled before the HUAC actually had been members of the Communist Party, or were well known fellow travellers. Of course it was not, is not, nor should it be a crime to be a member of the Communist Party. However, it should certainly be something that decent people would be embarrassed about, like being a former member of the Klan.
Thanks for the responses. I would just caution that I’m not trying to determine whether such accusations were moral, appropriate, or even legal. I’m just trying to determine what type of actions would have provoked such an accusation (rightly or wrongly).
The “How to Spot a Communist” pahmphlet sounds interesting. If anyone has any idea where I might be able to see a full copy, please advise (like would it be at the library, or maybe some national archive)?
mcbiggins are you referring to the puritan theologian Cotton Mather who campaigned against using spectral evidence in the Salem witchcraft trials? Or is this a reference to someone else? Thanks.
If he/she didn’t cry when ole yeller died!!
There were commies in Scream 2?
ooops…i thought it was JERRY mathers. my bad.
and a pinky ring.
Well, I can see I’m not going to get anymore serious answers. 