The Red Scare, Cultural Hegemony

What makes this theory interesting for us is the fact that this theory defines ''the intellectuals'' as one of the most interesting means employed for the so-called cultural hegemony. The powers establishing hegemony over the society use an important part of the people known as intellectuals to impose their world-view. Each of these “enlightened people” happen to become supporters who defend the world-view legitimizing the hegemony order. At this point, the cultural hegemony theory draws attention particularly to the academicians,

It is obvious that the Red Scare was a product of World War I and the anti-liberalism that ensued on the homefront. The truth is that Mr. Palmer did not really cause the Red scare, he only participated in it. What is known as the Red Scare of 1919-1921 set

such action taken by the government prevented Wobblies who were not yet citizens from naturalization, even if they quit their organization. In 1917, the US government made a law which gave the Secretary of Labor the power to arrest or deport any alien "advocating or teaching" destruction of property or the "overthrow of government by force." Words such as "advocating" and the vague language used in the law allowed the government to use deportation as a cure for the anti-government views of its enemies, namely the Wobblies, Communists, and Socialists.

While all this was taking place, an American Communist Party was emerging from the ashes of the former Socialist strongholds which were all along the eastern seaboard of the US. There, Russian immigrants identified with the Bolshevik revolution in Mother Russia because of their similar lives of poverty and squalor. These conditions of despair were in part due to the exclusion of immigrants from unions and their not being permitted to vote. These people held strong anti-government/anti-capitalist views, often advocating the immediate overthrow of capitalism. Indeed, they were asking for trouble. And they would get it.

As a result of this panic traveling through American society, a series of bombings occurred. The Socialists were immediately assumed to be responsible. Newspapers had a field day publicizing these bombings. Attorney General Palmer took advantage of the widespread panic of the public and media and asked Congress for fund appropriations to help avoid further danger. Congress obliged, not only supplying funds, but going one step further. The message was then made clear: foreign radicals were to all be deported.

brought before him concerning the immigrants. Even the Secretary of Labor himself, William B. Wilson turned against Palmer. Out of 6,000 warrants issued during the raids, less than 1,000 deportations resulted. Even with all this opposition to his actions, Palmer still aspired to the office of the Presidency. He was never nominated. By 1920, the Red Scare was dying down, and by 1921 it was virtually dead.

Palmer didn't care what the journalists said. He went on with the raids which he was so famous for. On December 27, around 250 deportees sailed for Russia from New York ion the U.S.S. Buford, promptly labeled as the "Soviet Ark." On Friday, January 2, 1920,

Some topics in this essay:
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