That's because America stood against Communism then. There was reason to scoff.
But red dupes in the media said that the threat from members of Communist Party USA meant us no harm, were not in league with agents of the KGB, that the whole arms race and opposition to Communist imperialism was blind hysteria to an ideology that only want to see all peoples equal.
The House Committee On Un-American Activities (which began investigations in the 1930s) ended in the 1960s (and was improperly tied to "McCarthyism" which is a label that was applied to "witchhunts" that had already been characterized as such by Commie playwrights BEFORE McCarthy entered the picture).
America let her guard down. Pushed God and morals out of the schools and let seditious Commie professors take over academia, "progressive" Red sympathizers take over journalism, and true believer Socialists take over the Democrat party.
There is treachery afoot.
There is treachery afoot.
Treachery afoot, indeed.