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China "fell" to communism in 1949, when Mao Zedong ("Chairman Mao") took over the country by force as part of a communist revolution there.  Many began to think that it was inevitable that communism would spread throughout the world and conquer all nations.

China "fell" to communism in 1949, when Mao Zedong ("Chairman Mao") took over the country by force as part of a communist revolution there.  Many began to think that it was inevitable that communism would spread throughout the world and conquer all nations.

[[File:Cold War map.png|300px|right|thumb|The Cold War: NATO in blue (including the U.S.) versus the Warsaw Pact in red (including the Soviet Union), 1949-1990]]

[[File:Cold War map.png|300px|right|thumb|The Cold War: NATO in blue (including the U.S.) versus the Warsaw Pact in red (including the Soviet Union), 1949-1990]]

The United States sought to protect western Europe against inroads by communism by enacting The Marshall Plan of 1947, which provided financial assistance to European economies struggling in the wake of World War II.  A primary motive of this assistance was to strengthen the countries to the point when they could resist communist revolutions.  Historians say the Marshall Plan was effective, and European economies grew rapidly after the war, as did the economy in the United States.

The United States sought to protect western Europe against inroads by communism by enacting the Marshall Plan of 1947, which provided financial assistance to European economies struggling in the wake of World War II.  A primary motive of this assistance was to strengthen the countries to the point when they could resist communist revolutions.  Historians say the Marshall Plan was effective, and European economies grew rapidly after the war, as did the economy in the United States.

The United States also sought to protect Latin America from communism by founding The Organization of American States in 1948.  It was an organization of Latin American nations.  The United States thereby sought to stop communist expansion in the western hemisphere, and to promote democracy, improve communication and encourage cooperation among its members.  The Organization of American States, or OAS, continues to function today.  Cuba was a founding member but its participation in OAS was suspended on January 31, 1962, due to its communist government and the threat it posed to regional stability, and it was not restored as a member of OAS until June 3, 2009, when Barack Obama was the president of the United States.

The United States also sought to protect Latin America from communism by founding the Organization of American States in 1948.  It was an organization of Latin American nations.  The United States thereby sought to stop communist expansion in the western hemisphere, and to promote democracy, improve communication and encourage cooperation among its members.  The Organization of American States, or OAS, continues to function today.  Cuba was a founding member but its participation in OAS was suspended on January 31, 1962, due to its communist government and the threat it posed to regional stability, and it was not restored as a member of OAS until June 3, 2009, when Barack Obama was the president of the United States.

Alarmed by the growing ''internal'' threat of communism in the United States, in 1950 Congress passed The McCarran Internal Security Act.  It required every communist organization to register with the Attorney General, and members of such an organization were not allowed to work in any national defense-related job.  This strong law even authorized the use of internment camps for communists if that became necessary.  

Alarmed by the growing ''internal'' threat of communism in the United States, in 1950 Congress passed The McCarran Internal Security Act.  It required every communist organization to register with the Attorney General, and members of such an organization were not allowed to work in any national defense-related job.  This strong law even authorized the use of internment camps for communists if that became necessary.  

Beginning in 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy took the lead in opposing communist infiltration in the United States government.  Contrary to misunderstandings today, McCarthy complained about and opposed only the communists who held high-level government jobs, and he did not take any action against Americans working in private companies.  McCarthy was oppose to communists infiltrating the highest levels of our government, at a time when communism sought a worldwide revolution that would include overthrowing our system of government.

Beginning in 1950, Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy took the lead in opposing communist infiltration in the United States government.  Contrary to misunderstandings today, McCarthy complained about and opposed only the communists who held high-level government jobs, and he did not take any action against Americans working in private companies.  McCarthy was opposed to communists infiltrating the highest levels of our government, at a time when communism sought a worldwide revolution that would include overthrowing our system of government.

McCarthy was highly effective in exposing communists in top government jobs, and liberals vilify his name to this day because they are angry at what he accomplished.  Ultimately McCarthy's opponents were able to foment public pressure against him, and other senators "censured" him near the end of his career after McCarthy was embarrassed during hearings in 1954 concerning communists in the Army.  '''The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's attempts to expose communists, became synonymous with the overzealous use of innuendo, rumor and guilt-by-association to destroy someone's reputation.'''  His defenders would point out that McCarthy and Congress had a duty to uphold the Constitution and guard against infiltration of government positions by anyone committed to overthrowing our constitutional system, as communists were.

McCarthy was highly effective in exposing communists in top government jobs, and liberals vilify his name to this day because they are angry at what he accomplished.  Ultimately McCarthy's opponents were able to foment public pressure against him, and other senators "censured" him near the end of his career after McCarthy was embarrassed during hearings in 1954 concerning communists in the Army.  '''The term "McCarthyism," coined in 1950 in reference to McCarthy's attempts to expose communists, became synonymous with the overzealous use of innuendo, rumor and guilt-by-association to destroy someone's reputation.'''  His defenders would point out that McCarthy and Congress had a duty to uphold the Constitution and guard against infiltration of government positions by anyone committed to overthrowing our constitutional system, as communists were.