Paranoid politics : a comparison of the use of fear during the Cold War and the Global War on Terror using the paranoid style of American politics.

Abstract

Two of the most frightening time periods in modern America have occurred in close proximity to each other. The Cold War pitted the United States against a fierce ideological competitor that pointed its weapons of mass destruction at the United States and its allies. Shortly after its demise, the new great threat to peace emerged in the form of terrorism. These two enemies spur and foster a certain type of politics and rhetorical approach that shapes not only international relations but also domestic policies. Comparing these two periods alone does not offer the best analysis and approach to understanding certain changes in policies. In order to do this, Richard Hofstadter's article explaining the Paranoid Style in American politics will be examined first, after which a comparison between the Cold War and the Global War on Terror can be made by looking at the rhetoric and the policies, and how these are examples of the Paranoid Style.