Construction of Fear Culture in the United States from Red Scares to Terrorism

Abstract

Building on the work of social analysts who have identified the emerging culture of fear in the United States, this chapter argues that the current fears about terrorism derive from deliberate campaigns by the world capitalism’s elites. It traces the history of political scares since the late nineteenth century to show an evolution from Red Scares to terrorism. While acknowledging the complexities of cultural constructions, the obsession with terrorism is shown as an outgrowth and offspring of earlier, anti-communist hysterias in the United States.