Anti-communism replaced anti-Semitism as America’s acceptable prejudice outlet.

Evidence

During the last several years all the propaganda machinery of the country has been devoted to promoting anticommunist feeling in the sense of an irrational scare' and there are probably not many people, except followers of the party line’, who have been able to resist the incessant ideological pressure. At the same time, during the past two or three years it may have become more `conventional’ to be overtly opposed to anti-Semitism, if the large number of magazine articles, books, and films with wide circulation can be regarded as symptomatic of a trend. The underlying character structure has little bearing on such fluctuations. If they could be ascertained, they would demonstrate the extreme importance of propaganda in political matters. Propaganda, when directed to the antidemocratic potential in the people, determines to a large extent the choice of the social objects of psychological aggressiveness. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1812

Categorization

• SEED: Angle: the mechanics of prejudice ‘substitution’ — how societies demote one scapegoat while installing another, from 1950s anti-communism to present parallels.
• XREF: connects to: Anti-communism replaced anti-Semitism as the object of displaced aggression. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1812; Denouncing right-wing extremism can license the expression of commonplace prejudice. — Cristian Tileagă, The Nature of Prejudice: Society,…, 225; Anti-Zionism serves as a respectable cover for anti-Semitism where direct prejudice is discredited (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Anti-communism replaced anti-Semitism as the object of displaced aggression. #corroborates (1.00) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 1812
• Anti-Zionism serves as a respectable cover for anti-Semitism where direct prejudice is discredited #exemplifies (0.88)
• Anti-Zionism can serve as respectable cover for shameful prejudice. #exemplifies (0.88)
• Denouncing right-wing extremism can license the expression of commonplace prejudice. #expands (0.82) — Cristian Tileagă, The Nature of Prejudice, 225