Fear During The Cold War

The world runs on fear. Animals and humans alike operate on a fear-averse framework. For animals, this might manifest in them concealing themselves when a predator comes in their vicinity. For humans, fear might manifest in a person’s decision to not walk outside late at night. Regardless, fear can act in a variety of ways. Despite its negative connotation, fear can be useful in both protecting yourself and guarding those around you. However, this desire to protect what is held dear can very quickly lead to far worse situations, highlighting the very fine line between rational fear and dangerous hysterics. Fear severely inhibits a person’s ability to make logical choices, leading to emotion-driven responses.

Fear, like all other emotions,
War, in particular, persists largely, in part, due to fear. During the Cold War, the United States operated on a fear of communism spreading called the domino theory. In the minds of US leaders at the time, the emergence of communism in China and the Soviet Union would lead to its further spread in surrounding countries, weakening western hegemony and threatening the current world order that conveniently allowed the US to comfortably rule at the top. As such, proxy wars sprout up all across the world as leaders let their fears cloud their judgments. From Korea to Afghanistan to Cuba to Vietnam, the United States directly or indirectly intervened in these countries in order to prevent the expansion of communism, no matter the cost. After years of war and millions of casualties, the goal was partially accomplished: communism had failed to spread in many countries it was trying to take root in. However, in the other ones, communist leaders still prevailed despite western intervention. The cost of these proxy wars far outweighed the benefits, but American leaders still chose to entangle themselves in these conflicts because of their fear. This can also be seen in the Japanese internment camps created by the American government in the 1940s. After the harrowing attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States was forcefully pulled into the Second World War. The attack ignited fear into the hearts and minds of all Americans while simultaneously uniting them against a common enemy. As a result, Roosevelt, in a knee-jerk reaction, issued Executive Order 9066, which facilitated the relocation of Japanese Americans in an effort to eliminate Japanese espionage. Over 100,000 Japanese Americans were placed in these concentration camps, effectively halting their lives and ripping them away from their homes. Many of them had little if any connection to Japan, yet because