'American Society Disintegrating'

Footage of Alger Hiss being interviewed in 1970 intercut with older footage from the 1950s when he was accused of being a Communist spy. Hiss denied being either a spy or a Communist.

His first trial resulted in a hung jury and the government tried him a second time and got a guity verdict.  Although he had been sentenced to five years' imprisonment, Hiss served only three years and eight months in Lewisburg Federal Prison. He was released from prison on November 27, 1954.

While in prison, Hiss acted as a voluntary attorney, adviser, and tutor for many of his fellow inmates.

Hiss recalls from the early 1950s that "Anti-Communism was the Anti-Semitism of America" during the McCarthy witch hunts in Congress.

One could say that today we have recycled red-baiting in Washington as the deep state again uses fear of the 'Russian bear' as political distraction to keep the people's eyes off the real problem of endless war and severe austerity budgets as the public is now being brought onto the reservation.

The only real difference appears to be that during the 1950s the Republicans led the red-baiting campaign and now it is largely the 'liberal' Democrats demonizing Russia. Otherwise the script appears to be much the same.

The script was likely written on Madison Avenue by the expensive public relations firms.

Bruce