Question

Use the excerpt from Joseph McCarthy’s famous “Enemies from Within” speech delivered in West Virginia on February 20, 1950, to answer the question.

Select the two highlighted examples that best identify the basis for McCarthy’s fear of the spread of communism in the world and in the United States.

(Six years ago, at the time of the first conference to map out peace) - Dumbarton Oaks - there was within the Soviet orbit 180 million people. (Line up on the anti-totalitarian side there were in the world at that time roughly 1.625 billion people). Today, only six years later, there are 800 million people under the absolute domination of Soviet Russia - an increase of over 400 percent. On our side, the figure has shrunk to around 500 million. In other words, (in less than six years the odds have changed from 9 to 1 in our favor to 9 to 5 against us.) This indicates the swiftness of the tempo of communist victories and American defeats in the Cold War. As one of our outstanding historical figures once said, "When a great democracy is destroyed, it will not be because of enemies from without but rather because of enemies from within." (The truth of this statement is becoming terrifyingly clear as we see this country each day losing on every front.)

Answer 1

- The statistics showing the global shift in power — Soviet orbit rising from 180 million to 800 million people, the anti‑totalitarian side falling to about 500 million, and the odds changing “from 9 to 1 in our favor to 9 to 5 against us.” (This supplies the numerical evidence of rapid communist expansion worldwide.)

- The warning that “When a great democracy is destroyed, it will not be because of enemies from without but rather because of enemies from within,” followed by “this country each day losing on every front.” (This identifies McCarthy’s fear of internal subversion and communist influence inside the United States.)