IOTBS Context essay page 2.

The following day, after losing the body on Jacks pool table. Miles wakes up and is content with the explanation given to him by the authorities. However, his behaviour is now being observed and he's now viewed with suspicion. When McCarthyism took effect, people were discouraged from questioning the status quo and the new changes in their society. People began to view authority figures with suspicion as they began to adopt McCarthy's ideology. Paranoia began to grow as people felt that their beliefs and thoughts were being undermined. Much like Miles with the Pods, anyone who didn't agree completely with McCarthy and his followers was identified as potentially problematic and therefore, a threat.

Whilst at Jack's house miles finds more pods, and begins to understand that there is a conspiracy taking place. He attempts to reach out to authority figures (The police and FBI), but they will not give Miles any assistance. Realising this, Miles instructs his friends to escape while he waits. His reasoning for this is "If there is no-one to hear the answer, they will know we have gone. Paranoia is beginning to grow in Miles here. Miles has now been put in the position of a "threat" or "other". He is now the minority because he is going against the status quo, which makes him a threat to it. 

As McCarthy's ideologies became more ingrained in society and his influence grew he became a formidable foe for all those that oppose him. If McCarthy was to attack or accuse someone of being communist, their lives would be over, and for some that could be taken literally, as a direct result of McCarthy and his accusations was that many committed suicide after being "blacklisted" by McCarthy.

By this time (mid 50's) McCarthyism and his ideologies had become the status quo, they were now the majority in American society. Therefore those who opposed the new status quo were seen as the minority and ultimately as threats. People would fear this, and so would adopt the status quo, essentially becoming pod people.

As Miles is attempting to leave time, he encounters many people whom he suspects of being pod people. All of his suspicions are correct. As Miles becomes increasingly aware of the situation and more equipped to tackle it, the number of pod people increases, further isolating him and positioning him as an other/threat.

When at the gas station Miles says "I saw Mack checking the trunk of my car, he could of been checking my spare tire, but... I didn't think so".

From this point in the film, everyone Miles encounters seems to be acting suspicious. People who Miles once trusted are now pods and have conformed to the status quo. The scene in Sally's house were the pod is being placed in the babies room shows how an ideology can be passed down from generation to generation. The comment made here, is that the only way to stand up to McCarthy and his ideologies is to do something immediately, before its too late.

As McCarthy's ideologies became dominant, paranoia sky rocketed. As this invasion was ideological rather than physical, people could not be sure who was a threat and who wasn't, this also applied to their closest friends and family members. As the paranoia grew people began exposing their own families and friends as "communist sympathisers" out of fear and hatred for "the other".