Posted on 01/26/2013 2:52:13 PM PST by Olog-hai
Most Europeans are unlikely to be familiar with the facts behind the American term “McCarthyism.” They probably know it describes something very bad in American politics—the “Communist witch hunts” of more than half a century ago. They may also know that simply uttering the term, like casting a spell, stops all debate cold by associating someone with the eponymous Joseph McCarthy. As the story goes, he was himself very bad. After all, he conducted those long ago “Communist witch hunts,” ruining his name in perpetuity. This probably exhausts general knowledge.
But here’s a secret: Most Americans know little more than this same familiar but completely false narrative. In recent years, stunning revelations from archives in Washington and Moscow have confirmed that McCarthy’s investigations—and those conducted by other officials before and after—netted not innocent and imaginary “witches,” but secret cadres of hardened Communist agents determined to bring down the American republic. Surely, this makes Joe McCarthy a great patriot and deserving “the plaudits of a grateful nation.” …
(Excerpt) Read more at d-intl.com ...
Bump worthy
The writing of “The Forgotten 500” doesn’t rise to the level of those two books but it exposes the communist infiltration of our State Department from before WWII to today. Our State Department was responsible for Tito’s rise to power and the execution of Mihilovich, a truly great man.
It is a black mark on us, no doubt.
The McClure Hotel in Wheeling, WV, where McCarthy first gained national fame in 1950 by delivering a speech on Soviet penetration of the State Department, is still there. However, a modern building has replaced the one in which McCarthy spoke.
Hollywood was in fear of him. Back then most of Hollywood leaned towards Socialism/Communism. Too bad he really did not dig them out completely.
McCarthy was chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Operations as well as its Subcommittee on Investigations from 1953 to 1955. They never investigated Hollywood. That was done by HUAC.
“Back then” understates the continuum that continues to this day, of course. There were still a small number that weren’t communists, like today.
After Mccarthy, the word “Communist” became taboo. It was never mentioned again. The communists loved that, cuz it let them go underground, call themselves progressives or democrats, and go on trying to turn the USA into a communist paradise.
Tail gunner Joe. Badge of honor if someone were to call me or compare me to Joe. He was more right than we’ll ever know.
Molon labe.
Yes!!!
Where is our Joe Mcarthy?????? we need to root out these bastards now
You are wrong. Perhaps you missed the part about the proposition being speculation. The speculation arose when Truman raised the question, and subsequent events resulted in more productive investigations of Communists within the government and business were forced to end when McCarthy’s demogoguery provoked even the anti-communists to to revile McCarthy’s methods. So, regardless of whether McCarthy was genuinely serving the anti-communist resistance or a Communist agent provoking an end to all investigations of Communists, including those not involving McCarthy, the end result was the ability of Communists to operate with near impunity due to public sympathy against demogoguery.
In McCarthy’s defense, the Kennedy family was supposedly anti-communist Catholics, which is why they were friends with McCarthy. If so, then it has to be wondered how and why Ted Kennedy did so much to help the communists.
Yes, the Communists left no stone unturned, it would seem, to defame and discredit mcCarthy. It also must be observed how McCarthy did himself and anti-communist resistance no favors with his alcoholism, fraud, stolen valor, and true demogoguery. He was correct in identifying many Communists. Nonetheless, the question must be asked, did McCarthy do more harm than good, and why?
If McCarthy was truly anti-communist, then why was he corrupt, and why did he harm the anti-communist investigations with his demogoguery? Was he just being rude, crude, and self-destructive because he was oblivious to the consequences of his actions?
If McCarthy was a Communist agent attempting to derail the anti-communist investigations in Congress, then why was he outing so many Communists, or were they expendable in the eyes of the Soviets so long as the operation terminated further investigations of Communists?
The Soviets pride themselves as being master chess players adept at plotting their moves far ahead in the game. Was McCarthy a witting or an unwitting pawn in the Soviet game? Assuming McCarthy was indeed attempting to work against the Communists, the possibility that someone can smear and subvert anti-communist investigations and activism by causing it to be in ill repute must not be ignored. Such a tactic is a routine part of the Communist arsenal.
McCarthy wasn’t wrong - he was just early.
You’ve got it completely backwards. I’ve never blindly accepted the media reports, including when they happen to say good or bad things about people such as Joe McCarthy. The facts are that Joe mcCarthy served in the pacific with a Marine Corps air unit in WWII. Unfortunateely he engaged in some stolen valor by falsifying intelligence reports and other documents for the purpose of obtaining decorations he had not earned. In other words, McCarthy engaged in some highly dishonorable lies and deceit at the expense of his fellow combat veterans.
Did McCarthy’s opponents then and today slander and defame McCarthy in largely successful efforts to discredit McCarthy and all anticommunist criticisms? Yes, of course they did so, and they are still doing so today.
Are you going to argue that wee must overlook MCarthy’s despicable lies and dishonor because he attacked the Communists, or do you suppose his legacy is perhaps a good warning that his conduct regardless of true motives was unacceptable and counter-productive to effectively opposing a Communist overthrow of the American constitutional republics?
Go back to DU.
???
Of course he was. ...Why else would the Demcorats demonize him for the past 50 years?
Wasn't Robert Kennedy one of Roy Cohn's lawyers?
That’s a poor excuse for a smear and insult.
Look at how McCarthy obtained his Distinguishedd Flying Cross. Then tell me how that event is different than what John Kerry did.
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