My point, which you missed entirely, was that both were the result of irrational, extreme and emotion fueled fervor to persecute and “get” people for completely fabricated reasons.
Yes, one lacked the degree of violence we are seeing today but all extremists campaigns are driven by a form of hysteria. They all have that in common.
Re: “Both were the result of irrational, extreme and emotion fueled fervor to persecute and “get” people for completely fabricated reasons.”
I strongly disagree.
The McCarthy era grew out of the insane concessions that FDR and Truman made to Stalin, plus the USA and British espionage that delivered our atomic bomb secrets to Mother Russia.
The USA State Department was a buzzing hive of Communist sympathizers, and Hollywood was deeply radicalized.
And, the popular history of that era was written by Hard Left historians and journalists.
“My point, which you missed entirely, ...”
Actually, I did not miss your point, I just disagree with it.
Adam Schiff, Nadler, Brennan, Clapper, Peter Strzok, Pelosi & the Squad exhibit the “irrational, extreme and emotion fueled fervor to persecute and “get” people for completely fabricated reasons” for which you accuse McCarthy et al.
However, the current Antifa/BLM/Democrat Mayors & Governors cabal of rioters, looters, vandals and arsonists are the USA version of the French revolution. Can Madam Guillotine be far behind?
I find it hard to believe that you can believe that Hollywood, the MSM & Academe are not cesspools of Communist sympathizers at best and Communist agitators & plotters at worst. Then there are the legions of “Socialist” (Communist -Light) fellow travelers that populate university campuses and the DNC.
As to infiltration of the Federal government in the 1940’s & 50’s, perhaps this article might give you something to consider.