Posted on 05/15/2015 10:28:49 AM PDT by OK Sun
A recent column I wrote on communism in Hollywood in the 1940s elicited strong reaction toward the person of Joe McCarthy. This was somewhat perplexing, given that McCarthy was not the front-and-center figure investigating Hollywood communism. Yet, it wasn’t surprising, given that any mention of the Stalinist sympathies of American communists prompts liberals into reflexive accusations of McCarthyism.
For the record, the investigation of communism in Hollywood was led by the House Committee on Un-American Activities, which (for most of its existence) was chaired by anti-communist Democrats. The first and last heads of HCUAA (commonly but incorrectly abbreviated as “HUAC”) were Democrats: Martin Dies (Texas) and Richard Ichord (Missouri). There is much history there, but I’d like to focus here on Joe McCarthy.
“McCarthy ruined many careers and many lives,” one reader emailed me. “His name is a disgrace to America. He was a despicable human being.”
To be sure, there is no way I can here adequately resolve McCarthy’s vilification or vindication. I have colleagues I respect on both sides of that debate. My general judgment is that Joe McCarthy certainly had his failings, clearly was not always right, but also—we’ve learned—was more often right than his detractors imagined, feared, or would grudgingly concede.
Before briefly considering both sides, one thing must be understood by everyone, especially liberals: Joe McCarthy and the Senate and House of Representatives were fully justified in investigating domestic communism. (Senator McCarthy was never a member of “HUAC.”) Communist Party USA members literally swore a loyalty oath to Stalin’s Soviet Union, pledging to work to “insure the triumph of Soviet Power in the United States.” One of the Hollywood Ten, Edward Dymytryk, the only one who openly regretted joining the Party, was appalled ...
(Excerpt) Read more at visionandvalues.org ...
Answer : yes.
my answer quoted directly from the article:
” more often right than his detractors imagined, feared, or would grudgingly concede.”
McCarthy was right - therefore he had to be destroyed.
But he shot from the hip so poorly in most of his specific accusations that it's hard to see him as a net contributor to defeating Communism.
Joe McCarthy is my hero...
Hero in my book.
Been saying for years, Joe McCarthy was right!!!!
All good men have flaws, McCarthy was no different, but he was right on what mattered the most.
” they had a bunch if blacklisted people on the radio about 25 yrs ago talking about how “horrible” it was....but then they admitted that yes, indeed, they were communists and wanted all the bad things to happen that McCarthy imagined....
Joe McCarthy is my hero... “
Same here....flaws and all!
Where?
They don’t even try to hide it anymore. It’s basically, “I’m a Communist because f*** you, that’s why...”
Ol’ Joe was more than 90% right and has been proved to have been right but the leftists will never admit it.
I think the history coming out of most all the nuclear secret spies being jewish with communist sympathies pretty much exonerated him. Hollywood was run by the same as far as I know at that time. History has proven him correct and that seems to inflame liberals.
The Die Hard Communists are still overjoyed that he had flaws..which they could and still do highlight.... to discredit him in the “public eye”.
A PROPHET! THAT’S WHY HE HAD TO BE KILLED!!
Great hero of course.
If anyone has any doubts, may I suggest reading Blacklisted by History by the late M. Stanton Evans.
Just like the “Hollywood Ten” who were indeed Communists.
At least these highly paid pricks suffered the consequences.
When studying Sen. McCarthy & his investigations, one should also study Whittaker Chambers, who had previously testified before Congress and got the traitor Alger Hiss sent to the pokey.
McCarthy had always been anti-communist. Chambers was an ex-communist who came in from the cold and fingered Hiss for a liar. Read Chamber’s autobiography “Witness”; it is not dated & still powerful since Chambers assumed that he had gone over to the losing side in the Cold War.
Joe McCarthy remains the liberals’ boogeyman to this day.
The major difference is, of course, that McCarthy had the advantage of being correct in his goals.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.