Return to McCarthyism: This Time It's Found a Home on the Left
RE: Anticommunism and McCarthyism
(#11378)
by Derek Catsam on April 24, 2003 at 2:20 PM
by Derek Catsam on April 24, 2003 at 2:20 PM
Steve --
I think it's disingenuous to say that anticommunism and McCarthyism are entirely different things, that the lines are/were not permeable or fungible. McCarthyism was a virulent form of anticommunism, a dangerous and un-American campaign of character assassination and smearing that violated most of the liberties America was supposed to be able to trump as representing our superiority over those communists. It was destroying the village in order to save it.
I find it even more incredulous to assert that McCarthyism was in no way conservative. "An American conservative seeks to preserve the founding values" is history by sloganeering, which is great at a pep rally, but not so good analytically. There are unseemly episodes in the history of conservatism that do not exactly preserve the values of the founders (values, by the way, that included preventing women from voting and maintaining chatttel slavery, but no matter) just as there are unseemly episodes in the history of liberalism that are not at first blush so liberal. It might be nice and self-congratulatory for the right to define away things like McCarthyism, but I am not certain that it reflects reality. It definitely does not do a lot of justice to the complexities of history.
I think it's disingenuous to say that anticommunism and McCarthyism are entirely different things, that the lines are/were not permeable or fungible. McCarthyism was a virulent form of anticommunism, a dangerous and un-American campaign of character assassination and smearing that violated most of the liberties America was supposed to be able to trump as representing our superiority over those communists. It was destroying the village in order to save it.
I find it even more incredulous to assert that McCarthyism was in no way conservative. "An American conservative seeks to preserve the founding values" is history by sloganeering, which is great at a pep rally, but not so good analytically. There are unseemly episodes in the history of conservatism that do not exactly preserve the values of the founders (values, by the way, that included preventing women from voting and maintaining chatttel slavery, but no matter) just as there are unseemly episodes in the history of liberalism that are not at first blush so liberal. It might be nice and self-congratulatory for the right to define away things like McCarthyism, but I am not certain that it reflects reality. It definitely does not do a lot of justice to the complexities of history.
RE: Anticommunism and McCarthyism
(#11397)
by Stephen Tootle on April 24, 2003 at 5:52 PM
by Stephen Tootle on April 24, 2003 at 5:52 PM
I should have said conservatism "should," but we are talking about ideals. I am going to stick with my assertion that McCarthyism is not in keeping with the values of conservatism. Sometimes Liberals aren't so liberal. Sometimes Conservatives aren't so conservative. That doesn't taint the ideal. "An American conservative seeks to preserve the founding values" is not pep rally sloganeering. I am describing the one of the most commonly-stated ideals of conservatism.
The more important point regarding the relationship between McCarthyism and Anticommunism is that not all anticommunists were McCarthyites. Think of the difference between Nixon and McCarthy. Eisenhower drew a sharp distinction between those two. Perhaps we should too.
The more important point regarding the relationship between McCarthyism and Anticommunism is that not all anticommunists were McCarthyites. Think of the difference between Nixon and McCarthy. Eisenhower drew a sharp distinction between those two. Perhaps we should too.
RE: Anticommunism and McCarthyism
(#18758)
by Herman A. Schultz on September 20, 2003 at 8:28 PM
by Herman A. Schultz on September 20, 2003 at 8:28 PM
McCarthy was not that bad an individual. He was demonized by the liberals. In my mind, he was a hero by staying focused on the question of whether there were communists in the government.
If you read about the Venona Papers, you will realize that there were many communists, paid by the Soviet Union, working in the Federal Government. Their influence on foreign policy no doubt caused the deaths of many millions of people.
Finally, go to the congressional records and transcripts with McCarthy. These are the truth. Don't believe what others write about the hearings... view the source documents yourself. You will find that McCarthy did not want to 'name names' since he did not want to be judge and jury. He was continuously requested and badgered to 'name names' by the other senators.
I am glad that Joe McCarthy came when he did. He is an American hero. In spite of enormous backlash, he stayed focused on "are there communists in the federal government?". The media and other senators were the ones who practiced character assination.
You will find that JFK even defended Joe. I think it was RFK that actually sought work on his committee. Joe actually started as a democrat but switched to the republican party when he realized what the democrats were really like.
If you read about the Venona Papers, you will realize that there were many communists, paid by the Soviet Union, working in the Federal Government. Their influence on foreign policy no doubt caused the deaths of many millions of people.
Finally, go to the congressional records and transcripts with McCarthy. These are the truth. Don't believe what others write about the hearings... view the source documents yourself. You will find that McCarthy did not want to 'name names' since he did not want to be judge and jury. He was continuously requested and badgered to 'name names' by the other senators.
I am glad that Joe McCarthy came when he did. He is an American hero. In spite of enormous backlash, he stayed focused on "are there communists in the federal government?". The media and other senators were the ones who practiced character assination.
You will find that JFK even defended Joe. I think it was RFK that actually sought work on his committee. Joe actually started as a democrat but switched to the republican party when he realized what the democrats were really like.
Return to McCarthyism: This Time It's Found a Home on the Left
by Stephen Tootle on April 24, 2003 at 1:31 PM