That covers a lot of territory. And an excellent reminder of how much we value FREEDOM.
p.s.: time for a replacement of one 'ism' for the lefties:
"Then there's the matter of the source of many of Joe's accusations – accusations being proved by release of the so-called Venona intercepts of Soviet cable traffic whose code was broken back in the mid-forties and remained top secret until recently.
These intercepted cables proved that there were over 350 Americans spying for the Soviets, and enabled investigators to identify about half of them. Joe McCarthy had access to the information contained in the top secret Venona intercepts – access given him by J. Edgar Hoover and others concerned with the extent of Soviet espionage and penetration.
But he could not defend himself against charges of recklessly accusing people of being Soviet agents by revealing the source of his information without alerting the Soviets that some of their most important secrets were known to U.S. intelligence.
One of the more revealing admissions recently made by the left was Carl Bernstein's quote from his father, who, with Carl's mother, was a top Communist Party member. Here's what Bernstein recalls his father warning him when his 1989 book, "Loyalties: A Son's Memoir," was published:
"You're going to prove [Sen. Joseph] McCarthy was right, because all he was saying is that the system was loaded with Communists. And he was right. ...
I'm worried about the kind of book you're going to write and about cleaning up McCarthy. The problem is that everybody said he was a liar; you're saying he
was right. ... I agree that the Party was a force in the country."
Hi Susannah... welcome! (Your entry date to FR. is of significance to me...)
John... Susannah is right about Joe McCarthy.
He was right on so many issues, but might have gone about things a little more delicately. He was pillored by the left of this Country, and his reputation has never recovered.
I grew up in a very conservative family. My father, a WW2 Veteran - who flew B-29's out of Guam, understood the value of freedom, and conservative thought. I used to watch his liberal friends become angry with him during discussions of politics. He on the other hand would not get angry, and would continue to argue with reasoned, logical answers. He would get slapped down, but he'd come up smiling after each bout.
He once told us that although conservatives are accused of being closed minded, they are the most open minded people there are. This addage has stuck with me my entire life, and it continues to hold true!