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 ...
Me too. I still remember seeing the hearings on TV as a child. HUAC was right too and should be reconvened.
As I got older I started to wonder if McCarthy actually did uncover communists. Well, yes he did. There were commies and fellow travelers well insulated in gov. and the Dem Party. If communism was evil as many people said it was, why was it so bad for McCarthy to try and uncover commies?
The truth was it wasn't. McCarthy was a little wild in some of his accusations, but the chief reason he was so reviled was because many members of the media were, like today, extreme leftists who looked fondly on communism and the Soviet Union. McCarthy was never going to get a fair shake from them. The media tried to minimize the threat from communism and turn the scummy Hollywood Ten into heroes.
They've made a number of pro-Hollywood Ten type movies over the years. And sure enough, they're making a new movie about one of the head Hollywood commies, Dalton Trumbo starring Brian Cranston of "Breaking Bad" fame. I loved "Breaking Bad." But there's no way I'm going to pay money to watch a movie making a hero out of Trumbo.
Joe got it right and the left feared him for it. We could use him now, that’s for sure.
A great American Hero.
Joe McCarthy was exactly right. In fact, he wasn't vicious enough.
And this is exactly right. They go after people they regard as dangerous. Note how they treated Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich?
You know when they are screaming about someone, that is the exact person who is a threat to them.
My take. McCarthy was a flawed man. And a patriot.
The term McCarthyism was first coined by the Communist “Daily Worker” to smear Sen. McCarthy. Ayn Rand said that naming an ideology after a person is a statist technique. Ayn Rand did not name her philosophy randism, afterall, she named it Objectivism.
He was pretty spot on.
He was right about everything.
Look at the communist anti-American vermin that infects the nation.
I read Allan Ryskind’s book, but I haven’t read M. Stan Evans book, even though I have it. I’ll read it and get back to you all.
Look up Venona . We broke the unbreakable soviet diplomatic code, it was declassified 10-15 years ago .Proof he was right
Congress, of course, is constitutionally tasked with investigating domestic security threats.
Where?
Geez, Sherman, come on...
Article III Section 3
“The Congress shall have power to declare the punishment of treason...”
Determining the punishment for a crime is not exactly the same as being “constitutionally tasked with investigating domestic security threats.”
You’re splitting hairs, Sherman. Did you get a microscope and scalpel for Christmas?
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