McCarthyism. It's a word that conjures up fearmongering, ruined careers and lives, and the suppression of free speech. It suggests lies, tied to ambition, and a ruthless, scorched earth partisanship. There are a lot of political charges flying around these days -- fascism, communism, socialism, elitism, even Nazism -- but few are willing to use the word "McCarthyism." For some reason, Democrats shy away from calling a spade a spade; running in terror from the words "liar" or "criminal" when applied to the Bush administration, for example. We mustn't say impolite things about people who have no hesitation to be impolite toward us. That would be unseemly.
Not even Joe McCarthy himself faced people so unwilling to fight -- at least, not for the same reason, anyway. Where McCarthy's critics faced national censure, along with the destruction of their careers and reputations, today's victims of McCarthyism are motivated to timidity simply from the fear of seeming rude. One doesn't bring attention to the frothing lunatic shrieking about commies taking over and peeing in the punchbowl, one simply makes a mental note not to drink any of the punch. Wouldn't want ruin the party for everyone.
But not everyone is willing to look the other way. In a new report -- "Rise of the New McCarthyism: How Right Wing Extremists Try to Paralyze Government Through Ideological Smears and Baseless Attacks" -- People For the American Way (PFAW) drops the "M-bomb" on the right... [CLICK TO READ FULL POST]
Not even Joe McCarthy himself faced people so unwilling to fight -- at least, not for the same reason, anyway. Where McCarthy's critics faced national censure, along with the destruction of their careers and reputations, today's victims of McCarthyism are motivated to timidity simply from the fear of seeming rude. One doesn't bring attention to the frothing lunatic shrieking about commies taking over and peeing in the punchbowl, one simply makes a mental note not to drink any of the punch. Wouldn't want ruin the party for everyone.
But not everyone is willing to look the other way. In a new report -- "Rise of the New McCarthyism: How Right Wing Extremists Try to Paralyze Government Through Ideological Smears and Baseless Attacks" -- People For the American Way (PFAW) drops the "M-bomb" on the right... [CLICK TO READ FULL POST]
