"During the reign of terror that Senator Joseph McCarthy unleashed in the 1950s, when the reputations and lives of many loyal Americans were ruined by false charges of "communism" and "treason," American Jewry was overwhelmingly opposed to the Wisconsin senator and his blackmail by blacklists. According to the Gallup polls of the time, the percentage of U.S. Jews who opposed McCarthy's smear tactics was twice that of the rest of the population. Many Jewish organizations passed resolutions condemning McCarthy's ruthless character assassination.
Today, however, such national Jewish organizations as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith (ADL) and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) are using the same tactics to stifle open debate of U.S. policy in the Middle East." Slabodkin
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An oldie but a goodie. pl
http://www.wrmea.com/backissues/0792/9207007.html
Senator McCarthy's efforts were actually just an offshoot of the more calculating Pat McCarran Senator from Nevada. A recent book by a first time author "Washington Gone Crazy" updates the history of McCarthy and McCarran largely based on FOIA released FBI files. A must read for those who would understand the US side of the Cold War.
Posted by: William R. Cumming | 30 December 2010 at 09:30 AM
Pat,
This has nothing to do with this posting of yours. It's just a Happy New Year wish to you and everyone else who corresponds here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STqDowSbSTQ
Enjoy, and Happy New Year to you all.
Mark
Posted by: Mark Gaughan | 30 December 2010 at 01:51 PM
Mary Rave was a college newspaper reporter who examined misuse of funds by McCarthy. He promptly accused her of being a communist sympathizer and her conservative family believed him. I've heard her tell the tale.
Posted by: Jane | 30 December 2010 at 03:27 PM
Is this what keeps us mired in a costly, fruitless war; fear of being called soft on terror?
How can Obama sleep? He should take weekly trips to Walter Reed.
Posted by: Bart | 30 December 2010 at 05:38 PM
No manly man country likes to think of itself as soft.
Or
As Willie Nelson said: "I have outlived my dick."
Happy new years to all.
Posted by: CK | 30 December 2010 at 06:16 PM
CK
"Speak for yourself," CK. pl
Posted by: Patrick Lang | 30 December 2010 at 08:15 PM
Dear Colonel:
I believe that Willie was indeed speaking for himself on his birthday. I was merely borrowing a bit o wit and applying it as metaphor to the current earthly empire. War is not only the health of the state, it is the viagra of the statists. ( all applicable warnings regarding possible side effects are to be ignored, in the event of a war lasting more than 4 hours, send a thank you note to the prescribing nurse)
Posted by: CK | 31 December 2010 at 08:25 AM
Three old guys sitting on park bench.
One says,
"What I miss, is my hearing isn't what it used to be. Cannot hear the high notes anymore."
Second says,
"Yeah, but with me it's eyesight. Really have trouble with fine print."
Third agrees,
"Me too. This morning, in bed with my wife, I turned to her and said -- Honey, what about a little cuddle?"
"And she told me we had just done that half an hour before! My memory sure has gone bad."
Posted by: Ken Roberts | 31 December 2010 at 10:31 AM
I witnessed an open reflection of this problem on TV yesterday - an all night program titled "Americans Against Hate Pro-Israel Conference", apparently inferring that all Americans who attempt a balanced view of the Arab-Israeli problem automatically hate Israel. Yes this is a scarry example of McCarthyism reincarnated.
Posted by: Stanley Henning | 01 January 2011 at 08:26 AM
From an email I recieved.
Will I Live to see 80?
Here's something to think about.
I recently picked a new primary care doctor. After two visits and exhaustive Lab tests, he said I was doing 'fairly well for my age. (Now over 75.)
A little concerned about that comment, I couldn't resist asking him, 'Do you think I'll live to be 80?'
He asked, 'Do you smoke tobacco, or drink beer or wine?'
'Oh no,' I replied.. 'I'm not doing drugs, either!'
Then he asked, 'Do you eat rib-eye steaks and barbecued ribs?
'I said, 'Not much.... my former doctor said that all red meat is very unhealthy!'
'Do you spend a lot of time in the sun, like playing golf, sailing, hiking, or flying?'
'No, I don't,' I said.
He asked, 'Do you gamble, drive fast cars, or have a lot of sex?'
'No,' I said.
He looked at me and said;
Then why do you even give a shit
The best of New Years to all here.
Posted by: optimax | 01 January 2011 at 12:20 PM
Let me add another aspect to this subject. In the 1980's our Office of Special Investigations was apparently set loose to make a final sweep of alleged Nazi war criminals in the US. This included German scientists who worked for NASA in our space program. One victim of this effort was Arthur Rudolph, who, although not really confirmed to be a war criminal, ended up being returned to Germany where he was determined not to be a war criminal and allowed to live until his death in 1996, although never allowed to return to the US to see his family there. A book was written on this case and, as we might imagine, it never got coverage in the press, although you can see important details on Wikipedia today.
Posted by: Stanley Henning | 03 January 2011 at 05:00 PM