Townhall.com
Dennis Prager

You and I are living through the greatest mass hysteria in American history. For many Americans, the McCarthy era held that dubious distinction, but what is happening now is incomparably worse.

For one thing, any hysteria that existed then was directed against the greatest evil in the world at the time: communism. Then-Sen. Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee notwithstanding, there really were Americans in important positions who supported communist regimes enslaving their populations and committing mass murder. McCarthy was on to something.

In contrast, the country is choking on hysteria over the extremely unlikely possibility -- for which there is still no evidence -- that Donald Trump's campaign colluded with the Russian government to meddle in the 2016 presidential election, and the absurdity that President Trump works for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

For another, the mainstream media did not support McCarthy. Most in the media were highly critical of McCarthy. Today, the mainstream media are not the voices of caution. They are the creators of the hysteria. There have been conspiracy theories throughout American history (e.g. Lee Harvey Oswald didn't kill President John F. Kennedy alone; the moon landing never happened). But this is the first time the media have created and promoted a conspiracy. Not surprisingly, they have dropped any pretense of objective reporting in the process.

And while some Americans were unfairly labeled communists during the McCarthy era, countless Democratic politicians and leaders in news and entertainment have called members of the Trump administration and the tens of millions of Americans who support the president fascists, white supremacists, haters, xenophobes and even Nazis.

MSNBC contributor Jill Wine-Banks said of the Trump-Putin Helsinki press conference: "It's just as serious to me as the Cuban Missile Crisis in terms of an attack, or the 9/11 attack. ... (Trump's) performance today will live in infamy as much as the Pearl Harbor attack or Kristallnacht."

Former communist, Obama operative and CIA Director John Brennan tweeted: "Donald Trump's press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of 'high crimes & misdemeanors.' It was nothing short of treasonous."

The constant invoking of the Holocaust, the Nazis and now Kristallnacht (the unofficial beginning of the Holocaust, a night in 1938 when German Jews were beaten to death, synagogues were burned and Jewish shops were destroyed) only minimizes the evils of Nazism and the Holocaust. A young American who, having gone to a typical university, probably knows nothing about the Nazis and the Holocaust will now think Nazism and the Holocaust were 20th-century expressions of Trump and American conservatism.

All this hysteria is built on next to nothing. At its core, it is an attempt to undo the 2016 election. The mainstream media refuse to accept that Hillary Clinton lost. They said she would win -- handily. They predicted a landslide. How could they have possibly gotten it so wrong? Their answer is they didn't; Trump and Putin stole it.

If truth mattered to the media, their ongoing narrative would be: "Democrats and the left still do not accept Trump victory."

If truth mattered to the media, every American would know Trump has been harder on Russia than former President Barack Obama was. Every American would be reminded that Obama reassured Putin's right-hand man, then-Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, that he wouldn't be too tough on Russia. Thinking his mic was off, he whispered into Medvedev's ear: "This is my last election. After my election, I have more flexibility."

If truth mattered to the media, every American would be reminded that Obama sent Army meals to Ukraine and Trump has sent anti-tank missiles and other arms to repel the Russians.

If truth mattered to the media, every American would be reminded that Obama watched Syria burn and Russia come to dominate that country, while Trump has bombed Syrian military installations, including one where Russians were killed.

If truth mattered to the media, every American would be reminded that it is Trump who has weakened Russia's ally Iran, while Obama immeasurably strengthened it.

Instead the media scream "treason," "impeachment" and the like 24/7; Hollywood stars curse the president; others curse his daughter or the first lady (one of the most regal in American history) and show President Trump in various death poses. Meanwhile, leftist mobs shout at administration officials and Republican members of Congress while they eat in restaurants, shop in stores and sleep in their homes.

If you vote Democrat this November, you are voting for hysteria, lies, socialism and even the cheapening of the Holocaust.

But more than anything, a vote for Democrats in November is a vote for hysteria -- the greatest and darkest in American history.

Link

I wasn’t around for McCarthy, so I have nothing to compare this to, but in my time on the planet, I’ve never seen so many people act completely unhinged.

Propaganda is a powerful tool. And it WILL push this country into an internal war. Not a matter of if, but a matter of when. No doubt in my mind.

McCarthyism was not really a "hysteria". At that time, communism really did have devotees who were actively trying to destroy the basis of America: the free-market economy, in favor of the world-wide communist movement, figure-headed by Russia. Russia really did have leaders who had promised to "bury us".
"McCarthyism" was a natural reaction by sane people to a real threat. The only reason it has been PORTRAYED as a "hysteria" is because the "narrative" about McCarthyism is delivered by Hollywood...a bunch of Leftists.

As an example of the American Leftists' attitudes about how great communism and the Soviet Union were, I refer you to an essay written by the founder of the ACLU. Roger Baldwin : www.law.ucla.edu/volokh/blog/baldwin.pdf

I thought this was going to be a Def Leppard thread!

JP

quote:

If truth mattered to the media...

If truth mattered to the media they wouldn't be known as the propaganda arm of the Democrat Party.

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
Propaganda is a powerful tool. And it WILL push this country into an internal war. Not a matter of if, but a matter of when. No doubt in my mind.

When your side controls the three pillars of information communication: news media, entertainment and academia; points of friction are bound to happen.

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:
McCarthyism was not really a "hysteria". At that time, communism really did have devotees who were actively trying to destroy the basis of America: the free-market economy, in favor of the world-wide communist movement, figure-headed by Russia. Russia really did have leaders who had promised to "bury us".
"McCarthyism" was a natural reaction by sane people to a real threat. The only reason it has been PORTRAYED as a "hysteria" is because the "narrative" about McCarthyism is delivered by Hollywood...a bunch of Leftists.

As an example of the American Leftists' attitudes about how great communism and the Soviet Union were, I refer you to an essay written by the founder of the ACLU. Roger Baldwin : www.law.ucla.edu/volokh/blog/baldwin.pdf

Whether it was a hysteria or not, it certainly was a peculiar time in our history.

Whether they were leftists or not, people were persecuted, hounded, out of jobs, professions, social standung, humiliated, mostly without anything resembling proof. Mere appearance of association with someone who was suspected to have possibly been involved in suspected communist sympathies would result in ruin.

I read about the grocer in Syracuse who took it upon himself to rid the country of suspected communists or sympathizers. Lists were made, who had appeared in what shows, stage hands, producers, cameramen, audio technicians, gaffers, anyone involved in the production, and if a name appeared to be, or similar to a name of a suspected sympathizer, sponsors were pressured to drop sponsorship of those programs through black lists. No proof necessary.

The Congress got into the game through the aptly named House Unamerican Activities Committee. This Star Chamber operation travelled all over the country holding hearings, generating headlines, hectoring people in the guise of exposing communist sympathizers. Some of the accusations were indeed wild and unsupported except by innuendo. Harry Truman characterized it as one of the most unamerican activities in history. Senator McCarthy even accused General Marshall!

Evidence? Proof? Due Process? Who needs it!

Prager is exactly right with this column, and it scares the hell out of me.
What do the hysterical ones think they are going to accomplish with this?
Do they care?
I suppose if Prager is right and it is truly hysterical, then reason will not help.
The Left is telling us that about half the people in the country are stupid, crazy, or both.
I am afraid that it will accomplish what they want, which is to turn out the hysterical to the polls while the sane stay home, afraid to put out yard signs or put on bumper stickers.
If they win the House then such progress that has been made—and it has been major—will come to a screeching halt.

quote:

I am afraid that it will accomplish what they want, which is to turn out the hysterical to the polls while the sane stay home, afraid to put out yard signs or put on bumper stickers.

Here in MO we currently have a battle going on over "right to work". It is on the ballot in August. The unions are pushing a "NO" vote so hard and with such intimidation that people are afraid to put up yard signs in favor.

Post McCarthy if you affirm you have voted for a communist,you can become director of the CIA. I think the pendulum swung too far.



Sen. Paul: Ex-CIA Dir. Brennan Voted for the Communist Party, and Yet Called Trump Treasonous

https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/m...y-and-he-calls-trump

McCarthy was a first term senator elected in 1946. During his campaign he called himself “Tail gunner Joe”and claimed 14, 17, and eventually 32 combat missions.
He began his list claims in 1950. It’s been suggested that his senate career was undistinguished and he needed a hook to run his re-election on.
The famous list began with 205. The number repeatedly changed. There were 205, 81, 57, 10, 108, or 285.
“No such list quite existed, but as Janes says... that didn’t matter “since the seeds were sown, in ground that was made fertile by serious and possibly justified concerns about the growing influence and power of communism on the world stage and possibly at home as well.”

History records what resulted — investigations, witch hunts, blacklists, bullying from the House Un-American Activities Committee and the Army-McCarthy hearings in the Senate and an atmosphere of fear that lasted for years.”

http://www.history.com/topics/...-war/joseph-mccarthy
http://www.ushistory.org/us/53a.asp
http://www.washington.edu/news...mccarthys-list-1950/

For anyone who would like more info about the "Red Scare" period of the late '40's and early '50's, I would suggest reviewing two movies:

"The Front" - Woody Allen.

"Trumbo" - Bryan Cranston.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:


Whether it was a hysteria or not, it certainly was a peculiar time in our history.

Whether they were leftists or not, people were persecuted, hounded, out of jobs, professions, social standung, humiliated, mostly without anything resembling proof. Mere appearance of association with someone who was suspected to have possibly been involved in suspected communist sympathies would result in ruin.

I read about the grocer in Syracuse who took it upon himself to rid the country of suspected communists or sympathizers. Lists were made, who had appeared in what shows, stage hands, producers, cameramen, audio technicians, gaffers, anyone involved in the production, and if a name appeared to be, or similar to a name of a suspected sympathizer, sponsors were pressured to drop sponsorship of those programs through black lists. No proof necessary.

The Congress got into the game through the aptly named House Unamerican Activities Committee. This Star Chamber operation travelled all over the country holding hearings, generating headlines, hectoring people in the guise of exposing communist sympathizers. Some of the accusations were indeed wild and unsupported except by innuendo. Harry Truman characterized it as one of the most unamerican activities in history. Senator McCarthy even accused General Marshall!

Evidence? Proof? Due Process? Who needs it!

Mr. Allen, are you thinking somewhat about John Henry Faulk? All that was before my time, but you couldn't help but know a little about it if you (as I) were from central Texas. Anything you could add to that would be interesting.

quote:

What do the hysterical ones think they are going to accomplish with this?

Clicks.

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
Evidence? Proof? Due Process? Who needs it!

Well, it is a big world, and there were undoubtedly abuses and things I would disagree with. But keep in mind that almost everything written by the press is written by "journalists" and movies are, of course,, made by "Hollywood actors"; both notedly Left-leaning points of view.
Wikipedia has a pretty balanced write up on McCarthyism.
"Through declassified documents from Soviet archives and Venona project decryptions of coded Soviet messages, it has become known that the Soviet Union engaged in substantial espionage activities in the United States during the 1940s. It is also known that the Communist Party USA was substantially funded and its policies controlled by the Soviet Union, and there are accusations that CPUSA members were often recruited as spies.[146]

In the view of some contemporary commentators, these revelations stand as at least a partial vindication of McCarthyism."

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
Evidence? Proof? Due Process? Who needs it!

Well, it is a big world, and there were undoubtedly abuses and things I would disagree with. But keep in mind that almost everything written by the press is written by "journalists" and movies are, of course,, made by "Hollywood actors"; both notedly Left-leaning points of view.
Wikipedia has a pretty balanced write up on McCarthyism.
"Through declassified documents from Soviet archives and Venona project decryptions of coded Soviet messages, it has become known that the Soviet Union engaged in substantial espionage activities in the United States during the 1940s. It is also known that the Communist Party USA was substantially funded and its policies controlled by the Soviet Union, and there are accusations that CPUSA members were often recruited as spies.[146]

In the view of some contemporary commentators, these revelations stand as at least a partial vindication of McCarthyism."

Thanks for this post, Crom.

It's easy to "armchair quarterback" criticize McCarthy, but he obviously realized how insidious the communists really are. Perhaps that made him too zealous, but oh how I wish a majority of Americans would have understood him and his agenda, instead of allowing the (communist) media to dissuade them from recognizing the real dangers of communism. Now the vast majority of our education institutions are dominated by commies.

I don't want to be a "the sky is falling" type of person, but I do worry about the future of this nation when so many of our young people have been so indoctrinated into believing nothing but illogical lies with regard to politics.

As wcb6092 said: "Post McCarthy if you affirm you have voted for a communist,you can become director of the CIA. I think the pendulum swung too far."

McCarthy was trying to keep this from happening.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus Dei:

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:


Whether it was a hysteria or not, it certainly was a peculiar time in our history.

Whether they were leftists or not, people were persecuted, hounded, out of jobs, professions, social standung, humiliated, mostly without anything resembling proof. Mere appearance of association with someone who was suspected to have possibly been involved in suspected communist sympathies would result in ruin.

I read about the grocer in Syracuse who took it upon himself to rid the country of suspected communists or sympathizers. Lists were made, who had appeared in what shows, stage hands, producers, cameramen, audio technicians, gaffers, anyone involved in the production, and if a name appeared to be, or similar to a name of a suspected sympathizer, sponsors were pressured to drop sponsorship of those programs through black lists. No proof necessary.

The Congress got into the game through the aptly named House Unamerican Activities Committee. This Star Chamber operation travelled all over the country holding hearings, generating headlines, hectoring people in the guise of exposing communist sympathizers. Some of the accusations were indeed wild and unsupported except by innuendo. Harry Truman characterized it as one of the most unamerican activities in history. Senator McCarthy even accused General Marshall!

Evidence? Proof? Due Process? Who needs it!

Mr. Allen, are you thinking somewhat about John Henry Faulk? All that was before my time, but you couldn't help but know a little about it if you (as I) were from central Texas. Anything you could add to that would be interesting.

John Henry Faulk was perhaps the most prominent victim of it. Faulk lost his bright career as a radio host on CBS when he refused a demand that he pay $10,000 to be “cleared,” a service that AWARE provided, to insure commies did not infiltrate the airwaves and entertainment industries. When CBS closed him down, he eventually hired Louis Nizer, sued, and was awarded the largest libel judgment in history at the time, $3.5 million. The whole ordeal was described in “Fear on Trial.” It was made into a movie that featured George C. Scott as Louis Nizer.

As I say, Faulk was merely the most prominent victim of this most troubling period of our history.

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:

quote:

Originally posted by JALLEN:
Evidence? Proof? Due Process? Who needs it!

Well, it is a big world, and there were undoubtedly abuses and things I would disagree with. But keep in mind that almost everything written by the press is written by "journalists" and movies are, of course,, made by "Hollywood actors"; both notedly Left-leaning points of view.
Wikipedia has a pretty balanced write up on McCarthyism.
"Through declassified documents from Soviet archives and Venona project decryptions of coded Soviet messages, it has become known that the Soviet Union engaged in substantial espionage activities in the United States during the 1940s. It is also known that the Communist Party USA was substantially funded and its policies controlled by the Soviet Union, and there are accusations that CPUSA members were often recruited as spies.[146]

In the view of some contemporary commentators, these revelations stand as at least a partial vindication of McCarthyism."

Very partial.

What is objectionable is not rooting out communists but the abandonment of evidence, proof, due process, in the hysteria.

It isn’t easy as we are now understanding. Who are Russian agents, exactly? Russians? Carter Page and Stephanopoulus? Podestas? Manafort?

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:
For anyone who would like more info about the "Red Scare" period of the late '40's and early '50's, I would suggest reviewing two movies:

"The Front" - Woody Allen.

"Trumbo" - Bryan Cranston.