Worse than McCarthyism

"In a recent paper titled “Keeping Your Mouth Shut: Spiraling Self-Censorship in the United States,” political scientists James L. Gibson and Joseph L. Sutherland reveal that self-censorship among Americans has soared. In the 1950s, at the height of McCarthyism, 13.4 percent of Americans reported that they “felt less free to speak their mind than they used to.” In 1987, the figure reached 20 percent. By 2019, 40 percent of Americans reported that they did not feel free to speak their minds." Keeping Your Mouth Shut: Spiraling Self-Censorship in the United States by James L. Gibson, Joseph L. Sutherland :: SSRN

For more examples, see "Tell only lies" at City Journal. Tell Only Lies | City Journal (city-journal.org)

McCarthyism is baaaaack

History really does repeat itself. I remember Joseph McCarthy--I was in high school and we'd discuss it in class. He led the investigation that people like to refer to as McCarthyism--making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence--looking for (Russians) aka Communists in the government, business and entertainment fields. The difference between what he did in the 1950s and what the Democrats are doing today is that there really were Communists in the government, especially in FDR's administration, and the entertainment industry. We had real traitors. The truth gradually dribbled out over the years as they wrote their memoirs, and people felt freer to discuss it. It’s the hysteria I remember. And that’s what we hear today. In order for it to be McCarthyism, it must be from people within the government. And it is, with the press piling on.

Glenn Beck launches WeinerFacts.com

The Whitehouse dot gov link to immigration issues doesn't work (404 message), but the link to Weinerfacts.com has probably been hacked, or overrun by too many people trying to read it. Glenn Beck bought the domain name and is using the web site to fight a member of Congress using McCarthy type tactics to destroy a private citizen and his business. I had to go to 5-6 urls before I could get one to link. This one worked.

Another Black Conservative: Glenn Beck launches WeinerFacts.com

Today I also listened to a YouTube audio of Michael Savage taking a call from a Florida woman named Jo. I think it is a put-on. No one, especially a woman, could be that dumb. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMK9zxb5HyE&NR=1 I think her use of the word "stash" gives it away.

Resurrgence of McCarthyism as Weiner targets Glenn Beck

Yes, I'm old enough to remember McCarthyism. I wouldn't recommend the methods, but he did ferret out a lot of active Communists. So we know from history it works. Now we see it's being used against a popular TV performer instead of movie stars and screen writers--Glenn Beck. McCarthyism is when the government tries to destroy the opposition by going after private citizens and their income. You can't accuse Rush or Glenn of McCarthyism (some confused liberals do) because they aren't members of the government. Obama has quite a stable now going after Beck--Van Jones, Jim Wallis, and Andy Stern, all advisors of the President (Jones has moved to a leftist think tank, but he's near by). Having all the broadcast news and most cable news in his pocket isn't enough. Maybe Congress could start having hearings for entertainers and talk show hosts and we could have a rerun of the 1950s. Its poll numbers could go even lower.

Disclaimer: I watch Glenn Beck, but I don't buy gold, or most of the products I see hawked on TV from beer to golf balls to Sleep Number beds. So obviously, this is motivated by politics, not by concern for the consumer, or we'd have Congress looking into a lot of advertisers.

Rep. Anthony Weiner targets Glenn Beck and Goldline International - Kenneth P. Vogel - POLITICO.com

Phony senatorial outrage

ABC News recently broadcast a report on phony soldiers, including Jesse MacBeth. Is Salazar going to vote to censure ABC News? Daily Sentinel story here. Of course not. This is all about stopping talk radio and freedom of speech and thought. ABC is no threat to that!

A transcript of the call from Limbaugh’s show on Sept. 26 had this conversation with a caller to his show:

Caller: “No, it’s not. And what’s really funny is they never talk to real soldiers. They pull these soldiers that come up out of the blue and spout to the media.”

Limbaugh: “The phony soldiers.”

Caller: “Phony soldiers. If you talk to any real soldier and they’re proud to serve, they want to be over in Iraq. They understand their sacrifice, and they’re willing to sacrifice for the country.”

Limbaugh, later in the broadcast, said Jesse MacBeth was one of the “phony soldiers.”

Caught with their pants down and gums flapping, the Dems are saying now, "Well, he used the plural--and Jesse is only one." Like there aren't others?

I watched O'Reilly interview one of the vets against the war last night--I think Wesley Clark the former Republican funds the group. The guy made complete sense and he stuck to his guns no matter how O'Reilly tried to get him off track to condemn some liberal who had made stupid statements that weren't ambiguous, and were in print. The vet said, "Instead of talking about the war, the senators are talking about people talking about the war." You are so right, young man, and thank you for your service (assuming you are a real veteran who fought in Iraq, but with the people funding you, it's hard to tell.)

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Such a precocious child

"Growing up in hardworking northwestern Wisconsin, David Obey leaned Republican early on, even supporting Sen. Joe McCarthy, before he turned Democratic." It must have been awfully early on, like before he could shave. He's my age. McCarthy died in 1957. I believe the voting age was 21 back then.

Democrats have either long noses, or short memories. Like Senator Tom Harkin accusing Rush Limbaugh of not supporting the troops by calling some phony soldiers, well, phony soldiers (they didn't serve and told outrageous lies and there has been legal action against them which was reported in the news). Senator Harkin. Isn't he the guy who lied about his combat service in Vietnam and his handicapped brother? I guess he forgot he didn't serve there, or that his brother was retired, not fired. And then there's the phony angst of Harry Reid, old white flag Harry. Just rips your heart out, doesn't it? Do these Senators have so much time to waste on condemning Rush for what he didn't say? And accusing him on the floor of the Senate of using drugs?



This whole campaign against O'Reilly, Rush and talk radio, funded and fueled by the arm of the Clintons, Media Matters, sure does have a McCarthy ring to it, though, doesn't it? I do seem to remember old Joe--we talked about him in history class. A sign of things to come if she gets elected?

Update: I didn't see this in time to include it, but Byron York comments on the McCarthyism tactics of the left of trying to stop a person's livelihood: "when Limbaugh talked about "phony soldiers," he was referring to phony soldiers--that is, to men like Jesse Macbeth, an "antiwar" activist who claimed to have served in Iraq, received a Purple Heart and killed innocent civilians, when in fact the Army discharged him before he even completed basic training.

If Democrats want to support the phony troops, it is their right to do so. But when they try to interfere with Limbaugh's livelihood, that amounts to an effort at creating a McCarthy-style blacklist.

The Fox report says that 41 Democratic senators signed this letter, which means that 9 or 10 did not (depending on how you count Joe Lieberman). Will they speak out against their colleagues' intimidation efforts? And where are the Republicans in all this? With the Democratic Party increasingly in thrall to hate groups like MoveOn and Media Matters, America urgently needs politicians of either party with the courage to take a stand for decency."

James Taranto noted the similarities prefacing it with, "In recent weeks we've seen how the MoveOn.org Democrats have aped the tactics of Joe McCarthy, including character assassination of military officials and childish wordplay on people's names ("Senator Half Bright"; "General Betray Us"). Oct.3, Best of the Web.

More on this topic of fake vs phony:TNR and Weekly Standard battle over fake military stories.
Media get caught by faked military records.
Fake photos of the war.
Fake reporter who is fake Marine revealed on Daily Kos (did Senate investigate Kos for these charges against the military?)