Joseph McCarthy.
So I was talking to Jannnnnnnnnnnney and she said she didn’t know who ol` Joey was. I was talking to Ariel, and she didn’t know either. Which made me, “How the fuck can you not know about Joseph McCarthy?” Of course, Jannney has a good excuse. She’s an Aussie and it’s natural she wouldn’t learn about something like that in school. As she said, “aussies don’t care about that crap.”
So I’ll try to be brief, because nobody gives a shit about this. Like the Aussies! So, Joseph McCarthy. Joey was a junior senator in the 60’s. During the Cold War. He was part of the reason there was a huge red scare in the 60’s. Red scare, refering to the fear of communism infecting the United States, of course.
The working theory was that, if you kill all the communisms, you eliminate communism. This is why we were in Vietnam for so long. They thought that if they just killed enough communists, they’d win. Or some bullshit like that. And so, the goal in the homeland was to erradicate any communism infestation. You know, out of fear that the people might rise up and overthrow the government. Oh no, wouldn’t want the will of the people asserted.
So, Joseph McCarthy. It’s as simple as this: He released “lists” of people suspected of being communist. What did our American government do? Questioned them, detained them. Simply at the unfounded suspicion of being communist.
It’s important to remember Joseph McCarthy and how big of an idiot he was, in light of the actions of today’s government. Detaining and questioning it’s own citizens without a warrent or a trial. It’s important to remember how the US had it’s own concentration camps during World War II for Japanese citizens of America. It’s important to remember how Germany set one of it’s own buildings on fire and claimed it was a terrorist attack. They then said anybody who opposed the government was being unpatriotic. (I’m not kidding, this really happened.) This was the beginning of some bad times for the jews.
We trick ourselves into thinking America is perfect, and it’s clear the government thinks the same way. No government is perfect. It’s important to remember our failures of the past so we don’t repeat them. We need to remember the past, so if another fiesty junior senator starts putting forth lists of terrorists we stop for a moment and say, “Now wait just a damn minute!”
Happy McCarthyist’s Day, everybody!
Addendum: Having a few facts here and there wrong never stopped me from openning my big mouth.
Addendum 2: Come to think of it, I think I do remember hearing about ol` Joe simply waving papers and never having any real lists. Mass hysteria, that’s what it was. And that’s how Saddam has been pegged as a terrorist, as well as citizens themselves.
Yeah, I too see the parallels between McCarthy and his blacklists and the stuff John Ashcroft wants to do now. No one is safe. Our government is scary.
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Wow, I can understand an Aussie not knowing that, but an American? Don’t they still teach that in American History?! <3
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I didn’t know who that was either. I didn’t pay much attention in American History though. That was a bad semester for me.
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I think our government is FAR from perfect!
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Early 50’s, not 60’s.
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You sould watch “The Crucible”, it’s based on the McCarthy trials. Plus there’s shagging in it.
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It’s good, it’s about the Salem Witch Trials. And there’s shagging in it.
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Nahh, the Porn version was called “The Salem Bitch Trials” or “Joseph McPartme versus the Cummunists”
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…. i agree with the aussies.
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^ to a note up there they don’t teach shit in american history anymore ~ajaye
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Did you ever see the footage of when the Board ousted Joey? Oh it was delightful, he was made to look the a..s..s.. he was, and got all flustered. I thought he would open a flask right there. Poor dolt…
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What amazes me is that no one has pointed out the errors in your entry yet. Mainly, that you are off by about a decade. In an effort to fill the holes in your publically funded education, I have found a factual site for you to read: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAmccarthy.htm Notice that he started out as a Democrat.
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ryn: Maybe not, but being decades off does matter a little bit 🙂 Oh, and McCarthy never released lists of people. He waved papers around, but never actually showed anyone what the papers contained. People already suspected of being Communists or supporting Communism were questioned and asked for names of other people, who were then questioned, and so forth-never an actual list. Still idio
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idiotic. Wait a sec, nix that last thing. Just remembered. A real list, but the list wasn’t the papers that McCarthy is often seen waving around. *nods*
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and alot of those people were in the entertainment industry..really sucked for the music and movie industry. Interesting that you know. I was just giving my teen daughter a verbal lesson on this jerk last week. A black time in America. Fear. Its a problem now but in an even more individual place. The 40+’s are so afraid that they might be fired or wont be able to buy the newest stuff that …..
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many people turn thier heads..dont make a decision since they might have to be responsible for it..just do what it takes to “get by”..never giving the brilliance of ingenuity to their jobs/profession…yep fear. teh marketing giants of capitalism have bred such greed that it is now fear of not having something that breeds mediocrity. Saop box. you inspired my soap box today 🙂
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Been reading your journal for a few months now. Warren The Spy on AIM, here. It is true, they teach jack in American History in high school nowadays. Although, my teacher DID cover it. He managed to relate everything in history to Nascar and big guns. Regardless, he told our class that good ole’ Jo never even really had a list, he just waved papers in the air. I wonder if that’s true.
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Know why people don’t know about it? Cause they’re dumb shits. Our whole country is full of DUMB SHITS.
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*SQQQQQUUUUEEEEEELLLLLCCCCHHHHH*
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Oh but you wanted to!!
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Hmmm, I think you need to work on your flirting 😛
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You don’t suck, you lick 🙂
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Well, I believe that you’re nice Timmy. But unfortunately there aren’t any Timmys aroung here so that doesn’t help me much. *cries all alone*
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I might have seen a Timmy today though! A guy with a “look” to him. A non-conformist look, yet he smiled at me and I knew he was nice. Maybe he was a Timmy! I should have asked.
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Eh. I had no idea who it was either. What would we do without you?
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“They then said anybody who opposed the government was being unpatriotic.” Gee, that sounds familiar, where have I seen that before?
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my friend’s grandparents lived through mccarthyism and world wars and etc etc and they say that they’ve never been more scared than they are now. what does THAT tell you.
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Times were different back then. There was a lot to fear. Communism was running rampant and there were real threats to our freedom and way of life. While I’m not supporting many of Senator McCarthy’s actions, it is really easy to look backward on those times and not put them into the proper context and setting. Seek out the truth and don’t rely on what they taught you in school as the truth.
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There is a bias in our fine educational institutions. There always has been.
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Cannot believe the notes of the guy above me. Ol’ Joe was a Stalin in the making, and the fact that there are still people around who will defend his actions is very disturbing. Many conservatives point out that some of his targets were actually communists, ignoring that fact that we supposedly have political freedom and there is nothing wrong with being a communist.
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