Was Joe McCarthy a hero or a villain?

[upgrader]

Originally Posted by Old Gringo

It's very simple.

McCarthy was a demagogue; a con man taking advantage of America's Red Scare in the 50s.


Fake accusations, BS, self-serving baloney, etc.

Never gave much thought to Mccarthy. But your picture showing "WITCH HUNTS", "ALWAYS EASIER THAN ADDRESSING REAL ISSUES" reminds me of the "success" of our birther-shocktwitterer-in-chief.

Sounds like the McCarthy era was a history lesson we failed to absorb.

[Old Gringo]

The one thing history teaches us is that political leaders refuse to learn the lessons of history.

That applies to the electorate sometimes, too.

[Ms. Tarabotti]

Originally Posted by MongooseHugger

He's often treated as a villain in pop culture, but, knowing what we know now, it appears that he was RIGHT about Hollywood and a bunch of other things. If he'd stayed in power, Clinton and Obama would never have happened to America.

I think Trump should reinstate the Committee on Un-American Activities. My only reservation about bringing that back is that I'd hate to see such a thing in the Left's hands. They've already shown what they'd do by their IRS targeting.

Apparently Joe McCarthy would be considered a 'hero' for going after the right people, people that you don't like. Would you consider him or anyone else like him a "hero" if he went after Trump et al with the same vigor? Would you like to see Trump and his family interrogated for crimes against America?

One political party doesn't stay in power forever and the tables can easily be turned against the other party.

[Hesychios]

Originally Posted by upgrader

Never gave much thought to Mccarthy. But your picture showing "WITCH HUNTS", "ALWAYS EASIER THAN ADDRESSING REAL ISSUES" reminds me of the "success" of our birther-shocktwitterer-in-chief.

Sounds like the McCarthy era was a history lesson we failed to absorb.

“[I have not] acquiesced in, or by any means approve, the methods that McCarthy uses in his investigatory process. I despise them.”
Dwight David Eisenhower 1954

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by T0103E

Kind of both. He was right about a lot of things, but he took the communist witch hunt pretty far.

McCarthy didn't take it too far, the government took it to far by passing the CCA.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by Hesychios

“[I have not] acquiesced in, or by any means approve, the methods that McCarthy uses in his investigatory process. I despise them.”
Dwight David Eisenhower 1954

Eisenhower signed the CCA into law making it illegal to join a political party.

[majoun]

Villain. But there actually were Soviet spies in government.
However that does not justify going after innocent people.

[T0103E]

Originally Posted by PedroMartinez

McCarthy didn't take it too far, the government took it to far by passing the CCA.

Fair enough.