McCarthyism

McCarthyism is a term that has acquired the meaning of making accusations of subversion or treason, without proper regard for evidence, in order to restrict dissent or political criticism. This from the supposed wrongdoings and "witch-hunt" by the U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, who investigated Communist infiltrators and spies in the United States, involved in activities such as, for example, revealing nuclear weapons secrets to the Soviet Union.

The term "McCarthyism" was coined or popularised by Herbert Lawrence Block—commonly known as Herblock—a Jewish cartoonist in a 1950 polemic cartoon against McCarthy.

Part of the dislike against "McCarthyism" may be related to that Jews were greatly over-represented among those suspected. "McCarthyism" may also have had effects such as causing Jewish organizations to take actions to decrease sympathy for Communism among Jews. See also Jews and Communism.

Later findings have confirmed that there was extensive infiltration by Communists. However, this is often not known by the general public. See the "External links" section regarding many details on individuals and effects.

The Communist infiltration and effects are now argued to have been very extensive. Just one example is the Jewish Treasury official Harry Dexter White, who has been argued to have negatively influenced:

• American policies contributing to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
• Giving large-scale American financial support to the Soviet Union, even at the end of the war when Germany was defeated.
• Providing the Soviets with the printing plates, colored inks, varnish, tint blocks and special paper to enable them to counterfeit the Allied occupational currency for Germany, allowing them to flood the country with currency that U.S. taxpayers were forced to redeem.
• The Morgenthau Plan
• American policies contributing to the Communist takeover of China.
• Bringing other Communist agents into the U.S. government, promoting them, and repeatedly sabotaging investigative efforts and attempts to expose and remove them.
• The 1944 Bretton Woods monetary conference, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank, argued to cause various long-term negative economic and monetary effects for the capitalist countries.
• The creation of the United Nations.

See also

• Alger Hiss
• Communist Party USA
• Harry Dexter White
• House Un-American Activities Committee
• Joseph McCarthy
• Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
• Robert Oppenheimer
• Samuel Dickstein

External links

• The Menace of the New “McCarthyism”
• Joe McCarthy and the Jews: Comments on Jewish Organizations’ Response to Communism and Senator McCarthy, by Aviva Weingarten (2008).
• Judith Coplon–and why the Venona Project was stopped
• The Reality of Red Subversion