That's part of a quote from Edward R. Murrow, The full quote is actually this:
"We proclaim ourselves as indeed we are: The defenders of freedom, wherever it continues to exist in the world. But we cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home."
This was a response to the epidemic of "Redbaiting" or "McCarthyism" that was occurring in the 50's.
The "Red Scare" started a bit earlier, around 1947 with the creation of the Federal Loyalty and Security Program. In the years between '47 and '53 the program dismissed 212 federal employees and successfully prosecuted 12 leaders of the American Communist Party for their plans to overthrow the government.
This "success" was due in part to the appointment of then Congressman Richard M. Nixon and Karl Mundt to the House Un-American Committee. When China fell to Communist control in 1949, civil liberties at home took a heavy hit, all in the name of national security.
Stop me now if this is starting to sound familiar.
In 1953 Senator Joseph McCarthy was appointed Chairman of the Senate Permanent Investigations Subcommittee, in this capacity he tried to route Communist sympathizers from the federal government. The outcome of these investigations resulted in an epidemic of persecution of countless people who were later found to harbor NO connections to the Communist Party. These persecutions were known as "The Great Fear".
In the Great Fear, Hollywood actors/actresses and writers writers were "blacklisted" because they refused to testify against friends or because they plead the 5th. Universities fired faculty because of suspected Communist leanings. It's safe to say many lives across this nation were ruined by false and reckless persecutions.
I wrote this post for 2 reasons:
1. My music selection tonite is from Jack Teagarden, who was appointed as the official State Department Ambassador in 1958. Through the efforts of American National Theatre and Academy and the State Dept, Teagarden actually toured those "Red" nations that frightened America so. This track was recorded in 1958 on Roulette Records.
2. I can't help but see similarities between then and now. Just substitute the word "Terrorist" for "Communist" and wonder who our McCarthy is.
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"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." George Santayana
"Those who would sacrifice essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" Ben Franklin
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Nice synopsis there G.
Careful how you throw that Franklin quote around. The Conservative Right likes to nail folks to the cross with that one.
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Ironic, ain't it? The meaning still shines through loud and clear, though.
Of course, there's always my main man, T Jeff:
I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.
It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself.
When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property
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I see your T. Jeff and raise you one J. Madison:
If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.
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Well played, sirrah!
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well said I am.........just watched a ton of bill maher tonight to boot
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Thanks Steve.
I tried to not be too preachy.
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This oughta work better than morning coffee under the covers for DMDM tomorrow. Up and at 'em,sir.Nice one.
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Odd that this post would appear within a week of the release of a book that chronicles in pains-taking detail how Joe McCarthy was pretty much right.
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I beg your pardon. Joe McCarthy being right about denying freedom of opinion to those don't think according to a "norm" i.e. like him.
On a whole different note, the French Revolutionary Danton once exclaimed: "No freedom for the enemies of freedom." Later he was guillotined during a period in French history called The Terror. (The first terrorist in history were actually a national revolutionary soldiers)
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Bartleby, just read the book.
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Could you please tell me the title of this book? I'd like to learn how the Senator McCarthy was right in retrospect.
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I'm sorry, I guess I should have mentioned that, huh? I am only 3/4 through it, its not a light read by any means. The book is called "Blacklisted By History: The Untold Story Of Senator Joeseph McCarthy and His Fight Against America's Enemies." As I say, its not an easy read, meant more for the academic and the historian, meticulously annotated, exhuastively researched, The Author, (Evans, M. Stanton) builds a pretty convincing case in Mr Mccarthy's defense.
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Honestly Jeff, I had no idea about the book in question. Really it's a matter of serendipity.
Ed Murrow and McCarthy has always been in the back of my mind.But lately I was fired up by the book, Liberty and Freedom: A Visual History of America's Founding Ideas by David Hackett Fischer and then I got the Teagarden album, read the liner notes and so here we are.
Since your so far though it, How right was he?
Just as a point of reference, one of his first foray's into Red Cleansing failed terribly, out of a list of 305 suspects in the State Department, 0 were found to have any connection to Communism.
Somehow, a book saying McCarthy was right seems like a book saying the Holocaust never happened.
I'll will agree to the fact there were Communist agents on American soil, and even looking to overthrow the government, but the overall scare seemed over the top.
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You are correct, to a degree, but the smear was far, far worse for infinitely more nefarious reasons. There WERE communist agents, in the highest levels of government, with instructions from the Soviet Union on how to use their positions to disrupt American Politics. (Some amazingly frank documents, released under the FOIA, paint a pretty disturbing picture.) Unfortunately then, as now, certain segments of the entertainment industry, (many of whom had professed sympathy for the communist party) acting IN CONCERT made a deliberate decision to smear the man without ONCE addressing the issues at hand. But You really must read the book. Mr Stanton is by no means an apologist for McCarthy, he still doesn't like him, but the lengths that a whole group of people went to to ruin his name astounded him. He makes no attempt to draw parallels to today, but I DO.
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So what do you think 'bout those parallels?
Ed Murrow invite Sen. Joe on his show to explain his motivations. McCarthy refused and did his own TV spot. Some say that was one of his biggest downfalls cause it portrayed him as kook and an alarmist.
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So what do you think ‘bout those parallels? Dick Cheney, prior to being our vice president, was invariably refered to as an assiduously honest man, respected across the political spectrum as a man of unblemished character. All major Magazines, newspapers and other publications are now archived. Check out entries on Cheney prior to this era. My question is; How did he become demonized so quickly, and more importantly, why? Why did no one ever complain about all the no-bid contracts that Bill Clinton awarded to Halliburton? Just asking. I have no pretense to any insider information, just an insatiable curiosity.
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DMDM, speaking of parallels, I would suggest that one of the reasons the Clinton's health care plan failed is the same problem that people (me included) have with Cheney and Bush-- the secretiveness, half-truths and lies. People were beating up on Cheney prior to 9-11 because of the energy task force secrecy. Nobody like Hillary's healthcare plan in 94 because she did all the work in secret away from a huge committee. Transparency is where it's at.
Andrew Sullivan writing on the Clintons as pathological liars
(yep, I agree with him, but I'd still vote for her over a Republican. gotta keep my liberal street cred.)
Sullivan also wrote a stunning piece for this month's Atlantic on why Obama is the only candidate who can move us past this nonsense, which he characterizes as the remnants of the baby boomer "culture wars" of the 1960s. I gotta say I agree with him. Bring on the guy my age!
I think you need a subscription to the website, but it is here
maybe I can put it on Multiply....
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Isn't it all politics,though...When you want to beat someone you tear them down. Both sides are guilty. It is all a subterfuge...follow the money. Until the people stand up and take back the democracy, the country, despite it's high ideals belongs to someone else. Someone who doesn't give a rats ass about "the people."
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Thanks for this... I think we all need to be reminded of the world outside of mOg...
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missjunk, Welcome to the wacky world of I am.
I couldn't agree with you more, but since we run in different circles, I would like to bring you up too date on my efforts to jar Mogtopolis. Check out these links:
http://mog.com/I_am/blog_post/111283
http://mog.com/I_am/blog_post/94575
http://mog.com/I_am/blog_post/114912
http://mog.com/I_am/blog_post/113101
That's just a few of the most excellent conversations we had here on this page, so grab a drink and stay awhile. I will be getting back to the Constitution soon.
You are more then welcome to comment on past posts, I always answer.
And your welcome, glad to have you join in.
Chris, Watch it man, I think DMDM can put us all to shame concerning the culture of the 60's.
Jeff, I think it's a matter of propriety. The sitting Vice who just happens to be an ex CEO of Halliburton. That just smacks of good copy for the evening news. I looked, and I didn't find much in the way of Clinton's dealing with Halliburton. Nothing worth talking about. Save his Fox interview with Greta.
Cody, That kind of government seems to be a far off Utopia. Candidates always sound good with their promises, but when the work needs to be done ....... it becomes a different story. What ever happened to, "by the People, for the People"?
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I am so glad that I am not the only person that realized that our history is repeating. I definatly DEFINATLY agree that Terrorist is the new Communist. It's a real shame.
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Just as a point of reference, one of his first foray’s into Red Cleansing failed terribly, out of a list of 305 suspects in the State Department, 0 were found to have any connection to Communism
This is so incorrect.
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I guess that means my book is wrong.
Do you have the coorect numbers?
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Read The Book.