Joe McCarthy & Arthur Miller

McCarthy’s Back!

Joe McCarthy led a witch hunt that in turn led to required reading for all U.S. high school students: Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible.

This is Joe McCarthy.

All our English teachers warned us about him.

He was a real sonofabitch, as far as they were concerned. Based on what they taught us, I agree.

Do you know what he did?

He hunted political enemies based on false information.

This Wisconsin Senator lost as a democrat before rising to fame as a republican in 1950, claiming to have a list of Communist Party members and spies at he U.S. State Department.

McCarthy initiated the Lavender Scare, claiming that suspected homosexuals were vulnerable to commie blackmail.

He spoke of commies infiltrating the the Truman Administration, the State Department, Voice of America, and the Army. He levied unfounded charges against his enemies, regardless of the institution they served.

As a result of these actions, we all had to read a play we hated called The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. It was such a simpleton’s tale, so full of old-fashioned roles acting perfectly in character as people from 17th century Salem.

Now we must watch it again, in real time, on our news and social media feeds.

Boring!

Fortunately for literature, he was finished in American politics in just four short years. Do you have a Joe McCarthy-related story to share? please include it in the comments below. And as always, please sign up for the newsletter.

Further thoughts on Freedom of Expression.

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