I think that's an unsupportable claim, beginning with the difference between academic political correctness and a government HUAC panel that could imprison people for up to a year for contempt and did. But one doesn't need to be worse than the other or even equal still to be bad. And a sad truth is that many if not most people are cowards in circumstances of enforced group conformity, Trump's humiliating destruction of the Republican Party serves as still another example of that.
One important difference between the period of "McCarthyism" and the MaoCarthyism of the last few years should be born in mind. In the American groves of academe, at least, the so-called Progressives have generated an atmosphere of intimidation, conformism, and self-censorship that is much MORE pervasive than it ever was in the supposedly terrifying 1950s.
I was saddened to see Private Eye referring to Graham Linehan as "unhinged"" for exposing on a daily basis the McCarthyite tactics of those like the person who "exposed" Greig.
Excellent piece. There seems always to be people prepared to curb freedom of thought and expression. Suppressing discourse on any issues is always damaging to society and us all.
Thank you for putting your finger on this so succinctly.
Awesome piece
Thank you Guy!
I think that's an unsupportable claim, beginning with the difference between academic political correctness and a government HUAC panel that could imprison people for up to a year for contempt and did. But one doesn't need to be worse than the other or even equal still to be bad. And a sad truth is that many if not most people are cowards in circumstances of enforced group conformity, Trump's humiliating destruction of the Republican Party serves as still another example of that.
I am not saying they are the same Jay, anymore than Miller was saying that HUAC was the same as Salem. Just that they're too close for comfort!
Having just seen (finally!) Oppenheimer, where McCarthyism suffuses the whole piece, this really does resonate. Thank you.
One important difference between the period of "McCarthyism" and the MaoCarthyism of the last few years should be born in mind. In the American groves of academe, at least, the so-called Progressives have generated an atmosphere of intimidation, conformism, and self-censorship that is much MORE pervasive than it ever was in the supposedly terrifying 1950s.
There's some truth in that I am afraid
Great piece. It's so important to have these points made from the left.
I was saddened to see Private Eye referring to Graham Linehan as "unhinged"" for exposing on a daily basis the McCarthyite tactics of those like the person who "exposed" Greig.
Excellent piece. There seems always to be people prepared to curb freedom of thought and expression. Suppressing discourse on any issues is always damaging to society and us all.