Overt return of America to the McCarthyism era/ Suppressing freedom of speech and criticism right

Pars Today - Political and media institutions, both liberal and conservative, have launched attacks similar to the McCarthy era in the United States against individuals and organizations that criticize US foreign policy, taking away the freedom of speech and the right to dissent from peace advocates.

The academic investigations into "anti-Semitism" conducted by the US House of Representatives are reminiscent of the McCarthy era in America, when everyone's eyes were glued to the televised hearings of Senator McCarthy's sessions.

These sessions, which were essentially a form of interrogation, were heavily criticized by freedom of speech advocates in the US. University presidents who were subjected to these interrogations were forced to resign after being labeled as communist sympathizers.

"McCarthyism" is a form of indirect censorship, where an idea is not necessarily criminalized, but is so strongly rejected that the professional and personal costs of expressing it become almost unbearable. The peak of McCarthyism, which lasted from 1946 to 1956, was orchestrated by congressional committees, the Senate, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Now, only the labels have changed. The "communist" label has been replaced with "anti-Semitic," accompanied by the repetition of police violence on university campuses, all aimed at punishing nationwide student protests against Israeli atrocities.

Senator Joseph McCarthy from Wisconsin, who made a career out of interrogating individuals critical of US policies with communist labels, has now been replaced by Elise Stefanik, a Republican Representative from New York.

Just as intellectual freedom and freedom of speech were attacked 75 years ago by the House of Representatives and the likes of McCarthy, academic freedom is now under attack in these universities. The police have infiltrated university campuses with violence reminiscent of the May 1970 protests, when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on students singing and speaking out against the US war in Vietnam.

In the attack on freedom of speech criticizing Israel, Representative Elise Stefanik is the suitable heir to Senator McCarthy. Their real goal is to ban criticism of the Israeli government. The broad power of Congress to compel testimony can be a license for slander, libel, and intimidation, as demonstrated by the House Education and Labor Committee's recent investigations into anti-Semitism on university campuses.

It seems that while the US government is struggling with a major legitimacy crisis, it is afraid of the awareness and organization of young people for change. Even influential media outlets like The New York Times have used intimidation tactics to silence these advocates for change, labeling them as right-wing extremists, which not only affects the left but also anyone who supports freedom of speech and democratic rights.

Sources:

“Have You No Sense of Decency?” McCarthyism Returns to Campus. 2024. counterpunch

ISRAEL AND THE NEW MCCARTHYISM. 2023. fpif

McCarthyism Is Back: Together We Can Stop It. 2023. thetricontinental

MG

Keywords: McCarthyism in American politics, freedom of speech in America, Gaza genocide, student protests in America.