Tag Archives: disloyalty

The extreme opposition to communism shown by U.S. Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and his supporters in the 1940s and 1950s. It’s the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, esp. of pro-Communist activity, in many instances unsupported by proof or based on slight, doubtful, or irrelevant evidence. It’s also the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, esp. in order to restrict dissent or political criticism.

The examples include the speeches, investigations, and hearings of Senator McCarthy himself; the Hollywood blacklist, associated with hearings conducted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities; and the various anti-communist activities of the FBI under J. Edgar Hoover. McCarthyism was a widespread social and cultural phenomenon that affected all levels of society and was the source of a great deal of debate and conflict in the U.S. (“Wikipedia”)

The image is from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarthyism