MCCARTHY AND THE COMMUNISTS

by ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 30, 1954

With one anti, Anderson and May's McCarthy, the Man and the ""Ism"" (Beacon, 1952) and one pro, Buckley and Bozell's McCarthy and his Enemies leading the book field in studies of McCarthy and his tactics, here is a trenchant analysis that packs a calculated punch and stands alone as a logical exposure of the Senator as an undermining demagogue. Differing from Anderson and May's more biographical book, Rorty and Decter concentrate on the events of the past two years- notably the State Department and Army hearings. Setting up their own criteria for exposing Communists (a task they both deem mandatory) they then proceed to show in event after event- the degrees to which McCarthy has and has not measured up to them-and the tally is most definitely to his debit. The criteria? 1.-Identifying the enemy clearly, 2.-pinpointing him unmistakably, and 3.-exposing him persistently. Incontrovertible is the fact that McCarthy has identified communists, but over and above this service have been the ill effects of investigations in which communists have been neither exposed, identified or routed. For proof the authors are at pains to examine many of the hearings, unemotionally, and their book also touches the broader implications of McCarthyism at home and abroad, is a testament to the growing awareness of the un-American thing McCarthyism has been.

Pub Date: Aug. 30, 1954

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Beacon Press

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1954

Categories: NONFICTION