The New McCarthyism
I am declaring, based on the bigoted and xenophobic responses to certain religions and peoples’ nationals origins, that we have entered an era of “New McCarthyism”
The New McCarthyism is the practice of vilifying people of a race, religion or national origin as terrorists without proper regard for evidence.
(I’m looking for a new name than “The New McCarthyism” – but nothing seems to work – open to suggestions.)
For reference, the the term was coined in the early 1950’s, named after Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin:
From Wikipedia’s entry on McCarthyism:
McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence. It also means “the practice of making unfair allegations or using unfair investigative techniques, especially in order to restrict dissent or political criticism. […] Originally coined to criticize the anti-communist pursuits of Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, “McCarthyism” soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is also now used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries.
The origins are form the Red Scares – Communism’s rise in the world as a political force.