I have here in my hand a list of 205 . . . a list of names that were made known to the Secretary of State as being members of the Communist Party and who nevertheless are still working and shaping policy in the State Department. ... As you know, very recently the Secretary of State proclaimed his loyalty to a man guilty of what has always been considered as the most abominable of all crimes - being a traitor to the people who gave him a position of great trust - high treason. ... He has lighted the spark which is resulting in a moral uprising and will end only when the whole sorry mess of twisted, warped thinkers are swept from the national scene so that we may have a new birth of honesty and decency in government.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Accusing government employees of disloyalty justifies a moral cleansing.
- In plain terms
- A list of suspected communists is used to demand government reform.
- What can you take from it?
- Alleged threats justify sweeping government changes.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we balance security and liberty?
Another view
Accusations may lack evidence or due process.
More from Joseph McCarthy
Today we are engaged in a final, all-out battle between communistic atheism and Christianity. The modern champions of communism have selected this as the time,…
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