Meta Data and guilt by association

[Ichingcarpenter]

From 1953 to 1955, McCarthy held 117 hearings and even more closed-door interrogations, witch hunts for subversives that thrived on guilt by association: someone had worked for a union, dates a communist, been in a book club that read a book by Marx. Author Johnson writes that reviewing the transcripts of those sessions made it clear that McCarthy, in addition to guilt by association and character assassination, was engaged in an “obsessive hunt for homosexuals,” hounded writers, artists, and composers, attacked the reputations of military leaders.

Today’s McCarthyism has many faces and voices, including the household names of right-wing cable television, a plethora of radio hosts, Religious Right leaders, right-wing organizations and the bogus “grassroots” campaigns they generate – and Members of Congress and other Party officials. Together they engage in character assassination and challenge the loyalty and patriotism of their targets.


Now imagine the power that NSA'sprism releases for abuse in the hands of a New McCarthy on guilt by association.


McCarthy was a master of guilt by association, smearing individuals as enemies of the country based on any association however indirect or tenuous, with a suspect organization, newspaper or other publication, labor union, or individual. Criticism of McCarthy’s tactics was itself evidence: his targets included not only communists, pro-communists, and former communists, but also “anti-anti-communists.”

My father's best friend was a victim of McCarthyism in the 50s though only having a liberal background.


The Danger is still there and NSA's data mining makes
this guy, who lies time and time again to the nation..... scare me


Its a Demented Trust.

[Uncle Joe]

1. McCarthy lovers are most assuredly still out there.

https://www.google.com/#sclient=psy-ab&q=joe+mccarthy+was+a+great+american+hero&oq=JOE+MCCARTHY+A+HERO&gs_l=hp.1.1.0i30j0i8i30.1890.21187.0.25562.27.22.1.0.0.1.2453.15658.2-13j1j7-3j2j2.21.0....0...1c.1.19.psy-ab.DwnAvIZkOG0&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.48705608,d.dmQ&fp=394031f0a24a0cea&biw=1024&bih=571

Thanks for the thread, Ichingcarpenter.

[quinnox]

2. yup. McCarthy would love the high tech massive spying apparatus we have today

and would be nodding his head in vigorous agreement with those defending it. “Enemies everywhere! We have to expose them and find them, by any means necessary.“ (quote is made up by me as artistic license)

[matt819]

3. Precisely Also, invite comments on potential threat from release of metadata info

I've made this point a few times.

Once this information is released into the wild - whether legally or not, by government employees or not - the threats expand exponentially. Political attacks are one possibility. Market manipulation is another. And is is just from meta data. Consider the impace if actual text/transcripts are available, or available but edited.

Okay, so we have political attacks and market manipulation. Other thoughts on the impact of release of metadata and/or actual data?

[sulphurdunn]

4. It probably won't be long

before a bust of Tail Gunner Joe sit next Rush "Pig Boy" Limbaugh in the Missouri Capitol building.

[cantbeserious]

5. + 1,000 - Thanks For Sharing

eom