what is mccathyism?

Question

how was it used,then "pro and con" about its use, how did it effect the war effort

Answer 1

McCarthyism refers to the practice of accusing Americans of being commuists, for whatever reason (paranoia), in the 1950s. It is named for Sen. Joe McCarthy who spearheaded the movement. People from all walks of life were accused.

Check out the movie Good Night and Good Luck. It deals with McCarthyism at the end.

Answer 2

McCarthyism is the practice of publicizing accusations of political disloyalty or subversion with insufficient regard to evidence.

McCarthyism is the term describing a period of intense anti-Communist suspicion in the United States that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. The term derives from U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, a Republican of Wisconsin.The period of McCarthyism is also referred to as the Second Red Scare- a period related to WWI, and coincided with a period of increased fears of Communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents.

During this time many thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment, destruction of their careers, and even imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts that would later be overturned, laws that would later be declared unconstitutional, dismissals for reasons that would be later declared illegal or actionable, or extra-legal procedures that would later come into general disrepute.

Answer 3

You might be referring to Senator Joe McCarthy, during the 1950s, which led charge against communists in the US.

It's another example of how destructive and intrusive the government gets when it succumbs to rampant paranoia.

We have simply failed to learn from history.