"McCarthyism" as an attack on innocent people, a witch hunt, is made up. McCarthy went after really real Soviet operatives in high government positions. McCarthy's goal was to remove those people from high government positions.
Forbes's op-ed is talking about the Hollywood situation, which had nothing to do with McCarthy. Communists in Hollywood tried to blakmail producers, actors, studios to make pro-Soviet movies. People in Hollywood got together to push back, resulting in the House Unamerican Activities Committee (McCarthy was a Senator) and blacklisting of Communists in Hollywood - to stop them from blackmailing people to make pro Soviet propaganda.
"McCarthyism" as an attack on innocent people, a witch hunt, is made up. McCarthy went after really real Soviet operatives in high government positions. McCarthy's goal was to remove those people from high government positions.
Forbes's op-ed is talking about the Hollywood situation, which had nothing to do with McCarthy. Communists in Hollywood tried to blakmail producers, actors, studios to make pro-Soviet movies. People in Hollywood got together to push back, resulting in the House Unamerican Activities Committee (McCarthy was a Senator) and blacklisting of Communists in Hollywood - to stop them from blackmailing people to make pro Soviet propaganda.