Part II: Larry Johnson and Susan UnPC: McCarthyists

This is Part II of a two part diary I began last night. Last night I discussed the history, definition and function of McCarthyism in American Politics. McCarthyism is the use of rumor, innuendo, false charges, smears, guilt by association (especially past association) to brand someone as a "Marxist" or a "Communist" in an effort to shut down debate on substantive issues. Interested readers are of course welcome to read Part I.

Today, I will devote some time to showing how "No Quarter" has adopted overt McCarthyist tactics, and mixed this tactic with racism. Unfortunately, writing this diary requires me to actually read "No Quarter" and to post some links to "No Quarter" to document my arguments (I leave it viewers discretion as tow whether or not to provide the site with traffic). Depending on response today, I may discuss the bizarre contradictions to the McCarthyist meme being pushed and the wild gyrations of the politics of "No Quarter".

One last preliminary point: there are more posters on "No Quarter" than Larry Johnson and Susan UnPC and not every post quoted is by Larry Johnson or Susan UnPC. I don't hold bloggers responsible for everything posted on their site (I'm sure Kos might take some issue with my politics). However, when  you allow and promote smears on your front page, then as the owner of the blog, you are responsible for those smears. The overt McCarthyism and not so subtle racism are as best I can judge, being actively promoted and encouraged by Larry Johnson and SusanUnPC.

One wit (unfortunately the quote is unattributed but can be found Here once said of Joe McCarthy, that:

"Once he got going, logic and decorum gave way to threats, personal attacks, and multiple distortions."

This pattern was clearly evident in Larry Johnson and Susan UnPC's bizarre claims about the immanent arrival of a video tape in which Michelle Obama could be seen ranting about Whitey while on a panel with Louis Farakhan. While the method that Johnson and Susan UnPc used to substantiate and perpetuate this rumor is certainly evocative of McCarthyism, it is more of an old fashioned, straightforward political smear-though bizarrely, some posters at "No Quarter" seem to equate Farakhan and Afro-centrism with Marxism.

Since several people, myself included, have already shown how Johnson's story on what is in all likelihood a non-existent tape kept shifting, I won't repeat those points here. Suffice it to say the so called "whitey tape" has been well and thoroughly debunked: see  David Weigel's debunking. But even when Johnson tries to link to sites that supposedly support him, he winds up linking to sites that contribute to the Debunking and also reject this tactic.

The overt accusation of "Marxism"(tinged with a bit of racism) came out in full force in this piece by Uppity woman who argues that we have witnessed a thuggish takeover of the Democratic Party by Marxists;

As the threats and the insults continue, we are getting a glimpse of the intent to subjugate America’s blue collar workers, Senior Citizens, Jews, Latinos, White Women, and other groups that are no longer "of use" to the intended Marxist society.

Susan UnPc then provided this Gem in an effort to promote the view that Obama is running a cultish, totalitarian campaign.

The overal gist (at present-or rather yesterday) of "No Quarter" appeared to be that:

1. Obama attended a church influenced by Black Liberation Theology;

2. Michelle Obama is associated with Louis Farakhan and/or his wife;

3. Obama is running an elitist, sexist Marxist campaign to suppress blue collar voters and women;

4. Obama has placed "race" "uber alles";

5. A thuggish, totalitarian campaign has denied the democratically expressed voices of female and blue collar voters;

6. Barack Obama hates white people and America:

7. The DNC are stupid dupes.

McCarthyism does not have to be logical or consistent or even factual to be effective. It merely has to create an association of fear, extremism, anti-Americanism with a person by smear, lie, innuendo, association in order to preclude debate on substantive issues.

This now appears to be the purpose and goal of "No Quarter".