A NEW MCCARTHYISM?

This is the tired line now being peddled by those too embarrassed to admit that they were wrong about the war on terror, wrong about the war in Afghanistan, wrong about the war against Saddam. They are now complaining that criticizing the far left’s embrace of anti-Americanism is equivalent to McCarthyism. Hooey, of course. Tough criticism in a free society is not McCarthyism; it’s free speech. But what to make of this? MSNBC’s O’Reilly clone, Joe Scarborough, launched a TV campaign against Danny Glover’s lucrative spokesman contract with MCI on the grounds that Glover is a left-wing extremist, backing Castro, fulminating against the president, and so on. After a wave of viewer calls and emails, MCI has apparently now canceled Glover’s contract. Is this kosher? As a matter of principle, I loathe boycotts and the screeching and self-righteous rhetoric that often accompanies them. I even defended Dr Laura’s show against the mau-mauing gay left. So Scarborough’s campaign leaves me with not a little distaste in my mouth. Still, it’s not McCarthyism. The government is not involved; the argument is a valid one; no-one has a right to be a spokesman for corporate America, without public controversy or opposition. Glover hasn’t been silenced; and he’s free to continue to be an actor, where his views are likely to help, not hinder him. No one would complain if a similarly extreme right-winger were passed over by a major corporation. I don’t like Scarborough’s tactics. But Danny Glover can choose between his views and his corporate contracts. Perhaps, for his ideological consistency, it’s about time he did.