McCarthyism; A new Threat

As you have all probably seen on the news of late, a list of suspected members of the British National Party has recently been leaked onto the internet. A list of thousands of names from all over the country is currently online along with addresses and phone numbers. Now it seems, from what The Independent have recently published, many of the 13,500 members are at risk of losing their jobs as it has been revealed that some of them are within the public sector; police, school teachers and even radio hosts are said to be members. Worryingly though even children are on this list as their parents are apparently members of this right wing extremist group.

However the oddest and possibly most worrying part of this list being put on the internet is how it mirrors what happened just 50 years ago in the United States. A period spanning over a decade taken up with hatred and a witch hunt amongst suspected communists during the cold war; McCarthyism. Like the recent leaked list, it led to many people being thrown out of communities, having theirs and their family's lives being put in danger and hundreds of people; actors, politicians, doctors, all losing their jobs.

I am not at all in support of this Parties views and find it odd how if they believe in their political ideals so much why they are in such great fear of this list being released when many other extremist groups will do just about anything to portray their views. But the potentially most dangerous thing about this list is the fact that some people have given giving valid reasons why their names would be on this list. For example signing petitions in support of ideas that many British people would agree with suggested by one British model who is now condemed as being a member of the BNP.

Many historians now see that McCarthyism was mainly down to the fact that it was a time of great worry in America due to the threat against the captilist economy. Yes, the threat is no longer communism taking over our economic policies but instead a Recession that could see the collapse of our economy and capitalism in ruins. And so I leave you to wonder on this; is it just coincidence that this list has come out at this time or is history repeating itself in a new witch hunt, attempting to join all the people with the 'right' beliefs together in hunting out the politically incorrect. To take our minds of the failing economy and put them instead on possible right wing groups and how we can blame them for the wrong doings in society.