Mammoliti’s Red Scare and Red-Baiting

“McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by heightened fears of communist influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize the anti-communist pursuits of Republican U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin, "McCarthyism" soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is also now used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries.” –Wikipedia on McCarthyism

Now, frankly, I have to seriously question the sanity of any person who thinks that communism is a threat to anyone in this modern era. Particularly given the fact that it’s failed around the world and there are very few people who consider it a serious alternative to anything, never mind an actual solution to society’s problems.

I know I don’t take communism or communists seriously and I don’t know of very many people who do. Including those in and around left wing circles. Communism and communists have essentially become toothless, basically advocating social safety net policies within the existing capitalist system. Other than the usual empty rhetoric that most don't buy, including many of their own members, they are effectively no different than any other social activist organization.

Now, I don't doubt there are a few aging dinosaurs in their 70s and 80s who are still living in the Cold War era because of their dementia and others stupid enough to buy their rather insane paranoid delusions but for the most part no-one cares about the communists or communism in modern day politics. They've become quite irrelevant.

No, there isn't a red under every bed.

So, giving Mammoliti, the benefit of the doubt, and going on the assumption that he isn’t insane (which may be a stretch), one can only wonder what he hopes to gain by introducing Red Scare politics and Red-Baiting into Toronto Municipal politics in 2011.

Mr. Mammoliti. May I take this opportunity to point out to you that the Berlin wall came down and the Cold War ended years ago.

If you’re going to look under beds for monsters, there are plenty of real ones out there that you might want to be concerned about.

Why do you appear to be ignoring these real threats to the peace and security of the citizens of Toronto, in favor of fabricating phony threats? Are organizations like the Tamil Tigers, Islamic terrorist groups, English Defense League and Jewish Defense League (a group declared terrorist and extremist in the US and on the FBI Watch List), all of whom are currently active in Toronto, acceptable to you? Why aren’t you raising the warning flag about them?

Is it because this campaign of yours is simply a self-serving attempt to discredit anyone who disagrees with you rather than any genuine concern about the influence of extremists and terrorists on Municipal politics?

Just wondering ….

My Weird Meter exploded when this story hit the news.

A more detailed take on this story by David Nickle of Inside Toronto:

Mammoliti's Strategy Isn't Pretty But It Is Effective