ENEMY OF FREEDOM
Sir-Mr. N. E. Downey is surely wrong in thinking that Communism thrives in "run to seed liberalism," whatever that may be. No liberal country that is a free country, educated to responsibility and abhorrent of tyranny, has ever gone Communist of its own free will. It is because McCarthy attempted to destroy these safeguards, and so nearly succeeded, as I watched at first hand for two sad years, that he was so dangerous. It is not the economic creed of Communism that we should hate; much of that has been adopted by all countries, including America. It is the hateful incidental evils with which ‘it has always so far been accompanied. And the evils of McCarthyism were so similar: the rule of fear, the anonymous accuser, combination of prosecutor with both jury and judge, the extra-legal penalty, abrogation of right of appeal, religious bias in selection of victims, and so on. What is the difference except in degree? One poison is not an antidote to another. These evils are as old as history and the struggle against them may be unending. What.is so important is that we should recognise them and fight them wherever they appear and under whatever name, rather than merely attempt to replace one kind of tvranny with
another.
G. I.
HITCHCOX
(Petone).
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19570208.2.12.4
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 913, 8 February 1957, Page 5
Word count
Tapeke kupu
219ENEMY OF FREEDOM New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 913, 8 February 1957, Page 5
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Material in this publication is protected by copyright.
Are Media Limited has granted permission to the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa to develop and maintain this content online. You can search, browse, print and download for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Are Media Limited for any other use.
Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
Log in