McCarthyism Is Back: Together We Can Stop It

A new McCarthyism that is targeting peace activists, critics of US foreign policy, and Chinese Americans

By The People’s Forum

McCarthyism Is Back: Together We Can Stop It

We stand together against the rise of a new McCarthyism that is targeting peace activists, critics of US foreign policy, and Chinese Americans. Despite increased intimidation, we remain steadfast in our mission to foster peace and international solidarity, countering the narrative of militarism, hostility, and fear.

Sign On To This Statement

As the US government grapples with a major crisis of legitimacy, it has grown fearful of young people becoming conscious and organized to change the world. Influential media outlets like The New York Times have joined right-wing extremists in using intimidation tactics to silence these advocates for change, affecting not only the left but everyone who supports free speech and democratic rights.

The political and media establishments, both liberal and conservative, have initiated McCarthy-like attacks against individuals and organizations criticizing US foreign policy, labeling peace advocates as “Chinese or foreign agents.” This campaign uses innuendo and witch hunts, posing a threat to free speech and the right to dissent. We must oppose this trend.

Scientists, researchers, and service members of Chinese descent have been falsely accused of espionage and unregistered foreign agency, often with cases later collapsing due to insufficient evidence. Similar to the old “Red Scare” and McCarthy periods, when scores of organizations and leaders like W.E.B Du Bois, Eugene Debs, Emma Goldman, Paul Robeson and Martin Luther King Jr and others were attacked with fact-less accusations, today, prominent organizations and individuals, including CODEPINK, The People’s Forum, and Tricontinental Institute have been targeted, with smears and accusations propagated by outlets like The New York Times.

Their strategy paints a sinister image of a secret network funding the peace movement. However, there’s nothing illegal or fringe about opposing a New Cold War or a “major power conflict” with China, views shared by hundreds of millions globally. Receiving donations from US citizens who share these views is not illicit.

Media outlets have tried to scandalize funding sources of several organizations that are on the frontlines working with anti-racist, feminist, anti-war, abolitionist, climate justice, and other movements throughout the United States and globally. Meanwhile, when white neoliberal philanthropists flood the non-profit complex with significant funds to support their political agendas this is rarely scrutinized or made accountable to the communities they impact.

From The New York Times to Fox News, there’s a resurgence of the Red Scare that once shattered many lives and threatened movements for change and social justice. This attack isn’t only on the left but against everyone who exercises their free speech and democratic rights. We must firmly resist this racist, anti-communist witch hunt and remain committed to building an international peace movement. In the face of adversity, we say NO to xenophobic witch hunts and YES to peace.

Signed,

CODEPINK
The People’s Forum
Tricontinental Institute for Social Research
ANSWER Coalition

Sign On To This Statement

718 Coalition • Action One Korea • Activist News Network • Al-Awda NY the Palestine Right to Return Coalition • All Power Books • Anticapitalism for Artists • Association of United Ukrainian Canadians • Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace • Black Men Build • Brooklyn Eviction Defense Tenant Union • Brown University Student Labor Alliance • Casa Tecmilco • Channing and Popai Liem Education Foundation • Chicago Area Peace Action • Claudia Jones School for Political Education • Clinica Martin-Baro San Francisco • Colectiva Calistenia Cultural • Colorado Palestine Coalition • Committee of Anti-Imperialists in Solidarity with Iran (CASI) • Communist Workers League • Community Movement Builders • Community Resource Hub • Cyprus IndyMedia • Defend Democracy in Brazil • Dream Defenders • El Ciudadano • Eve 6 • Families for Freedom • Fire This Time Movement for Social Justice – Canada • Free Democratic Palestine Movement (FDPM) • Friends of Cuba Against the U.S. Blockade – Vancouver • Friends of Latin America • Friends of Swazi Freedom • Global Grassroots Justice • Global Health Partners • Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space • Hampton Institute • Haqooq-e-Khalq Party • Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice – Los Angeles • Hawai`i Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines • IFCO/Pastors for Peace • International Action Center • International Manifesto Group • Just Peace Advocates • Just World Educational • Justice for Palestinians • Kingston Peace Council • KIRTI KISAN UNION PUNJAB • Korea Policy Institute • Labor Community Alliance of South Florida (LCA) • Lemkin House; Mingalabar • Los Ronderos de las Redes • Marti Coalition • Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School • Marxism-Leninism Today.com • Mass Peace Action • Massachusetts Peace Action • May First Movement Technology • Midnight Books • Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) Canada • Monthly Review • Mulheres de Resistencia do Exterior • National Immigrant Solidarity Network • New Africa Institute • New Paltz Women in Black • New York Peace Council • No Cold War • Nodutdol • North Star Fund • NYC Jericho Movement • NYC Young Communist League • Organizing Neighborhood Equity (ONE DC) • Our Revolution Hawaii • PAIS • Palestinian Youth Movement • Parti communiste du Qu√©bec (PCQ) • Partners in Healthy Communities • Party for Socialism and Liberation • Peace In Ukraine Coalition • Peace, Land, and Bread • Peoples Housing Project • Peoples Power Assembly • Pivot to Peace • Plataforma de Feminismo Popular Venezolano • Popular Alliance Socialist Party of Egypt • Progressive Technology Project • Qiao Collective • Queer Palestinian Empowerment Network • Radical Elders • Radical Evolution Performance Collective • Red Ant (Australia) • Redwood Justice Fund • Resumen Latinoamericano – English • RiseUpTImes.org • Rising Together • Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network • San Diego Justice Center • Sankrityayan Kosambi Study Circle • Socialist Action • Socialist Party of America • Socialist Unity Party • songs4peace • Sos Migrants • Struggle La Lucha • Swords into Plowshares Peace Center and Gallery • The Canadian BDS Coalition • The Key (Palestine) • The Queer Marxist • Third World Newsreel • Troika Kollective • Twin Cities Club Communist Party USA • U.S. Peace Council • UMass Dissenters • UNAC • United National Antiwar Coalition • United to Save the Mission • US Federation of Worker Co-ops • Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba • Vancouver Island Peace Council • Venceremos Brigade • Veterans For Peace • Veterans For Peace Chapter 27 • VOCAL-NY • Workers World Party • World BEYOND War • Xicanx Institute for Teaching & Organizing

 

Abby Martin • Amanda Yee • Andy Hsaio • Barbara Ransby • Ben Becker • Ben Cohen • Ben Norton • Bhaskar Sunkara • Bikrum Gill • Branko Marcetic • Brian Becker • Calla Walsh • Carl Messineo • Cheryl LaBash • Chris Hedges • Claudia de la Cruz • Corinna Mullen • David Adler • David Harvey • Dee Knight • Derecka Purnell • Derek R. Ford • Desmond Fonseca • Doug Henwood • Eugene Puryear • Farida Alam • Fergie Chambers • Gail Walker • Geo Maher • Gerald Horne • Gloria La Riva • Guillermo Barreto • Hakim Adi • Heidi Boghosian • Helen Kim • Immanuel Ness • Inderjeet Parmar • James Early • Jared Ware • Jennifer Ponce de León • Jeremy Kuzmarov • Jerónimo Zarco Martínez • Jill Stein • Jim Garrison • Jim Lafferty • Joan Gibbs • Jodi Dean • Jodie Evans • Johanna Fernandez • Jose Seoane • Joshua Myers • Juliana Medeiros • K.J. Noh • Karen Ranucci • Kenneth Hammond • Koohan Paik-Mander • Lee Camp • Lisa Armstrong • Manolo de los Santos • Manu Chander • Manu Karuka • Mara Verheyden-Hilliard • Mariah Parker • Matt Hoh   • Matt Meyer • Matteo Capasso • Matteo Capasso • Max Lesnik • Medea Benjamin • Michael Klonsky • Michael Steven Smith • Mikaela Erskog • Momodou Taal • Musa Springer • Nazia H. Kazi • Nick Estes • Pawel Wargan • Peter Mertens • Rabab Abdulhadi • Radhika Desai • Rania Khalek • Richard Becker • Richard M Walden • Richenda Kramer • Rob Wallace • Robin D.G. Kelley • Roger McKenzie • Roger Waters • Rosa Miriam Elizalde • Rosemari Mealy • Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz • Ruth Wilson Gilmore • Salvatore Engel di-Mauro • Sheila Xiao • Stella Schnabel • Sudhanva Deshpande • Sunil Freeman • Suzanne Adely • Tina Landis • Vijay Prashad • Vivian Weisman • Yekuana Martinez

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