Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist Party?

I just finished reading a great blog post about CBS in the early 1950s — at the height of the Red Scare, when so-called “Communists” were being rooted out.

The post, which you can read here, is mainly about the existence of thhe CBS “blacklist” and the man who determined that people accused of being Communist sympathizers should not work for CBS.

Interestingly, though, the post also links to the original blacklist itself. Note: this is not the Hollywood blacklist, though you will find people like Burt Lancaster and Gregory Peck on it.

And, if you’re really keen, download this pdf and read the original “loyalty oath” that CBS employees had to sign. Scroll to Page 3 for the official list of Communist and Fascist organizations.

Now, who would like to start the discussion about how we’ve all learned our lessons from McCartyism, and this whole War on Terror and the loss of civil liberties, and the fact that photographers in public places are now suspicious, and we all need RFID passports all the time is a completely different kettle of fish?