麦卡锡主义及其美国民权侵害的历史教训

McCarthyism and the Historical Lessons in Its Violation of Civil Liberties

麦卡锡主义是美国近代社会中两大民权侵害事件之一,它是“反共产主义”和“红色恐慌”传统最集中的表现,是西方传统的“惧恨异己”文化意识形态的美国翻版。麦卡锡参议员滥用公权力特别是国会司法调查和听证权力,煽动社会极端右翼势力,蔑视宪法权威,对美国共产党人、犹太移民、工运人士、艺术家、学者、女权主义者造成了巨大的人权侵害后果。本文认为,麦卡锡主义的历史教训是:公权力不得以任何借口超越宪法所施诸其上的限制,人权是宪法权利的核心与主体,任何侵害民权的行径必须诉诸宪法审查,争取民权有赖于持续性的社会抗争运动;人性尊严是社会治理的道德引领,人权是立法、司法和行政公权力不容突破的社会伦理底线。

McCarthyism is one of the two major events of civil liberty violations in modern America.As a high-profile manifestation of Anti-Communism and Red Scare,it proves to be the American copy of deep-rooted xenophobia in the West.By abusing the authorities entrusted for investigation and hearing,Senator McCarthy instigated the radical right in persecuting American communists,Jewish immigrants,union activists,artists,scholars,feminists and inflicted tremendous human rights calamity on them in defiance of constitutional limits.What we can learn as enduring lessons from McCarthyism are these:Public powers should not trespass the constitutional rights in any pretexts,human rights are the kernel body of constitution,any violation of civil liberties must be subject to constitutional review,the preservation of civil liberty always depends on active social protests,human dignity should be worshipped as moral guidance for social management,human rights must be consolidated as the ethical cage that bears no breach of legislature,justice and administration in their execution of public powers.