RE THE FALL OF THE WALL, THIRTY YEARS LATER

 David Kaiser said...

"I have not denied any of the actual Soviet role in events. It's well documented that McCarthy never unmasked a single Communist. The people he named either weren't Communists, or had already been unmasked by some one else. McCarthy, like Trump, did enormous harm to American democracy." DK

I agree with that. 

My point, however, had to do with how the McCarthy episode played into the Soviets' hands, throughout the entire Cold War really, by discrediting legitimate evidence, of all kinds, of ubiquitous Soviet espionage, subversion, and influence. That was Andrew's point too. The Secret World, p. 672, 673.

Considering what I have read, mere influence is not strong enough. Collaboration and collusion with the Soviets comes closer to the FDR administration Soviet relationship.

Looking at Soviet influence re Asia policy, the effects were fully as strong there as in the West.