Written in the 1950s as a defense of the anti-communist movement, Buckley argued that just because you are paranoid it didn't mean that people are not out to get you. Yes, McCarthy may be a poor spokesman for this important issue, but infiltration by communist agents in the government was a real threat to the security of the nation. Buckley further argued that focusing on McCarthy's errors was a way for those who opposed anti-communism to distract the conversation from this real danger. ( )