Are You Now or Have You Ever

Are You Now or Have You Ever

From That KEVIN Show by Salem Podcast Network

June 9, 2026 · 1h 22m

About this episode

The episode discusses the McCarthy era and its relevance to contemporary America through a revival play.

An Excerpt from Are You Now or Have You Ever   on Townhall.com There’s a revival play running off Broadway right now, revisiting one of the more combustible chapters in American political history: the anti-communist hearings of the McCarthy era. You know the phrase. “Are you now or have you ever been…” For younger Americans, the entire period feels almost mythical. Grainy black-and-white footage. Angry senators. Witness tables. Careers destroyed. Whispered accusations of communist sympathies and Soviet infiltration. My friend Michael Riedel —the longtime Broadway columnist for the New York Post—is hosting audience talkbacks after performances of the show . He joined me on the air Friday to discuss it, and what struck me all over again is how fundamentally different America was then from what it is now. Back then, Marxism, communism, socialism, and totalitarianism were not fashionable campus accessories or podcast aesthetics. They were despised. The American public had watched tens of millions die under Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and fascist regimes spreading across Europe and Asia. They had fought a world war. They had buried sons. They…

People in this episode

Host: Kevin

Guest: Michael Riedel

Topics covered

  • McCarthy era
  • anti-communism
  • American history
  • political hearings
  • theater
  • cultural commentary

Keywords

  • McCarthyism
  • communism
  • political history
  • theater
  • American politics
  • cultural shifts

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Post

Books & works: Are You Now or Have You Ever

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