Guilt by Association
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Guilt by Association is a term used to describe the practice of accusing an individual of a misdeed, characterized by his connection to a certain group or organization. Guilt by Association is sometimes referred to as collective guilt, the act of a member of an organization feeling guilty for the actions of the group or other group members. A historical example of this is Joseph McCarthy, a United States Congressman whohas been accused this tactic to identify individuals of communism. However in more recent times, Guilt by Association has been used by liberal activist groups to cast disdain upon conservatives. An example of this is the smearing used by Conservapedia, by associating individuals with the John Birch Society.