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The widespread political purges of the early 1950s echo clearly today. Seventy years ago, the reasonable pretext of hunting Soviet agents opened the way to a yearslong, paranoid campaign, motivated by outlandish conspiracy theories, that destroyed countless careers but did nothing to improve America's security.

Today, a stated desire to check the excesses of diversity, equity and inclusion programs has already been used to justify whirlwind firings and closures of entire federal offices. So it may be wise to consider the consequences of that previous era of purges, part of what came to be known as the "Red Scare."

At a time of intense geopolitical competition, the United States kneecapped itself, removing thousands of valuable employees and forcing those who remained into unhappy conformity. It is hard not to see the same mistake being repeated today.

It can be tempting to say that just as the Red Scare petered out, so too will the current hunt for "disloyal" elements. But for all the parallels, there's an important difference: Loyalty then meant loyalty to the United States; today Trump demands loyalty to himself and his agenda.

Once the public realizes the destructiveness of the purges conducted in Trump's name, will he halt them? That remains an unsettlingly open question.