Discuss the JFK murder

[Truthseeker]

[This was written before the crash]
Judge Andrew Napolitano endorses Roger Stone's book, which is basically in agreement with the thesis that LBJ's monster ambition and greed were major factors in the JFK killing (see my review some time ago of Nelson's The Mastermind of the JFK Assassination). Eta: Ron Paul also mentioned the Stone book favorably. http://twitter.com/Judgenap/status/397752747426320384


I think Sparko and Rogue would find it hard to statisfactorily answer Stone's explict and implicit questions.

[rogue06]

President John F. Kennedy is still dead.






With apologies to Chevy Chase

[Teallaura]

Even smart people occasionally do dumb things.

[Truthseeker]

President John F. Kennedy is still dead.






With apologies to Chevy Chase

I don't understand. Care to explain?

Even smart people occasionally do dumb things.

Did you mean you think rogue is one of those smart people?

[Thoughtful Monk]

I don't understand. Care to explain?

[Epoetker]

President John F. Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, a known Communist sympathizer. Communist sympathizers, from Lee Harvey Oswald to Patty Hearst to Malcolm X to Jared Loughner, are, like most extreme-pro-government activists, generally prone to disaffection and acting out on their own. While they could be used as pawns of various powers that be, most canny politicians keep them at arm's length.

While I agree that McCarthy and the John Birch society did, in retrospect, have very good points on the extent of Communist influence at the highest levels of US government, the only major difference between Kennedy and Johnson tactics-wise was that most of the underhanding dealing on the Kennedy side was handled by Joe Kennedy, whereas Johnson preferred to do those deeds himself. In other words, if you're interested in it because you or your parents think JFK himself was a last, best hope for America, well...no, not so much. Both eagerly jumped into political dirty-dealing, either would have followed much the same political course, absent a stronger Cold Warrior vibe from JFK.

Neither were as risible as Ted Kennedy, and both were Democrats, among whom double-dealing, blind ambition, endless backroom maneuvering, and fountains of double-speak are as natural as breathing. There may be something here, but investigating and chronicling the political misdeeds of America's current corrupt governing party takes away valuable time you could be using to ensure that their rule is brought to a swift and final end.

[Truthseeker]

I was born after President Kennedy died. I do not have this emotional attachement to the era so this is just a fact of history to me. At this point, even if you could unearth the conspiracy, it gets you where?

A world that is better educated about what happened. The more education, the greater ability to make good decisions. At least, tend to make good decisions. Also, good practice in reasoning and in evaluating arguments. Did not the Founding Fathers rely on their knowledge of history, including Roman, to create the U.S. Constitution?
Are you saying that studying history is no better than mere fun?

[Sparko]

So truthseeker, I guess that means you were Augustine on the previous tweb?

[Epoetker]

A world that is better educated about what happened. The more education, the greater ability to make good decisions. At least, tend to make good decisions. Also, good practice in reasoning and in evaluating arguments. Did not the Founding Fathers rely on their knowledge of history, including Roman, to create the U.S. Constitution?
Are you saying that studying history is no better than mere fun?

Of the history you should be studying, the history of political gamesmanship, intrigue, conspiracy, scandal, and double-dealing is the least helpful for putting together a general theory of the good, and like a great deal of university studies, sucks up endless reservoirs of mental energy you could be using for admiring and praising those few individuals who really deserve it, either in history or at the present time.

Democratic politics is a high-stakes game, and high-stakes games get real ugly, real fast. Anyone who successfully plays these games for an extended period of time usually isn't the one you want to follow.

If the political equivalent of the Game of Thrones is taking up more mental space in your head than worthier meditations such as the Lord of the Rings, you are not seeing things in their best or most charitable light, even if they are more realistic according to today's morality. Here's a link to get you started, with an appropriate Lord of the Rings metaphor to whet your appetite:

Organized scholarship in the United States died in 1933, when the Brains Trust was established and the academy put on the Ring, accepting a responsibility for the direction of government which it has never relinquished and never will. Power is a jealous master; like heroin, it demands a complete commitment.

If the Academy was already observably directing government by the era of McCarthy, Kennedy, and Johnson, than what, truly, were they fighting over but the rights to be figurehead to an increasingly sham democracy? You want to praise someone for getting us to the moon, praise the common scientists who are as far as possible from science fetishists, and consider following their example:

The passion and the daring of these engineers was as remarkable as their talent. Time after time they had to shake off the meddling hands of timid souls from back east.

History is difficult, but it isn't unrewarding if you know where to look and who to talk to.

[Cow Poke]

Did you mean you think rogue is one of those smart people?

He ain't smart -- he's my brother.

[Leonhard]

So truthseeker, I guess that means you were Augustine on the previous tweb?

Amen.

[Truthseeker]

Didn't Sparko or Rogue or both embarrass Augustine2004 for "derailing" a thread? Ol' A got into an argument, if I recall correctly, and the S-R Team leaped into action! It started a new thread and moved the argument posts there.

And now we find S, R, and others threatening to derail this thread. Alas, what is available to start a new thread and move the offending (off-topic for one thing) posts there? :Sparko in superman outfit: :Rogue in superman outfit aligned to appear to be on a collision course with Sparko:

[Sparko]

Well, auggie, I just made one short comment - hardly derailing a thread. It must really bother you that people know you were auggie since you keep going on about it.

[seanD]

-- Our Secretary of State John Kerry.

[Roy]

President John F. Kennedy was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, a known Communist sympathizer.

I saw a documentary over Xmas which laid out the theory that JFK was actually killed by one of his own bodyguards, who accidentally shot JFK in the back of his head during the panic caused by LHO's attack. They covered a lot of evidence - circumstantial, eye-witness and forensic, explained a lot of factors which were problematic for other theories, and didn't leave any gaping logical or evidential holes.

Roy