Dear Blase:
Your referencing James Douglass’ book, “JFK and the Unspeakable” on your program aired today is something I found shocking (and practically breathtakingly encouraging). This, IMO, has been—for some years--one of the absolutely PREMIER books on the subject of the Kennedy assassination, which I have been studying for about forty years. If I may say so, it also has served as a kind of antidote for a terrible phenomenon you may have noted through the decades, an ongoing and very mean-spirited, tabloid style character assassination of John Kennedy. I am refer-ring to simply loathsome books like “Dark Camelot,” and “A Question of Character.” Kennedy may have had some character flaws (Who does not?!!) and, early on in his career, was certainly a “cold warrior” (though, even as a U.S. senator, he at least occasionally voiced human rights concerns, e.g., regarding the country of Laos ). It could also be argued that his election as the 35th American president would have been impossible without his subscribing to the lunatic Cold War mind-set, and associated U.S. international policies.
Yet, late in his administration, he showed some willingness to act with a measure of reflection and temperance when dealing with relations with Cuba, and with regard to a strong move toward nuclear disarmament. He also voiced some concern about the worrisome role financial forces, and secret societies, had played in the history of this country (e.g., during his speech at American University, only a few months before his murder in Dallas). I will add that, while the Kennedy administration was certainly a “mixed bag,” I think this chief executive played an important role in inspiring Americans, e.g., with regard to increased focus on science and the arts, at least a start in the area of civil rights, and in encouraging a youthful, hopeful mind-set (along with a shift toward peace and cooperation, already mentioned—including some amazing attempts to establish “back-channel” communication with Cuba and the Soviet Union--and the establishment of the Peace Corps).
Lamentably, he seems to have been fatally naive in neglecting to properly consider a swirling and horrific wave of revulsion and violence, which had been hovering about him--and began to descend--stemming from powerful enemies (several groups and individuals), as he approached the end of 1963, and made that terribly fateful visit to Dallas, Texas. As you noted, upon his death, the country effectively suffered from a coup d ‘etat, with the military-intelligence community assuming control of the country, and these forces—along with Federal Reserve System/World Bank/IMF/Capitalist System impact--have dominated policy ever since that time, meaning there must have been many millions of citizens of other countries viewing the USA as the author of immense levels of barbarism, corruption and stupidity….and, yes, chaos, terrorism and devastation (reflective of staunch imperialistic designs, as well as severe hubris and psychopathology).
I will finish by asking you to consider three other keenly important books on this subject. They are:
1. “JFK: The CIA, Vietnam, and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy”–Col. L. Fletcher Prouty (provides key JFK assassination information, as well as critically important insights about the basis of the Vietnam War—primarily a “Langley” led operation, which was meant to go on interminably, with no final resolution).
2. “Deep Politics and the Death of JFK”—Peter Dale Scott (differing a bit from Douglass, in which Scott insists that the assassination was not so much a conspiracy by a “cabal,” as “business as usual” by the “Power Elite” or “Military Industrial-Intelligence-Complex”).
3. “The Devil’s Chessboard”—David Talbot (Nicely describes the very dark “intelligence climate” of the sixties, particularly with regard to the CIA, whose top three executives—remember—were cashiered by JFK, rendering them dangerous arch-enemies, along with LBJ, and other figures and groups in those days).
Respectfully,
Dr. Thomas Halle
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