One buys this book and begins to read it because of the topic, and even Wikipedia states that legacy of John F. Kennedy is compared with chosen few of the best presidents - Lincoln, FDR, and Washington are the only ones named - and for those that lived that era and knew anything, it's indeed true that he shone as a light of hope, of which there weren't many by that time, only few left. One recalls the news of his death and the shockwaves felt around the globe, later matched only by death of Princess Diana and subsequently WTC.
The high ratings given this book are due chiefly to the subject, though. The information about the book on Amazon says
Published March 23rd 2016
And the author's age is given as 82, so it's not that he wrote it immediately after the death of JFK when few knew that the official story about the killing of JFK by a lone shooter was a very poor front put up that on examination of facts held no truth at all, and yet this author chose to not merely endorse it but go to absurd lengths to do so by making mistakes even in mentioning the most publicly known facts.
......................................................................................................
Halfway through reading this, as one approaches sixties and arrives at his presidency, one is veryunwilling to deal with the tragic events coming, and I stopped reading this for a few months while going on to read on much harder topic - of holocaust. Several books later, and several more to go, one reverts here, for there is still the light shining while he lived, before going on with more books on holocaust.
It's well worth though, since this part - the beginning of his presidency - was the beginning of the almost revolutionary process of civil rights being fought for and granted, albeit slowly, and doors opening up. The few years of his presidency are really the golden Camelot as his wife described it, summing up after he had been murdered. Everything else, before and surrounding, is only interesting because of this star shining on that dark looming cloudy era and dissipating a good deal of the darkness.
And one has only to think of alternative options he could have chosen - a life As a Harvard don, with brilliant career in academia and social status in Boston, Oxford and two Cambridge cities across the pond from one another, and perhaps a Nobel prize sometime - or a Hollywood career as a film star with glamour galore, and the only problems to deal with would have been his health. Even the question of women in his life then would be of little interest, considering the average lives of film stars or the less than glamorous options in academia and, with no special guards, far more fear of a destroyed reputation.
But the times needed such a person in this role, and fortunately he did decide to be in politics. And from the beginning in '61 to his final year of office and life, civil rights movement needed his action, however delicately he tried to step, whether in Mississippi or Alabama or in general -
"Southern Democrats were not pleased at all. They signaled this the very next day by voting down a routine funding bill. The movement of the Dixiecrats to the Republican Party had begun; in 1964, Strom Thurmond switched parties, and others followed. Kennedy did not back down, however: by the end of month, his civil rights bill had been submitted to Congress.
"The same night as Kennedy’s speech, NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers was shot and killed as he stood in his driveway in Mississippi. The violence against civil rights activists was far from over."
And the civil rights movement was met cautiously, despite his conviction about necessity of the rights being finally a reality no later than then:-
"Kennedy was afraid that if violence broke out, it would make it impossible to pass the bill, saying, “Some of these people are looking for an excuse to be against us, and I don't want to give any of them a chance to say, 'Yes I'm for the bill but I am damned if I will vote for it at the point of a gun.’” The leaders were determined to proceed, but still ran into roadblocks from the administration. One organizer said, “When we first began planning the march, there was a concerted effort by the Kennedy administration to get it called off and to not let it take place.” They heard “nothing but complaints from the Kennedy administration at the time.”
"Eventually, the administration came around and realized that the march was going ahead whether they liked it or not, so they started to work with the civil rights organizations in planning the event, persuading them to scale it back to one day. On the day of the march, Bobby Kennedy had men everywhere, keeping an eye on things. They closed bars in Washington for the day, and had the National Guard standing by. A draft declaration of martial law was ready if needed. If any speeches had not met with administration approval, the microphones would have been cut.
"In the end, there was no violence. A quarter of a million people gathered in the Mall and heard speeches from civil rights leaders, ending with King’s stirring “I Have a Dream” speech. Kennedy watched the speeches on television at the White House, and after it ended invited the leaders back to the White House, where, after he congratulated them, they discussed the strategies needed to get the civil rights bill passed. Randolph told him, “It’s going to be a crusade then. And I think that nobody can lead this crusade but you, Mr. President.”"
He dealt with a number of explosive issues right from the beginning of his presidency from southern states denying civil rights to Cuba crisis and more. Interesting regarding involvement in Vietnam which he was reluctant to send troops into but did send huge help otherwise,
"In April, his close advisor and the American Ambassador to India, John Kenneth Galbraith, urged that the United States not get involved in a war in Vietnam. He proposed secret negotiations with North Vietnam, using Indian diplomats as go-betweens, to reach a settlement that would avoid escalating the conflict. However, the military were not in agreement, arguing that “a reversal of US policy could have disastrous effects, not only upon our relationship with South Vietnam, but with the rest of our Asian and other allies as well.” While Kennedy seriously considered moving forward with Galbraith’s proposal, he was persuaded by his military advisors to not pursue it."
Wonder if Jawaharlal Nehru's diplomats would have had any success, and Vietnam consequently could have been a happier association for both them and U.S..
In Berlin in mid '63, his huge success in face of heavy odds, post the dissatisfaction in U.S. due to his civil rights bill, was so impressive, that
"Khrushchev tried to counteract the effect of Kennedy’s visit to West Berlin with a trip of his own to East Berlin two days later. The enthusiasm was notably lower, and the crowds were about one-sixth of the size of Kennedy’s."
Why did this brilliant president meet such a gory end at the hand of, now obviously, not just a lone crazy guy, but conspirators infesting highest reaches of his own nation including government? Here is why:-
"In his inaugural address, he had indicated a willingness to talk with the Soviets, saying, “Let us never negotiate out of fear but let us never fear to negotiate.” It took two years for that process to begin in earnest.
"The Cuban Missile Crisis had convinced both Kennedy and Khrushchev that something had to change; the world had come too close to all-out thermonuclear war. In December 1962, Khrushchev wrote to Kennedy, “The time has come now to put an end once and for all to nuclear tests.” Kennedy agreed, but first, he had to deal with dissension from Republicans in Congress and members of his own administration. By May of 1963, he was ready to move forward, and wanted to signal this with a major speech on peace. The speech was given at American University in Washington on June 10.
"He went out of his way to be conciliatory to the Soviets, reminding his audience that no nation “ever suffered more than the Soviet Union in the Second World War.” He emphasized the things that the two sides had in common, rather than their differences, saying, “Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.” He pointed out that continued movement towards nuclear war was “evidence only of the bankruptcy of our policy—or of a collective death-wish for the world.”
"He had two important announcements contained in the speech: “First, Chairman Khrushchev, Prime Minister Macmillan, and I have agreed that high-level discussions will shortly begin in Moscow looking towards early agreement on a comprehensive test ban treaty. Our hope must be tempered with the caution of history; but with our hopes go the hopes of all mankind.”
"“Second, to make clear our good faith and solemn convictions on this matter, I now declare that the United States does not propose to conduct nuclear tests in the atmosphere so long as other states do not do so. We will not be the first to resume.”
"Both these statements were substantive moves towards an agreement, and the talks quickly bore fruit. The process was simplified by the agreement to limit talks to atmospheric, space and underwater tests, as they were easily detected and did not require inspections to ensure compliance.
"On July 26, Kennedy again addressed the nation, announcing that an agreement had been reached between the United States, The Soviet Union, and Great Britain. He acknowledged that it wasn’t perfect, but said, “According to the ancient Chinese proverb, ‘A journey of a thousand mile must begin with a single step.’ My fellow Americans, let us take that first step. Let us, if we can, step back from the shadows of war and seek out the way of peace. And if that journey is 1,000 miles, or even more, let history record that we, in this land, at this time, took the first step.”
"The treaty was signed on August 5, ratified by the Senate on September 24, and signed into law by Kennedy on October 7, and came into effect on October 10."
And this wasn't, couldn't ever possibly have been, pleasant to either hawks or the military industrial complex that his bright predecessor Ike had warned his nation against.
However, what makes this book worth reading, amongst much else, is several things not exactly secret but never discussed, never publicised as much, especially Western or even probably in most leftist media - the religious discrimination faced by indigenous people and faiths in ex colonies, and Vietnam was no exception, even South Vietnam:-
"Buddhists in Vietnam were the victims of systemic discrimination by the Catholic regime of Diem. Buddhists could not practice their religion in public or serve in the army. On May 9, nine Buddhists were killed by soldiers when they tried to raise the Buddhist flag. When several monks, including Thich Quang Duc, met with Diem to ask for equal rights, they were dismissed out of hand.
"On June 11, Thich Quang Duc sat down on the street in Saigon, another monk poured gasoline over him, and he then set himself on fire. The self-immolation was filmed and seen around the world. One member of Diem’s government responded to it by saying, “Let them burn, and we shall clap our hands.” Several more suicides by fire followed. Diem’s sister-in-law Madame Nhu referred to the suicides as “barbecues.”
"Diem enacted martial law, and special forces under the command of his brother Nhu moved against Buddhist religious communities in several cities. American officials were told, “You are responsible for the present trouble because you back Diem and his government of ignoramuses.” The Buddhist general Tran Van Don started to talk to the CIA about overthrowing Diem’s regime."
No wonder the regime lost, despite so many years running into decades, of so much of U.S. military presence in millions, and funding, to support against North Vietnam.
"There appears to be clear evidence that Kennedy was planning to withdraw from direct military involvement in Vietnam in the last few months of his life. As early as January 1963, Kennedy, through Galbraith, expressed his desire to the Polish foreign minister for a diplomatic settlement to extricate themselves from Vietnam. However, his military advisors were strongly in favor of increasing the American military presence in Vietnam.
"On October 2, Robert McNamara and Maxwell Taylor recommended a withdrawal of forces, to be completed by 1965, beginning with one thousand by the end of that year. That timetable was announced by Press Secretary Pierre Salinger that same day. In a private meeting on October 5, Kennedy made it clear that they would not be consulting with Diem about this decision, and that the American troops would be leaving whether the war was over or not, saying, “Let’s go on ahead and do it.” Final planning for the withdrawal was going on in Honolulu on November 21 and 22; obviously, the conclusions were not reported to Kennedy."
And this, too, wasn't, couldn't ever possibly have been, pleasant to either hawks or the military industrial complex that his bright predecessor Ike had warned his nation against.
But meanwhile he lost a new born second son, and was grieving, and was closer to his wife, trying to be the husband as loving as the father he'd always been:-
"It must have seemed a strange twist of fate to sign into law the Maternal and Child Health and Mental Retardation Planning Bill in October of that year. He must surely have been thinking of Patrick when he said, “We can say with some assurance that, although children may be the victims of fate, they will not be the victims of our neglect.”"
And now the fatal trip:-
"On November 21, Kennedy and Jackie boarded Air Force One for a two-day trip to Texas to unify the Democratic base ahead of his 1964 re-election campaign. While Jackie did not often accompany him on such trips, perhaps the recent death of their baby Patrick led them to want to spend more time together. That first day, they visited San Antonio, Houston, and Fort Worth.
"They spent the night in Fort Worth, and after a breakfast speech, flew to Dallas, arriving at 11:40 am at Love Field. At 11:45 am, they got into the Lincoln convertible limousine for their ten-mile drive to the Trade Mart, where he was to give a luncheon speech. Given the options of having the fabric top, a plastic bubble roof, or no roof at all, Kennedy opted for no roof; it was a sunny day and he wanted the crowds to be able to see him. Texas governor John Connally and his wife Nellie rode with them.
"On their way, Kennedy stopped the motorcade when he saw a little girl’s sign which read, “Mr. Kennedy, will you please stop and shake hands with me?” He did, and, as Connally said, “was immediately mobbed by a bunch of youngsters.” Kennedy was getting an enthusiastic reception. Ladybird Johnson said, “The streets were lined with people—lots and lots of people—the children all smiling, placards, confetti, people waving from windows.” At 12:29 pm, just before they turned, Mrs. Connally said, “Mr. Kennedy, you can't say that Dallas doesn't love you.”"
This author, though, whether playing safe or whatever, gives the less than known information version, fitting the lies then told general public in U.S. and the world, about his death:-
"After continuing slowly along the route, at 12:30 pm, the limousine turned right, entering Dealey Plaza. As they passed in front of the Texas Book Depository, shots were fired. Jackie said, "I heard these terrible noises...and my husband never made a sound...He had this sort of quizzical look on his face...I remember thinking he just looked as if he had a slight headache.” That was the first shot, which had passed through Kennedy’s neck and then hit Connally in his back. The second shot literally blew off part of Kennedy’s head."
The discrepancies are all too easy to spot, especially after one has seen a film and a video on the topic with facts discussed that were either never refurpted or in fact confirmed since. And the following, unless it was written and published before JFK, is ludicrous, as anyone having watched JFK would know:-
"Meanwhile, police had rushed into the Texas Book Depository to find the shooter. Oswald was found in the second-floor lunchroom, but was identified as an employee. He got on a bus, and then took a cab to the intersection of Beckley and Neely streets. At 12:59 pm, he arrived at his rooming house, got his pistol, and left again. At 1:15 pm, he shot and killed Officer J.D. Tippit."
Tippit was known as, and called by his fellow officers, 'Fits, due to his extreme similarity of looks to JFK - and the film JFK debunks any possibility of Oswald being able to kill Tippit, while the sinister necessity of the murder of Tippit by conspirators is clearly outlined in the YT video titled "JFK to 911", a two hour well worth due to its giving to the viewer mindboggling facts brought together. And JFK discusses the killing of Oswald, too, here merely stated as
"Two days later, he was shot dead by Jack Ruby in the basement of Dallas police headquarters."
Jack Ruby, too, was killed in prison, conveniently, as were several witnesses who knew too much, in supposed accidents or stray killings. Several years later, officially some of the facts about some of the persons involved being CIA operatives was admitted, apart from Oswald, whose life's strange trajectory could only have been possible as a CIA operative, although he wasn't the killer as clear to anyone having seen JFK - or heard Jim Garrison's concluding speech in New Orleans.
This author does admit, though, what couldn't be hidden or wouldn't do as much harm as some of the other facts mentioned in JFK in the Washington D.C. scene:-
"While all this had been going on, much of Kennedy’s cabinet had been en route from Hawaii to Japan for a trade conference. They were turned back to Hawaii, and then returned to Washington."
The author gives a conclusion in agreement with the official version about the Oswald theory, without a single argument to refute anything mentioned by Garrison debunking it, but then mentions:-
"Jackie Kennedy invited Theodore White, a trusted journalist, to her home at Hyannis Port for an interview for Life magazine. Not surprisingly, the management was willing to delay printing of their next edition overnight, even though it cost them $30,000 an hour, to have this story.
"She had a story she wanted to tell, about what she said was Kennedy’s favorite song: “It was a song he loved, he loved ‘Camelot.’ It was the song he loved...'don't let it be forgot that for one brief shining moment there was Camelot.'” When she read White’s draft, she added, “There will be other great presidents and the Johnsons have been so kind to me but there will never be a Camelot again.”
"Thus, Jackie set the terms of reference for remembering Kennedy’s thousand days. He was a heroic figure, who had set out on his quest to make the world a better place. That was she wanted people to remember, not what might be written by less charitable historians."
Oblique targeting there by a cheap shot.
An equally silly, perhaps worse, is when he states that JFK was concerned about his legacy, and quotes words of JFK to the effect that one must work not only for the moment but care about the permanent effect - which reflects indeed the concern a noble soul has about humanity rather than one'sown image, say, like being concerned about a photograph flattering one!
......................................................................................................
