Where's the Aura? (Without Question, The Best JFK Editorial That I Have Read This Week)

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Friday, November 21, 2003 | CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS

[presidio9]

A short while ago, I chanced to be in Dallas, Texas, making a documentary film. One of the shots involved a camera angle from a big commercial tower overlooking Dealey Plaza and the former "book depository," and it was later necessary for us to take the road through the celebrated underpass. The crew I worked with was younger than I am (you may as well make that much younger) and consisted of a Chinese-Australian, an English girl brought up in Africa, a Jewish guy from Brooklyn and other elements of a cross-section. As we passed the "Grassy Knoll," and looked up at the window, and saw the cross incised in the tarmac, I was interested by their lack of much interest. The event of Nov. 22, 1963 isn't half as real to them as the moment, say, when the planes commandeered by suicide-murderers flew into the New York skyline. Nor, as I realized, is it half as real or poignant to me as the site of Ford's Theater in Washington D.C. Time has a way of assigning value.

[liberallarry]

Well, good for you. Perhaps your head is superfluous.

[presidio9]

So taking anti-biotics is equivalent to taking opiates?

Since when is speed an anti-biotic?

[onyx]

Good post.

ETOM: "for tonight" :)

[presidio9]

Kennedy was a relative novice and Khrushchev based his actions on that assessment.

This is called "making excuses." It is a favorite behavior of liberal apologists.

Michael Jackson had a difficult childhood. What of it?

[presidio9]

And Bush? 911 - or have you forgotten?

What are you trying to say here? That there are sane people who blame Bush for 911?

[kabar]

JFK was not the first nor the last President to use "Mafia tactics" to achieve a goal. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus, FDR threatened the Surpeme Court, Truman took on the coal miners, Reagan the air controllers, etc. Strong Presidents exercise their levers of power to get what they want.

[liberallarry]

I'm saying a lot of things.

The Kennedys sexuality was pretty strange by most standards.

Old Joe would compete with his sons - and at the same time they all claimed they were Catholic.

I remember once some friend commented on Dean Martin's sexual capers. "Dean wasn't like you and I. Women would throw themselves at him." That's how it was for JFK.

He certainly did have taste - although he didn't always exercise it. That's to his credit - since so many have no taste whatever.

I didn't really care about his sexuality - until it began to interfere with his ability to govern as it did with Clinton. Sexual adventures seem to be a normal part of the lives of many men - and especially powerful men. That's how it is.

[presidio9]

There were threats of demonstrations concerning Reagan's visit to Berlin. We issued over 30,000 invitations for people to attend the speech. Everyone went through metal detectors and we seated the police invitees in the front for security purposes. The clear bulletproof screen behind Reagan was specially constructed for the photo op. We also had a major event at Tempelhof airport following the Wall event. JFK's appearance had far less security and there were no threats of demonstrations.

The people were cowed in Kennedy's time. Reagan increased the security of our position to the point where people felt safe enough from our enemies to disagree with our leaders. How many political enemies did Bush have immediately after 911?

[liberallarry]

I made an analogy between ocean liners and the US government.

I said ocean liners take miles to change course - except in an emergency
In an emergency they can change course much faster.
911 was an emergency
Therefore the government could change course much faster

Is that too fast for you?

[GulliverSwift]

Who can forget the children and the grieving widow at the funeral?

Even the funeral was politicized. The whole incident of Johnjohn saluting his father was completly contrived. No little boy would ever do such a thing, especially one who wasn't in a military family.

[presidio9]

Sexual adventures seem to be a normal part of the lives of many men - and especially powerful men. That's how it is.

And just what do they do to increase the stature of a Presidency? Or is that not why you brought it up? Why did you bring it up?

[liberallarry]

Sorry everyone. I must leave now.

[presidio9]

I said ocean liners take miles to change course - except in an emergency

What about destroyers?

[BlessedByLiberty]

Larry, Larry, is your Mother proud of that nastiness in you?

My head and my heart are not superflous. My heart and my head, Larry, make me proud to be an American citizen. My head - my brain - Larry, actually allows me to logically think that this is the land of opportunity for those who want to work; the land wherein we might have this exchange of opinion without interference. So, Larry, please don't belittle me or anyone else with that nasty attitude and sniping.

Thank you.

[presidio9]

I made an analogy between ocean liners and the US government.

Nope. I went back and read the post. No ocean liners. Sorry. So not only are unimformed, partisan, and a bad writer. You're delusional to boot. Poor Larry.

Is that too fast for you?

Trust me. I keep up with you in neutral. Just pace yourself and don't worry about me. When you get excited, you get extremely disorganized.

[lilylangtree]

I too am tired of the Kennedy camelot myth. The Kennedy sire got his money bootlegging and hanging out with the Mafia in 20s & 30s. Old Joe loved his mistresses too. A trait passed on to all of his sons. The Kennedy family and relations are BORING, immoral, degrading and degenerate. Now if mainstream media would take a hint and quit playing and re-playing this tiresome myth.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

"SHE", not "he"!

[presidio9]

Sorry everyone. I must leave now.

Promise?

For good?

[Too_Bad]

Strong Presidents exercise their levers of power to get what they want.

Somewhere in that statement is lost the fact that the government is the servant not the master of the citizen.

JFK was not the first nor the last President to use "Mafia tactics" to achieve a goal.

Yeah, all in the spirit of "but what you can do for your country."

[BlessedByLiberty]

Now are you describing the Kennedy's or the Clinton-media connection? :)