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To: liberallarry
We used the Mafia because they were convenient and available.

But JFK used Mafia tactics himself. The one event which goes little noticed but which sent chills down the spine of the business community was JFK's attempt to roll back steel price increases by persuasion. His "persuasion" was little more than the Mafia tactic of extortion. He called prominent steel executives to the White House threatening them with anti-trust action if proposed price increases were not abandoned. [He had a willing Attorney General as the enforcer.] On a parallel track, the executives were threatened with IRS audits [with a fine tooth comb] not only of their companies' returns but also of their individual returns. Many of us don't like the IRS, but at least thanks to millions of similarly situated taxpayers, we are more or less anonymous to that agency. When the power and intimidation of the Chief Executive comes down on some citizens because their actions are contrary not to established law but to a policy of the President of the U.S., we all have something to worry about.

152 posted on 11/21/2003 10:53:02 AM PST by Too_Bad
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To: Too_Bad
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.
166 posted on 11/21/2003 11:20:08 AM PST by kabar
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