Kennedy Assassination

Oliver Stone’s “Untold History Of The United States”: A Challenge To Traditional History Interpretation

Film make Oliver Stone has often been described are weird, controversial, and outside the mainstream in so many ways, including his political views, and his many controversial films, including those on John F. Kennedy’s assassination, and the lives and personalities of Richard Nixon and George W. Bush.

Many, including this blogger and author, have been skeptical about his approach to history and public affairs.

But now, Stone, and co-author Peter Kuznick of American University, have challenged all interpretations and analyses of American history since World War I, through World War II, and the Cold War and beyond, in their book and film series, entitled “Untold History Of The United States”.

They make new heroes and new demons, and turn our basic view of American history upside down and inside out.

They claim many myths exist, and rehabilitate many personalities that they feel have been given short shrift.

They are strong critics of American foreign policy since Woodrow Wilson, and offer a leftist view on the American past.

Whether one accepts or rejects their perspective and interpretation of the American past in the past century, they certainly draw one’s attention to consider re-evaluation of what are seen as standard beliefs about what happened, and who was responsible for the way America has evolved.

Their publication will likely be a best seller, and Showtime is offering ten one hour episodes on Tuesday nights at 8 PM EST, with the second week coming up this Tuesday.

This is a series and a book worth investigating!

Nicholas Katzenbach Dead: Major Figure In 1960s Issues Under Presidents Kennedy And Johnson

Another veteran of the Kennedy-Johnson era, Nicholas Katzenbach, has died at the age of 90.

Not as well remembered as others, partly because he wished to avoid the spotlight, Katzenbach was actually an extremely important figure, as Under Secretary of State, Deputy Attorney General, and Attorney General.

The author has the memory of Katzenbach confronting Alabama Governor George Wallace in June 1963, at the University of Alabama, when Wallace tried to block the registration of two black students, and Katzenbach took a firm stand, and Wallace stepped aside. Few more dramatic moments have occurred in a public place, with no one sure what would happen!

But Katzenbach was also involved in the integration of the University of Mississippi by James Meredith in 1962; the defense of the Vietnam War before congressional committees; the investigation of the assassination of President Kennedy; advice during the Cuban Missile Crisis; passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and struggles with J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI, but supportive of Robert F. Kennedy, the Attorney General before him.

The 1960s era fades ever more in history with the death of Nicholas Katzenbach.

47 Years After Kennedy Funeral, Has America Lost Its Idealism and Optimism About the Future?

A half century ago, when John F. Kennedy was President, there was a sense of idealism and optimism, a sense of commitment to others, and a belief that challenges could be overcome and great things accomplished!

Today, there is little sense of these feelings in America, and we have become a very self centered, materialistic society, in which family life has deteriorated, and gloom and doom resonates! 🙁

There is cynicism, pessimism, fear, and hysteria present among a large portion of the population, and no longer do most people believe in the so called “American Dream” of happiness and success!

We are being told that we cannot sustain New Deal social programs, cannot promote a decent education system, deal with the energy crisis, create jobs for millions of unemployed Americans, and rebuild our infrastructure which is in desperate need of repair!

A nation that does not have dreams and goals, but instead practices the art of personal destruction of public figures in the name of partisanship, is a nation in a terminal state if we cannot revive faith in the future! 🙁

Could it be that 47 years ago, with the Kennedy funeral and burial in Arlington National Cemetery on this day,  our nation’s greatness had reached its peak?

Some would say absolutely YES, that the nation never has fully recovered from the horrors of the Kennedy Assassination, and that we are in a funk of our own making that will bring us down to a second rate power, unless we can restore the feelings and beliefs so prevalent when John F. Kennedy was President of the United States!