"Walking out of a meeting with top military advisors, Kennedy threw his hands in the air and said...

[drokhole]

“These people are crazy.”

for an incredibly brief backstory:

This was in 1961, when Kennedy refused to concede to the insistence of his top generals to give them permission to use nuclear weapons in Berlin and Southeast Asia (later remarking to Secretary of State Dean Rusk "and we call ourselves the human race").

http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=did_the_us_military_plan_a_nuclear_first_strike_for_1963


Now Obama needs to realize that the people he's dealing with are even crazier than the trigger happy war hawks from the Cold War, and to stand his ground. Love the walk out today, would love to see even more of Kennedy - and less Reagan - from the guy.

[Avalux]

1. Well done. K&R. n/t

[Faygo Kid]

2. Great post! K&R.

The Kennedys were tough. Imperfect? Yes, but visionaries, and smart and tough.

[CoffeeCat]

3. I can only imagine what it is like...

...dealing with this nest of psychopathic criminals. They've had decades in which
they rose in power, and Bush emboldened them. They think they're on a roll and to
some extent--they are.

I'm sure it's absolute hell, but you know what? Someone--the President, a Congress person--needs
to level with the American people and tell us exactly who these people are, what they're doing
and how they've destroyed our democracy.

I seriously don't believe that the President has any power. I believe this cabal tells him
how it's going to go down.

But seriously...we need someone who will come clean with us. Get them on tape, on video or
tap their phones. Whatever it takes.

We can't go on much longer like this--and it's only going to get worse. They're capable of
anything, and those "in the know" who say nothing are the reason they're getting stronger.

Who will be the hero?

[drokhole]

6. Great. Fuckin'. Post.

You hit the nail so completely on the head. In my opinion, it almost needs to be the president...as Thomas Merton once wrote (during the height of the Cold War/during Kennedy's presidency)

"The President can do a tremendous amount to get people to see the facts, more than any single person."

Kennedy was almost the last president to really level with the American people, especially with his American University speech. In fact, I highly recommend the the book "JFK and the Unspeakable" by James Douglass (http://www.amazon.com/JFK-Unspeakable-Why-Died-Matters/dp/1570757550)...it really outlines Kennedy's struggle with business/military, and his desire to level with the public (and, ultimately, his fate). Seriously, though, you are spot on (I recommend making your post an OP, in fact).

Oh, and this-

"...nest of psychopathic criminals."

Love that.

[CoffeeCat]

8. Hey thanks...

...I appreciate the book recommendation. Sounds like something I would love.

I'm always so relieved to read posts from people who "get it". Don't you think most
people are oblivious? They don't understand what has happened to our country.

It gives me hope when we all understand the reality.

:)

[drokhole]

9. To borrow one more quote from that book...

"When we live in a system, we absorb a system and think in a system. We lack the independence needed to judge the system around us."

Self-reflection (both personal and national) seems to be an incredible rare occurrence...which isn't surprising, considering the almost impossible task of undoing a lifetime of societal imprinting. Oblivious tends to be the result of standard operating procedure, but it's always great to see a kindred spirit - and it definitely does keep that hope alive!
:toast:

[hifiguy]

17. +100 for the Douglass book

It explains exactly how we came to be in the sewer we are in now. Essential reading for any citizen concerned about this country.

[bulloney]

24. Kennedy was almost the last president to really level with the American people...

It's probably why he was assassinated.

The MIC and the PNAC-types like to keep the people in the dark while they go their merry way playing their war games with other peoples' money and other peoples' lives.

[mopinko]

14. my biggest disappointment with obama has been finding out

just how little power the president actually has. especially with the military industrial complex. and the medical industrial complex.
such powerful groups of happy traitors.

i used to think that was the job of the media to pull back that curtain. no such delusions at my old age.

[Cal33]

20. It's quite possible that "those in the know" wouldn't dare to say anything either --

They might not live very long.

[gateley]

4. E mail him and tell him! I did - just that he's got our support

and admiration for standing up to the republicans - thanks! (Figure I send so many negative, I'm mad, e-mails, it was only fair to send a supportive one! :0)

[drokhole]

5. I agree! And just did!

Don't mind trying to help make the message abundantly clear!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. Errr, no, I think blowing up the world trumps any other crazy.

:nuke:

[Major Hogwash]

10. Yeah, walking out on a meeting with crazy people is sometimes the best thing to do.

Or else they invite you to put on a strait jacket and join them!!

[donheld]

11. love it

[Octafish]

12. Joint Chiefs and CIA Director Allen Dulles recommended all-out nuclear attack in 'fall 1963'...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7818616&mesg_id=7822745

[drokhole]

15. Thanks for the link(s), Octafish! nt

[LetTimmySmoke]

27. Can we rename that airport in DC already?

[JackRiddler]

13. Does anyone really believe these maniacs wouldn't have killed him if they thought he was soft?

[hifiguy]

18. They knew that JFK was deadly serious

about putting the rogue agencies and the MIC back under the control of the Presidency. After the Bay of Pigs he threatened to smash the CIA "into a million pieces" at least once.

Which is exactly why they killed him.

[Scurrilous]

16. K & R

:thumbsup:

[MrScorpio]

19. One of those guys was Gen Curtis LeMay

Whom this movie character was on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1KvgtEnABY

[sarge43]

25. We have no idea just how lucky we were that Eisenhower was CinC

when Curt "If it moves, bomb it" LeMay was running SAC. Ike knew the breed (he had to step on Patton more than once and in the early 30's was MacArthur's chief of staff)and he knew they had to be kept on a short leash.

I imagine Ike briefed JFK to that effect.

[JackRiddler]

21. knr

[Duct Tape]

22. K&R Great post. This is just gives me another reason

to admire JFK.

[Demoiselle]

23. Once again, I'm tearing up.

I started college in the fall of 1960, in Massachusetts, when the Kennedy/Nixon race was in full swing. We WON!!!
I remember sitting in my housemother's living room (one of few tv's in the house) watching President Kennedy speak to the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were all scared. He did all the right things.
And then, in November of 1963, as we were all getting set to come out into the world after graduation and join the President in his bold new decent world...it all came crashing down.
It has always been my instinctive understanding that he was tough but he wasn't buying the bullshit of the warmongers, and I loved him for it.
What a terrible loss for all of us.
I'm going to go into a corner and sniffle for a while.

[LetTimmySmoke]

26. The 1960 election is why were alive today.

Thank god for television.