NationStates Jolt Archive

Another Americentric thread; I apologize to those of you who count yourselves amongst the non-Americans on this board. But I feel that John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States of America, is a man of great importance to the history of the world as well as of the United States.

What do you think of JFK? Probably elected through voter fraud, possessing ties through his family to bootlegging and other criminal activity, and not exactly a faithful man to his wife, he is does not seem to be a shining example of a moral and ethical President.

Yet he is often referred to as one of the greatest Presidents in the history of the United States; he has been called the King Arthur to the Camelot that was the U.S. in the early 60s. Though at first he supported U.S. involvement in Vietnam, he eventually sought to pull the U.S. out of southeast asia. He sought peace with the Soviet Union when he could, notably through the Limited Test Ban Treaty. The Bay of Pigs fiasco - in which it could be said Kennedy simply got cold feet - ended up being a monument to his diplomatic skill. He pushed for space exploration in the 20th century. He was many things.

And his life ended tragically in what many say - and the evidence perhaps supports - was a government conspiracy driven by the military industrial complex which Eisenhower, Kennedy's predecessor, had warned against. [funny how things change]

What do you think of JFK?

I think he is the most overrated president in US history.

What do you think of JFK?
As far as leftist presidents go, Licoln was far greater.

What do I know about JFK... well, it's an airport, ain't it?

The more I learn about US American presidents, the less I want to think about them. There are few who actually seem nice yet the archives didn't find anything on them yet.

Eisenhower for example: he gave a green light to the assassination Patrice Lumumba by the CIA. Lumumba was fighting for an independant Congo, free from Belgian politics and because he had no friends at one side, he leaned towards the other side: communism. Luckily for him Lumumba was assassinated by a Belgian paracommando team. A part of Belgian kolonial history of which we aren't proud.

I just don't know JFK well enough to say anything remarkable or just about him. But from your descriptions he seems like an indecisive one, who changes his politics by the day.

For some reason, if you're famous and you die, even if you were an ass you are hailed as the greatest. It's hypocrytical and it makes me sick. This world really sucks.

I have very little knowledge of the guy. Well that doesn't stop me from
having an opinion :D
I saw a documentary about his brother, Bobby, In the documentary was
indicated that JFK wasn't upset by the 'voter fraud', but he was more
'sad' that he had to use Lyndon Johnson to win the needed southern states...
But as I said don't know much about the dude. Anyway his murder wasn't
justified (No murder is :rolleyes: )

Tiralon: Well, the politics of the 60s in America were difficult. No public official could appear "soft on communism." In those days, generally whoever appeared more hardline when it came to the Communists carried the election. Actually, when Kennedy aborted the Bay of Pigs invasion at the last moment and it was made public, his opponents claimed that he had gone soft on communism. That was a huge allegation, back then. Just an example of the mania that gripped the U.S. for forty years.

Also, I agree. Many Presidents are very disheartening to read about. But I suggest you learn more about the earlier Presidents. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln... all great men whom I think are a bit more respectable than, say, most of the Cold War-era Presidents, men who by their very nature approved black ops and terrorism.

The Imperial Navy: Kennedy was arguably a great President, though. And our head of state. His murder has been described as a psychic wound in the psyche of the United States; a loss of innocence. Oliver Stone's JFK described Americans as "a nation of Hamlets." He is relevant. Very relevant.

Niini: I suggest checking out wikipedia and reading about JFK. He's an interesting man. There are allegations that the mafia, which his family had connections with [his father made his fortune through bootlegging] stuffed ballot boxes in several states, but experts believe that that wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome. He did, however, win only by 100,000 votes, I believe. A mandate from the people, to be sure! LBJ [Lyndon Baines Johnson] was a hardline Democrat, but arguably is the President who is second only to Lincoln in what he did for Civil Rights and the plight of blacks in America.

He's overrated indeed.

Some people credit him with the moon landings. All he did was made a speech, it wasn't like the US was like 'oh let's go land on the moon now' the science was in place and he just happened to gain a figurehead status.

Civil Rights, that was all LBJ.

Then there's the whole cheating on his wife, Bay of Pigs so on so forth.

I think Kennedy was one of the greatest presidents America has ever had. A great man.

Eisenhower for example: he gave a green light to the assassination Patrice Lumumba by the CIA.

Source?

What do you think of JFK?


He's dead?

Died before my time, only know what I've read and what others have said about him.

What do you think of JFK?

The greatest friend of the modern day conspiracy nut.

JFK? Pretty cool guy! Sad he died so early. One of the best presidents the US have ever seen.

Regarding the conspiracy theories, that's all nonsense, it was the Soviets who killed him to take revenge for his actions in the Cuba crisis! :p

Roach Busters:

Marc Boone: Professor University Ghent, teaches Historical Criticy: a course that teaches a historian how to use a source of information with neutrality (may sound funny but didn't know how to put it differantly)

wrote a book together with Walter Prevenier (teaching in the US right now I think) and Martha Howell (an american professor, teaching at Columbia U in NY).

I think these count as valuable sources, right? :p

Niini: I suggest checking out wikipedia and reading about JFK. He's an interesting man. There are allegations that the mafia, which his family had connections with [his father made his fortune through bootlegging] stuffed ballot boxes in several states, but experts believe that that wouldn't have made a difference in the outcome. He did, however, win only by 100,000 votes, I believe. A mandate from the people, to be sure! LBJ [Lyndon Baines Johnson] was a hardline Democrat, but arguably is the President who is second only to Lincoln in what he did for Civil Rights and the plight of blacks in America.

Thank you :) I will check the information :)

What do you think of JFK?

I had to write a thesis paper on JFK for my Adv. English class. It was pretty neat cuz i learned alot more about his assassination than I knew or had learned in school.

Since JFK virtually averted a war with the USSR in the Cuban Missile Crisis, I'd say he's a good man.