It was Al Qaeda on the grassy knoll
44 years ago today U.S. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. I don’t know the circumstances and I obviously have no unique insights. But I can say that it is well regarded as an conspiracy. Anyways enough of my words. Let’s hear some of his words from a speech about secret societies and freedom of the press…
Watch on YouTube. Longer version on Google Video.
With transcript below courtesy of PhotoGabble (a blog).
The very word secrecy is repugnant in a free and open society and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies to secret oaths and to secret proceedings.
We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far out weigh the dangers which are sited to justify them. Even today there is little value in opposing the threat of an enclosed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions.
Even today there is little value in ensuring the survival of our nation, if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be ceased upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment.
That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control and no official of my administration, weather his rank is high or low, civilian or military should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle decent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press or the public the facts that they deserve to know.
For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that rely’s primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence. On infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on gorillas by night instead of army’s by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed not published, its mistakes are buried not headlined, its dissenters are silenced not praised, no expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed.
No president should fear public scrutiny of his program. For from that scrutiny comes understanding and from that understanding comes support or opposition and both are necessary. I’m not asking your newspapers to support an administration but I am asking your help in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the American people for I have complete confidence in the response and dedication of our citizens whenever they are fully informed. I not only could not stifle controversy among your readers I welcome it. This administration intends to be candid about its errors, for as a wise man once said “an error doesn’t become a mistake until you refuse to correct it”.
We intend to accept full responsibility for our errors and we expect you to point them out when we miss them. Without debate, without criticism no administration and no country can succeed and no republic can survive. That is why the Athenian law maker Solan decreed it a crime for any citizen to shrink from controversy and that is why our press was protected by the first amendment. The only business in America specifically protected by the constitution not primarily to amuse and entertain, not to emphasize the trivial and sentimental, not to simply give the public what it wants but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises’ and our choices, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion. This means greater coverage and analysis of international news for it is no longer far away and foreign but close at hand and local. It means greater attention to improved understanding of the news as well as improved transmission and it means finally that government at all levels must meet its obligation to provide you with the fullest possible information outside the narrowest limits of national security.
So it is to the printing press, to the recorder of mans deeds, to the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news that we look for strength and assistance confident that with your help man will be what he was born to be: free and independent.
JFK thought there was a conspiracy ? Ironic, or predictable, that he should die in one?
Let’s examine the most revealing paragraph. (pp5)
“For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that rely’s primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence. “
Actually, unless it’s that trademark JFK accent obscuring the word, PhotoGabble misprinted this. If you listen carefully, it’s not ‘covert means’ it’s ‘covet means.’ He’s saying the “monolitic conspiracy” seduces people using money and power. Monolithic means the “conspiracy” is singular, organized and cohesive. They are ruthless, but how do they operate? Kennedy continues, “On infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on gorillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations. Its preparations are concealed not published, its mistakes are buried not headlined, its dissenters are silenced not praised, no expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed.”
If this had even a shade of truth in 1961, how to describe the situation today? How much further has this subversive conspiracy spread its tentacles after 40 more years? How much more “tightly knit” is it now?
Does it really have a scientific establishment? If so, what are these agenda driven scientists saying?
The good news is while “preparations” are still concealed by the mainstream of media, and dissenters are still not praised, these days, rumours are printed, and secrets are revealed. The Internet has changed the equasion. At least a little.
Now a bonus Presidential quote, this time from Dwight D. Eisenhower as he made his farewell address.
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.
In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
November 22nd, 2007 at 8:36 pm
When was the JFK speech made? That’s really quite shocking to me, actually - that he (or any public figure) would say that out in the open. It’s one thing to pay lip service to the freedom of the press (as no doubt some of that was), but to go off as he did in the paragraph you highlighted is very unusual.
Mind you, grammar grammar, Photogabble! Lots of errors there.
Though, slig, “covet means” doesn’t actually make grammatical sense either - though it is a nice play on words. I’ll leave you to the rest of your typos. (It is the internet, after all. And I’m sure this post isn’t perfect.)
Not that this is actually a useful comment or anything, but The Misfits did a pretty rad song that’s (kindof) about the Kennedy assassination called “Bullet” - though it’s more about forcing sexual favours from Jackie O, as I recall.
November 22nd, 2007 at 11:12 pm
JFK Speech to American Newspaper Publishers Asociation.. April 27, 1961
Longer version
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=642552841321950688
I knew there were lots of grammar errors once I saw the “covert means” misprint… but I wanted to share the text, despite its errors, for those who won’t bother to listen to the 5 minute speech.
And I am fairly certain that covet is what he said, not covert. I could be mistaken. I’ve seen it quoted both ways online, now. The word ‘covert’ has little meaning in today’s word of Jack Bauer mindsets. However it’s illustrative to hear the word ‘covet’ when talking about secret societies. They buy people by giving them them what they want. It’s like selling your soul I guess.
November 23rd, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Jack Bauer is the “24″ guy? Yeah, I’ve never watched that show.
And thank you for including the transcript (errors and all), because I wasn’t interested in watching the video.
“…Using primarily covet means” might make sense in a hip-hop context, where language is bent to serve specific purposes (like what you said about buying people by giving them what they want) - and perhaps that’s why it makes so much sense to you, given your own pretentions in the direction of hip-hop language.
But “using covet means” is also completely grammatically unsound. ‘Covet’ is a verb, while ‘covert’ is an adjective. ‘Covert’ describes the kinds of ‘means’ that are ‘used’, whereas .. well, let’s switch it up. Let’s say they expand their fears of influence using ’spy’ means or by using ‘invade’ means. It doesn’t make sense, given the way ‘covet’ is conjugated.
(Sorry for being so nitpicky on this point.)
November 24th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Again I say was it mearly a coinsidence that the New York Times reported two weeks before the invasion of Iraq that Sadam had entered into a deal with Russia,France,and Germany to finance the rebuilding of his ability to move the massive amounts of crude that lie’s in a Thirty to Forty Trillion lake therein.
Was about to turn that lake and trade it in euro’s not dollars,that was the straw that pushed the bastards into invasion.The ripple effect on the dollar would have been catastrofic.Yet it is never brought up by the critic’s(Democrats) for they serve the same corparate master.
God(if you belive in fairy tales)have mercy on us all.