Subject: Kennedy, morality and politics Date: 04/27/1999 Author: Simon Laub Kennedy, morality and politics. --------------------------------- --- Summary : Is there morality in politics ? If the answer is no, we shouldnt be surprised to see leaders assissinated. And we shouldnt be surprised to see wars etc. on our TV-screens. Then, what is the link between personal morale and the world situation ? President Kennedy could serve us an example of lack of morality in politics. --- --------------------------------- When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, some of us thought it was the dawn of a new and better age. But perhaps : Instead the pressure for excellence was gone and lackluster performances in areas like personal morale, justice and the rule of law could again be tolerated - As so often before in human history. It is this authors opinion, that justice, the rule of law and democracy is in serious trouble in a number of countries currently suppossedly on the good side in the ongoing Balkan conflict. Naturally, politicians like Clinton have a tendency to be able to get away with just about everything, from lying to worse. But the truth will out. Even it takes 40 years or more. From that perspective it is interesting to note, what is now known about the Kennedy presidency. Clintons idol. And it is interesting to note, that the lack of personal morale and respect for ethical standards by some western leaders then led to a number of very public failures. This should now make us push for higher standards in public office. Swift prosecution of criminal acts in high office, instead of just having leaders, that are expert in covering up. ------------------- I think Seymour Hersh, in the book "The dark side of Camelot", has effectively demonstrated, that the Kennedy presidency came about as the result of vote fraud. And it continued in cooperation with the Mafia to be involved in almost all sorts of illegal activity. The conclusion is: It happened once. Now we should be very alert, that it doesnt happen again. And we should definetely not trust leaders just because they are born in the western hemisphere. I am not saying that current western leaders are as bad as Kennedy - But I am saying that we should not take a relaxed view at personal morale. We should fix our own house before we run around telling other people what they should do. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Some issues raised in the Hersh book : Seymour Hersh: The Dark Side of Camelot : 1. Jack Kennedy health records were removed from public scrutiny after his death. They showed a man suffering from Addisons disease. Treated by Cortisone., The slain president had suffered from veneral diseases for more than 30 years. And was repeatly treated with very high doses of antibiotics, and repeatly reinfected because of his lifestyle. Furthermore he was constantly high on "feel-good" shots of amphetamines, originally administered to counter effects of other drugs. 2. Jack Kennedys grandfather: Honey Fitz of Boston - was unseated by the house of Representatives for vote fraud in 1919. He offered no defense other than the OJ stand "I’ve been framed". His opponent was sworn in instead. 3. Joseph Kennedy left nothing to chance in his drive to have his son elected to high office. In Jacks first campaign in 1946 hundred of thousands was poured into the campign for a congressional seat. The platform was extremely vague: "The next generation offers a leader" instead primary rivals were paid $7500 to stay out of the race, others were paid to join to split votes in key districts. 4. During prohibition Joe Kennedy had made a fortune in the bootlegging industri. Working hand in hand with organized crime, if not being a made member of the mafia. According to Frank Costello, the most powerful mafia boss of the 40s and 50s, he and Joe kennedy had been partners in the bootleg industri during prohibition. 5. Sometimes Kennedy had fights with other mafia members in the 20s. and "held a grudge" against several of them. Something which was passes on to his son, who was asked "to nail" some of enemys and protect his friends, when he was appointed attorney general. FBI agents often talked about the apparent contradiction between what they knew and Bobbys highly publicized campaign against organized crime. They figured it was the way several people had become famous. Fighting crime means you are a good guy ??? 6. Joe Kennedy was appointed ambassadour to Britain and had hoped to become american president himself. Unfortunately for him he didnt understood morale issues at all. So he had assumed that people would not fight Nazism, if it did cost them anything thing. He surely wouldnt. Besides, he had anti semitic feelings himself and could sympathize with much of the goings ons in Germany. Luckily - ordinary people does understand the difference between right and wrong and was going to stand up aganst nazism. He had made a fatal political error. And could never be elected american president. 7. For the 1960 presidential campaign Kennedy had chosen Symington as his running mate. But Lyndon Johnson forced his way into the ticket. He and J. Edgar Hoover had conspired - they lived on the same street in Washington - And Hoover had provided Johnsen with information about womanizing, things in Joe Kennedys past and anything he could dig up - enough to destroy Jack Kennedy. After having "accepted" Johnson as his running mate JFK said : "I’m 43 years old, Im not going to die in office. So the vice presidency doesnt mean anything ..." 8. In the 1960 presidential election there were vote fraud in 11 states. Here Kennedy had bought the election with the help of the mafia. Afterwards official investigations either never got under way, or was stopped by grossly partisan democratic judges. The planning of the fraud was carried out after meetings between Joe Kennedy and Sam Giancana, head of the illinois mafia. Interestingly enough they felt most secure when meeting in couthouses belonging to judges owing favours. In exchange for the election of Kennedy, the mafia would be giving better conditions for operation in Cuba and the US - and the help of the state to knock down rivals. 9. Later the mafia should help JFK get rid of Castro. Or perhaps it was the other way around. Kennedy should help the mafia reopen Cuba for business. In the planning of the bay of pigs. It was agreed between Santos Trafficante, mafia head in Miami, and the Kennedys, that the mob should knock down Castro in a surprise assassination, which should then be followed by an invasion by Cuban exiles. 10. For a period in the JFK presidency communication between the Kennedys and Sam Giancana (Chicago mafia) was done through a shared mistress, Judith Cambell Exner. 11. In the public Kennedy was portrayed as working hard and long hours for his country. In reality a good deal of his presidency was spend in various orgies. On an ordinary day Jack Kennedy would take lunch in the White House pool with "secretaries" Fiddle and Faddle. And have sex with prostitutes or starlettes in the evening. 12. Jack won the pulitzer prize for the book "profiles in courage". It is certain that Joe helped it make the bestseller list by buying up large numbers himself. Probably the book wasnt even written by Kennedy, but by a ghostwriter. Even though Kennedy knew its content. 13. In November 1963 Bobby Kennedy and friends had almost worked together a case against Johnson. A small bribery story from Texas was supposed to finish him off and send him back to Texas. Replaced with Bobby himself as his brothers vicepresident after 1964. 14. Later that month Jack was murdered. Where does this information leave us ? It leaves us with the information that this morale makeup brought the world close to a nuclear Holocaust. Small misdeamenors are properbly no good either :-) Simon Laub XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX It should be noted, that the views expressed above are my own, and not the expressed view of an organization, company or group.