Of Kennedys and Kings
The denial of Secret Service Protection for the candidate who is the son of an assassinated presidential candidate marks a new low in American political behavior.
No matter what you think of RFK Jr., such behavior toward a legitimate candidate is more fitting with barbarians who are intent on ripping apart civilization for the next 1,500 years. The smiley face of America is coming down and in its place, we see a shiny iron fist.
The people who really run this country, aka the “Elite,” are getting better at separating presidents from their power. When John Kennedy decided to remove U.S. advisors from Viet Nam, and talked rashly about breaking the CIA into a thousand pieces, the response was brutal and bloody. It caused a trauma from which the country still hasn’t recovered.
Trauma Number Two was the removal of Nixon. While not as bloody as the Kennedy Assassination, the proposed impeachment and subsequent resignation of the president caused a loss of belief – well deserved – in the American system that was nearly as devastating as that in the wake of the Kennedy shooting.
The Elites have learned that preserving appearances in the affairs of the Empire is all important. In the late 80s, the Reagan administration was caught red-handed in an illegal arms-for-cocaine trade, called the Iran-Contra Affair. And they were almost caught in the October Surprise, in which the Iranians agreed to keep American Hostages in prison until after the Reagan-Carter Presidential Election, in return for weapons. Coincidentally the hostages were released just minutes after Reagan was sworn in as President.
Instead of violence, a committee of Elites convened the Tower Commission, which convinced the public to accept Reagan’s excuse that he “just didn’t remember.” Vice President George H.W. Bush’s role was covered up, even though Reagan said the VP knew about the scheme. A new team, led by Bill Clinton, was sent into the White House to run the country.
The contradictions inherent in maintaining the facade of democracy on top of the reality of a worldwide Empire that was run by a small elite have more or less functioned ever since. In fact, every presidency since JFK has finished badly or has survived only one term. Kennedy was shot, Johnson was forced not to run again, Nixon resigned, Ford was a short-term appointee, Carter survived only one term, Reagan’s “Morning in America” ended in scandal, G.H.W. Bush was a one-termer, Clinton was impeached, but not convicted, and G.W. Bush seemed more like a vice-president to Dick Cheney’s President.
“W” had the same dilemma as his predecessors, that is, even though he may have wanted to strike back at the Elites, he seemed to be without resources. The military top brass didn’t like him, ditto for Intelligence, many in Congress were elected on an anti-Bush platform, and the executive office, itself, was divided. Josh Bolten, the White House Chief of Staff, who was formerly at Wall Street’s fat-cat firm, Goldman Sachs, seems to have become the Elites’ watchdog there. There’s at least one in every presidential executive office.
The pitfalls besetting the Bush White House have only gotten worse. In Bush’s day:
• Then there was a growing quagmire in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, it’s Ukraine that seems insoluble.
• The lack of success of the Bush Administration on a whole variety of foreign and domestic policy initiatives, including those having to do with North Korea, Iran, and Latin America. In our time, we can add Russia, China, the BRICS, and even more to the list.
• A seriously weakening economy with massive deficits in trade and the federal budget since the beginning of the Century. Anyone following the news knows how bad financial matters have gotten for most people.
• At the same time, the loss of control of the US number one client state, Israel became a problem. The tail began wagging the dog, drawing the U.S. in even deeper into the Middle East quicksand. Israel is a greater mess than ever. It is known by more than 90 percent of the world as a racist and apartheid state. Even if the Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Pramila Jayapal, gets slapped down for uttering the words, everyone knows it’s true.
In Bush’s day, the Neo-cons, particularly Cheney, were agitating for attacking Iran. Now, they want to attack a failed state in Africa, Niger, which has been applauded by the rest of Africa for cashiering a do-nothing President and vassal of the West.
We have endured even more presidents who pretended to be kings. Most were just boring. But all of them were neoliberals in domestic policy and Neoconservatives in foreign policy. You know their names, although you may have forgotten what they did in office unless they had a major war. They were Trump, Biden, and regrettably, Obama. Perhaps, those young soldiers in Niger knew what they were doing.
The Main Stream Media is already trying to whip up support and excitement for the coming presidential election. What could be more thrilling than a close election, and you know it will be close, between Biden and Trump? In truth, it could only be exciting if RFK Jr. or Cornel West won the election. Somehow, I have the feeling that the Elites won’t let that happen, without a lot of violence.
What happens next? Will the US commit our boys to fight the Russians, or perhaps convince our loyal puppets in Poland to jump in for a piece of the pie? Or will it be Thermonuclear War? If the nukes start flying, let’s hope a copy of the film, Dr. Strangelove survives. That will give future generations or future species, the evidence that we knew what we were doing the whole time. It may send a warning down through the ages not to follow in our footsteps.
If there is a nuclear war, how will the Elites respond to the possibility that their lives might be on the line? If past behavior Is a clue, they’ll just say: “Bring It On!”
If history is any judge, including Viet Nam history, none of the various strategies and tactics being bandied about Washington is going to work. The foreign invaders - that’s us - will be tossed out on our ear after many more people die. Unfortunately, our ruling Elite seems incapable of learning anything new and lurches from one debacle to the next.
But what about the public? Are we also incapable of learning? Our presidents, no matter how old, or how senile won’t be dethroned without a revolution. The MSM and fake family in the White House are too good at deception. But will we ever notice the bipartisan “Men in the Shadows” who are pulling the strings?