Joe Bauer

I know it's Wiki...but their brief summary does inform and inspire one enough to want to read this book. The Power Elite - Wikipedia The Power Elite is a 1956 book by sociologist C. Wright Mills, in which Mills calls attention to the interwoven interests of the leaders of the military, corporate, and political elements of society and suggests that the ordinary citizen is a relatively powerless subject of manipulation by those entities. Author‎: ‎C. Wright Mills Publisher‎: ‎Oxford University Press Publication date‎: ‎April 19, 1956

Ron, yes. The gold issue is thought provoking. JFK handled so many questions about the American pilot prisoner release by the Soviets as well. Tricky territory. One ill-thought comment on this event could have serious repercussions. Notice JFK's answer to the question of Francis Gary Powers continued detention by the Soviets even though they were releasing these two other American pilots? Again, JFK had to be very cautious, thoughtful and discreet and he was.

This is a really interesting piece. 37:17NOW PLAYING President John F. Kennedy's First Televised News Conference of January 25, 1961 JFK Library 43 years young JFK's poise and thoughtful remarks and responses are remarkable in so many ways imo. Remember, JFK had only been in office just a few days before this news briefing. The most heavy issues of world conflict and peace and foreign policy ( Soviet issues especially as well as Cuba and Laos ) as well as changing national priorities from the previous administration are thrown at the young President who meets them head on with a calm, reasoned and seemingly informed deftness that is impressive. JFK's moral, political, social and world humanity views are identifiable even in the very first days of his presidency and this news briefing. World peace, de-escalation of world tensions, respecting the sovereignty of all nations and peoples, improving the lives of common people everywhere. Seeing this first nationally televised news briefing by JFK and watching his calm, mature and respectful manner and listening to his thoughtfully measured and informed responses to a long list of hard point questions by many of our top White House news correspondents of the day ( you hear JFK mention "Sandy Van Oker's" name ) makes one appreciate JFK's intelligent and respectful Presidential public speaking, bearing and behavior to an almost reverential degree compared to our current White House press situation which has mostly devolved into thousands of childishly immature, personally insulting and divisive tweets. You can see in this January, 1961 news briefing that just in office JFK is understandably cautious and reserved much more than he is years into his Presidency where he seems much more relaxed and enjoying of interjecting his trademark witty humor ( respectfully lighthearted ) in his press appearances. Surely do miss such classy presidential public speaking and behavior versus incessant base, insulting and nation dividing tweets of today. And, we don't even have White House News briefings anymore! And our main stream news media accepts this cut off loss of democracy principled public informed transparency with virtually no protest? It's cringing to watch someone continually bitch slapped by a bully and never fight back.

Paul you're right. I am going back and editing my post to delete the comparison.

Just a curious side note: According to the Mojo website, tickets sales for the Irishman are $960,000 internationally. Ticket sales for domestic are tied into different venues besides movie theater ticket sales and Mojo has no listing for these. However, The Irishman's competitor film "The Joker" has a listed ticket sales total of over 1 BILLION dollars so far. Over $750 million internationally and over $350 million domestic. It shouldn't, but that mind boggling discrepancy will probably play into the politics of Academy Award winner choices. Yet, who knows?

Interesting.

Paul Paul, I don't have a really good reason to compare the two, except perhaps the view by some that Mae Brussell ( who came out with many conspiracy claims that seemed quite "out there" at the time) was also looked upon ( again by some ) as an obsessive eccentric and questioned her research and motives in sharing her views publicly. Although everyone agreed Mae Brussell ( like JVB ) was indeed a very bright and intelligent woman.

M. Allison. Any thoughts on the Lewis's and especially Anna Lewis regards her statements in an interview that she did see Lee Oswald and Judyth together? How about Judyth's sister who has reportedly claimed Judyth talked about an affair in N.O.? Has this sister stood by Judyth all these years or at anytime pulled her support and/or said anything indicating Judyth's credibility being suspect? Judyth's statements about Alton Oshner are intriguing, provocative and quite specific regards his arrogant prickly personal demeanor. Was everything she mentioned about Oshner already out in the published domain before her book? Were the extreme and covert political beliefs and actions of Oshner common knowledge before Judyth? How about a supposed project of trying to kill Castro through the lowering of his immune system and introducing some deadly agent into his system? Do you believe Castro hating Oshner could have been a facilitator of such a project. Could you find any false or plagiarized statements in Judyth's accounts of Oshner in fact checking other previously published accounts of him? Even in a general way? How about Mary Sherman? Did Judyth exaggerate her relationship with Sherman or even made it all up? The claims of coded free long distance call access ( that we now know existed ) that Judyth claims Oswald used to call her? Was this fact also something already published before Judyth's tale? You state Judyth seems very nice and very intelligent. Has she exaggerated her adolescent academic achievements and awards and assignments to educational institutions she lists? And lastly, Jim Garrison mentioned Reilly ( or Reily? ) Coffee Company and even NASA as connected to intelligence agencies and used to temporarily hire assets with cover jobs. Jobs that were possibly not even real in the sense of fitting these peoples skills and experience. Judyth's job at Reilly (which nothing in her background qualified her for) did seem to fit this incongruous pattern. I also go back and forth with JVB and her credibility.

Exactly.

If our highest legislative government, military and intelligence officials really believed Castro was behind JFK in Dallas on 11,22, 1963, does anyone really think they would have not done more to punish him than simple economic sanctions we initiated on Cuba even before then? Castro's killing of JFK would have been considered an "act of war" to the highest degree. Outside of a straight on major military retaliatory strike against Castro for taking out our President, the least our leaders would or should have done was to punish him, his regime and his country with economic, political and even Psy Op strangleholds so massive and severe in every way as to create a living hell on that Island. Well beyond the ones we had already imposed and that helped make life in Cuba difficult and materially poor ( but not so crushing as to foment constant rebellious society unrest) for decades. However, on a hugely increased, pounding and deserved act of war retaliatory level we did not. Despite his country's material poverty, relatively speaking, Castro and his regime hold flourished after JFK and for most of the rest of his life. The absence of highest war crime punitive action against Castro tells me that either our powers to be gave Castro a pass for doing JFK, or they really didn't think he did it. One would expect super aggressive Curtis LeMay and other Joint Chief generals pounding tables in personal grief and anger about Castro eliminating their beloved Commander In Chief and shouting "CASTRO WILL PAY" for this dastardly, cowardly ultimate act of war against our nation. But we know they didn't react like this. Same with LBJ, Hoover, super patriots William Harvey, Frank Sturgis, David Morales, David Phillips, E.Howard Hunt, William F. Buckley Jr., our oil barons Hunts, Murchisons, General Edwin Walker and the far right JBS and Minutemen ( and even our Mafia heads who loved to say they really were patriotic to our nation - look at what they did for their country during WW II) and every other JFK/RFK hater. It's a sick thought ... but for the most rabid JFK haters you have to wonder whether they thought Castro did them a favor? No, if Castro really did JFK, our vast government, military and intelligence power structure would have known this fact... and been "forced" to do more against Castro than they ever did ... IMO.

Lansdale was "staying at a nearby hotel." ??? You mean Newman told you Lansdale "was" staying at a Dallas/Fort Worth area hotel during the time JFK was killed? Do you personally believe this report of Lansdale's presence there at this time? And do you believe Lansdale may have had some connection to the event? Do you believe the well known photo of the suited man walking by the tramps in front of the Texas School Book Depository Building as they were being lead to police headquarters right after the shooting of JFK was Lansdale as Fletcher Prouty believed and General Victor Krulak seemed to agree with?

Was it credibly established that Lansdale was in the Fort Worth/Dallas area at the time of the assassination? Also, regards the discovery of Shaw's S&M paraphernalia including whip, chains, black cape, etc. Does anyone expect a person of Shaw's social standing to be open and honest about this kind of personal activity? Shaw was a man of many secrets well beyond average.

Kirk, I agree. You don't want to cloud the motive search with a lot of exposition about the extremely perverted sexual proclivities of some of the main characters. I only mention Shaw & Ferrie and their deviations to argue my point that Stone's insertion of the Willie O'Keefe scenes was really pretty tame compared to what Stone could have shown with those two characters. Stone also could have gone heavier into Jack Ruby's Carousel strip club scene and shown more of his girl's graphic performances if he really wanted to spice up his film's sexual appeal. However, he didn't. In watching JFK again I noticed in a scene the showing of a table name block with the name partially blocked out by I believe a plant on the table. The name was General Edward Lansdale. How much weight did Oliver Stone give the Lansdale connection in the JFK assassination plot?

Stone's Bacon was tame compared to what Stone COULD have depicted regards Clay Shaw/Bertrand and his real life "whips, chains, black capes" and other SM tools and dressings that were found in his residence and which were obviously used to inflict sadistic pain upon his young pick-ups. Shaw's other sexual act deviations were reportedly even more sordid. Same with Ferrie. Imagine what Stone could have shown regards Ferrie's real life sexual activity? Bacon's Willie O'Keefe was a benign deviant shock figure imo. Also, The Irishman sure didn't do well at the Golden Globes. And De Niro, Pacino and Scorsese looked bored as hell. And regarding using Scoreses's high priced pals in the film despite their advanced age and non-Irish looks and accents and spending millions of dollars on de-aging tech, I think it all kind of back-fired. Why get an actor who doesn't look or sound like the main story character to play this role? When normally crazy - eyed Woody Harrelson ( who I always think of as much more an eccentric comedic actor ) was chosen to play LBJ I busted out laughing! WHY? Simply Harrelson's name and star power in the lead role? They had to make a hideous mask of LBJ for Harrelson to wear ( ludicrously distracting ) instead of just finding a decent actor who looked enough like LBJ in the first place? So many actors who played JFK in films actually looked like him ( Bruce Greenwood's performance was the best ) to a non-distracting and believable degree. Ah, well perhaps there just weren't any good actors who truly looked as beady-eyed, elephant eared / hang-dogged ugly as LBJ truly was during casting time for the film? Maybe hefty John Goodman could have pulled the LBJ role off without being fitted with a laughably stiff and hideous wooden mask such as Harrelson's? Huge prosthetic ears alone would have been okay.

I agree with Jim Di's assessment above. However, I feel Trump is in a special category all by himself versus the other Republican Presidents mentioned. One that sets him far apart in the area of emotional, psychological and moral make up. One that makes him and his power and actions more potentially dangerous and damaging to our national well being. On top of Trump's clear promotion of the top 1% ( of which he is a member) over the rest of our society, to me he is the greatest mental case afflicted President in modern times.

I agree with the above post. Also, the audience for JFK seemed a lot younger in my memory than the audience for "The Irishman." I was just over 40 when JFK came out. No bladder issues like I and so many theater patrons seem to have now. A movie centered around major political and criminal characters from the 50's and 60's better have incredible historical and even personally effecting significance to draw in an audience younger than 60. I watched JFK again last night. Each time I do so, of course I see it's flaws. The film did very well when it came out however. For many reasons. One was that the massive societal psychic trauma about JFK's brutal daytime slaughter right next to his young wife was much deeper in it's personal effect on almost every American alive when it happened than has ever been adequately reported and understood imo. Hoffa's death? And this major JFK assassination trauma was further deepened by a very real and disturbing sense in the minds of Americans ( again the majority - from 1963 to 1993 ) that the full truth of JFK's murder and it's perpetrators was not honestly revealed in the official government finding. The JFK assassination and it's official overly simplistic lone gunman explanation always made most American citizens kind of sick in their common sense truth wanting gut. Stone's JFK finally brought this society wide truth and trust suspicion trauma into the mainstream zeitgeist in a fuller quantum leap public way than anything before it. I feel Stone understood how deep the JFK event trauma truly was in most Americans ( even 30 years after ) and how hungry those effected by it were to finally see and hear something that reflected their trauma and suspicions in a more honest and meaningful way than our own government and the great majority of our mass media's simplistic downplaying previous. Stone's assessment of the deeper trauma and suspicion in our society over JFK and the true hunger and need to finally acknowledge and face this reality was a correct one ... as reflected in JFK's huge ticket sales both here and abroad and also, the film's staying power as a film that is still considered important and replayed, viewed and discussed often in many media/entertainment/public discourse venues even almost 30 years after it's initial release. And who can resist the deliciously rich and compelling performances of so many top flight actors in JFK? The entertaining yet disturbing eccentricity of it all captured perfectly. The list is endless! Jack Lemmon, Ed Asner, Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman, Kevin Bacon, Donald Sutherland, John Candy, Joe Pesci, Sissy Spacek, Walter Mathau, and on and on. Costner himself doesn't do it for me usually ( to me there's a flatness ) but I do think he was good as a soberly courageous, doggedly driven for the "let justice be done though the heavens fall " truth Jim Garrison. And he is easy to watch as far as his manly attractiveness. Stone's film JFK is as entertaining as it is serious and important just with all it's great actor single scene stealing performances! Scorcese's "The Irishman" just can't compare to Stone's "JFK" in this context.

Ruth finds the "rough draft" of the letter Oswald wrote. She decides not only to read it but then takes the unusual action of making her own handwritten copy of this. Even though RP already knew about Oswald's extreme political activity in New Orleans and his efforts at getting Marina back to Russia, it's still a bold privacy invading thing to do and you'd think her Christian principles might tell her this was wrong? And if she was willing to invade Oswald's privacy to the point of copying his personal notes, it seems obvious that she would have also have taken a look at Oswald's other personal stuff in the garage when he wasn't around. Watching Ruth Paine in the video "the Trial Of Lee Harvey Oswald" ( on You Tube ) and hearing her testimony under questioning by Gerry Spence and Vincent Bugliosi you really get a feel for how much she personally hated Oswald and was jealously protective of Marina Oswald at the same time. Her undermining Lee Oswald as much as she did makes total sense in this context.

Doug, or anyone else. Is this account of Maxwell Taylor crying about the death of JFK available to see? Any link to this story would be appreciated. Also, I recall another child of a high ranking military official sharing his recollection of his father being very personally upset the day ( specifically the early evening during the family dinner? ) of JFK's demise regards something about a shutdown or lock down of communications at the Pentagon which the father felt was indicative of something ominous? I may have the exact story wrong. JFK vs. the Military - The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com › magazine › archive › 2013/08 › jfk-vs-the-... Sep 10, 2013 - Every enlisted man dreams of it: pulling rank on the military's highest brass. ... War II,” Joint Chiefs Chairman Lyman Lemnitzer later said of Kennedy. .... force that his White House military adviser, General Maxwell Taylor, had .... “Those sons of bitches with all the fruit salad just sat there nodding, saying it ...

Bobby Kennedy Jr. saying negative things about Adam Schiff? And not about Donald Trump? I would be shocked to find that RFK Jr. didn't feel that Trump is 100 X worse for the country than Schiff. Or, maybe I and many others have a really misinformed and naive view of RFK Jr. and his true moral and political beliefs and principles?

HA! Love that quote.

Really? Wow. Yeah Steve...in certain ways...it does.

LBJ just 'LOOKED' mean, ruthless, devious and crooked.

Thank you Dave.

Seriously, wishing everyone here the best holidays and New Year wishes. In my case I have to laugh about my 2019 Xmas time doings. Rough, but still very grateful and hopeful and appreciative. Starting two months before 12/25/2019 I was hospitalized for 6 days with a serious diverticulitis infection. Then one week after discharge picked up this killer upper respiratory thing that has effected millions across the country. Mine turned into beginning Pneumonia. Still have chest coughing from that two months later! Afib episode during this, ER care for that one. Prostate problems with bleeding right after that. Looks like I re-fractured my L-4 vertebrae in last two weeks ( did so two years ago ) probably from coughing so hard and so much. Pain is as intense, constant and in exact same location as first fracture. Walking using the back of a high back office chair with wheels. If JFK had back pains as bad as mine right now...he was worthy of our admiration for doing as much as he did despite it. Really, not listing these woes of mine for sympathy. To me, it's painfully humorous. How many things can happen to someone during the Holidays like this? This forum is a welcome diversion during all of this. What luck Joe.