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| The Enduring Cult of Kennedy | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Nov 27 2011, 11:59 AM (246 Views) | |
| George K | Nov 27 2011, 11:59 AM Post #1 |
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Finally
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/opinion/sunday/Douthat-The-Enduring-Cult-of-Kennedy.html?_r=2&ref=todayspaper
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Renauda | Nov 27 2011, 12:56 PM Post #2 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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This appears to be a timely follow up to Chris Hitchen's 2006 article debunking JFK's legend, or if you like, cult status: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2006/09/feckless-youth/5095/2/ |
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| George K | Nov 27 2011, 01:00 PM Post #3 |
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Finally
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Thanks, Renauda. Going into my "things to read between cases" bookmark. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| jon-nyc | Nov 27 2011, 01:25 PM Post #4 |
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Cheers
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That Reagan and Kennedy can even be in consideration shows both (1) recency bias, and (2) lack of historical perspective. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| George K | Nov 27 2011, 01:31 PM Post #5 |
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Finally
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It's almost half a century since Kennedy's death. Is that too soon to make an assessment? How much perspective does one need? At the time of Lincoln, they talked about Madison, Washington and Jefferson. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| jon-nyc | Nov 27 2011, 01:37 PM Post #6 |
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Cheers
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I didn't say it was too soon. THe day after he died you could make the assessment that he wasn't in the running for greatest president ever. Same with RR. (day after he left, in his case) |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| George K | Nov 27 2011, 01:43 PM Post #7 |
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Finally
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'Splain, please? I'm not disputing that he wasn't one of the greatest, I'm questioning what historical perspective one needs to make that judgment. |
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| jon-nyc | Nov 27 2011, 01:49 PM Post #8 |
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Cheers
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I understand how you interpreted my words, I was a bit ambiguous. I don't mean that one lacks temporal distance required for a proper perspective on JFK/RR (though that's also true), rather I mean one obviously lacks perspective on the overall course of US history to consider someone like JFK or RR to be in the running for the top. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| jon-nyc | Nov 27 2011, 01:55 PM Post #9 |
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Cheers
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Excellent piece, I hadn't read that before. |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| jon-nyc | Nov 27 2011, 02:00 PM Post #10 |
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Cheers
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(for those who read the Hitch piece, note that his link is to the second page) |
| In my defense, I was left unsupervised. | |
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| George K | Nov 27 2011, 03:17 PM Post #11 |
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Finally
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Fair 'nuff. I was making gravy.
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A guide to GKSR: Click "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08 Nothing is as effective as homeopathy. I'd rather listen to an hour of Abba than an hour of The Beatles. - Klaus, 4/29/18 | |
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| Aqua Letifer | Nov 27 2011, 03:28 PM Post #12 |
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ZOOOOOM!
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This is what happens when people don't know what the **** they're talking about. First of all, can we assume the author isn't a Kennedy fan? Is that or is that not particularly evident? So my question is, is he or is he not just looking for support for his already formed opinions? But let's disregard that for a minute.
John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic president, at a time when people affiliated themselves more with their religion than the present. It was a big deal for some Catholics at the time. If this guy can't understand that then he lacks the context necessary to finish this article.
He founded the Peace Corps and got us to the moon. And when I say "got us to the moon," I don't mean that in the same way Al Gore invented the internet. (Although Gore did more for the internet than anyone familiar with the misquote would ever know to give him credit for). He made the "end of the decade" Moon deadline before NASA had any working plan to do so. He made the call against some of his staffers suggestions, unknownmost to others and during a time when the technology which would get us there wasn't even invented yet. His involvement in the space race was a big ****ing deal. And there aren't many who are willing to dismiss the Peace Corps as frivolous.
Okay this guy's just an asshole. |
| I cite irreconcilable differences. | |
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| Copper | Nov 27 2011, 04:58 PM Post #13 |
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Shortstop
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That's about right. |
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The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy | |
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