The Enduring Cult of Kennedy!

[Gerald]

THE cult of John F. Kennedy has the resilience of a horror-movie villain. No matter how many times the myths of Camelot are seemingly interred by history, they always come shambling back to life — in another television special, another Vanity Fair cover story, another hardcover hagiography. It’s fitting, then, that the latest exhumation comes courtesy of Stephen King himself. King serves a dual role in our popular culture: He’s at once the master of horror and the bard of the baby boom, writing his way through the twilit borderlands where the experiences of the post-World War II generation are stalked by nightmares and shadowed by metaphysical dread. In this landscape, the death of J.F.K. looms up like the Overlook Hotel. The gauzy fantasy of the Kennedy White House endures precisely because the reality of the assassination still feels like a primal catastrophe — an irruption of inexplicable evil as horrifying as any supernatural bogeyman. At its best, King’s new Kennedy assassination novel, “11/22/63” — which sends its protagonist back in time to change that November day’s events — offers an implicit critique of this generational obsession. (I am not giving much away when I reveal that the time-traveling hero does not succeed in freeing ’60s America from the cruel snares of history.) But its narrative power still depends on accepting the false premises of the Kennedy cult — premises that will no doubt endure so long as the 1960s generation does, but still deserve to be challenged at every opportunity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/op...me&ref=general


Note: November 26, 2011

[nikimcbee]

In before August.

I need to ask about the PT-boat stories.

[Torplexed]

That's the beauty of dying at the pinnacle of success and charisma. The wide-eyed idealistic optimists of yesteryear assume we would be living in some sort of political nirvana right now if Kennedy had escaped the assassin's bullet. Human and American history says otherwise. Ted Kennedy lived a long time and it often wasn't pretty.

[TLAM Strike]

For me JFK will always be the president who Canceled Project Orion and basically gave the finger all of humanity.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

For me JFK will always be the president who Canceled Project Orion and basically gave the finger all of humanity.

...and he did it just to spite you.

[Jimbuna]

Quite a good President IMHO.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

For me JFK will always be the president who Canceled Project Orion and basically gave the finger all of humanity.

And pray tell, why would canceling research on nuclear pulse propulsion be giving the finger to all humanity?

[August]

Steven King doing a story about JFK?

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Platapus

And pray tell, why would canceling research on nuclear pulse propulsion be giving the finger to all humanity?

It wasn't. TLAM just really, really likes space stuff.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Platapus

And pray tell, why would canceling research on nuclear pulse propulsion be giving the finger to all humanity?

By stranding us here on this rock to we wiped out by war, plague or the next comet that passes too close.

Not to mention the vast amounts of natural resources found outside of Earth that could be fueling our civilization right now:
One near Earth asteroid could have enough mineral wreath to pay off the US national debt.
Saturn has enough He3 to fuel a fusion reactor the size of Texas.
There is enough silica on Luna to build solar mirrors to control rising global temperatures.
and the Ort cloud has enough water to cover Mars in it.

Sooooo... economic collapse, energy crisis, climate change, water shortages: those would all be gone. Not to mention an Orion is one hell of an orbital defense platform capable to engaging ICBMs.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

By stranding us here on this rock to we wiped out by war, plague or the next comet that passes too close.

Not to mention the vast amounts of natural resources found outside of Earth that could be fueling our civilization right now:
One near Earth asteroid could have enough mineral wreath to pay off the US national debt.
Saturn has enough He3 to fuel a fusion reactor the size of Texas.
There is enough silica on Luna to build solar mirrors to control rising global temperatures.
and the Ort cloud has enough water to cover Mars in it.

Sooooo... economic collapse, energy crisis, climate change, water shortages: those would all be gone. Not to mention an Orion is one hell of an orbital defense platform capable to engaging ICBMs.

You're presupposing that space travel will change human nature.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

You're presupposing that space travel will change human nature.

Yeah well all the humans seem to get along pretty well with each other in Star Trek, Mr. Smarty Pants.

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

Yeah well all the humans seem to get along pretty well with each other in Star Trek, Mr. Smarty Pants.

Oh well in that case, QED.

[August]

Originally Posted by mookiemookie

Yeah well all the humans seem to get along pretty well with each other in Star Trek, Mr. Smarty Pants.

Really? From what i've seen of their various flavors, as long as they have to defeat the Borg or the Romulans they get along fine, but otherwise nearly every human visitor to the ship brings drama of one form or the other.

I remember coming home from school in 63 finding mum glued to the radio listening to the news about the death of President Kennedy.

Kennedy was a light to the free world at a time of despair after being devistated by global conflict, and looked like starting over with Russia. He brought hope to people around the world of better things to come.

I know since his death many things about his private life have been aired in public, but let he that is without sin, etc etc.

I find it a shame that people can only pick over this great mans spirit to glorify themselves with pointless and meaningless books and movies.