The United States Need To Halt Its Decline
Here’s John F. Kennedy speaking at Robert Frost’s funeral:
(Frost) coupled poetry and power, for he saw poetry as the means of saving power from itself. When power leads men towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truth which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment.
And here’s another remarkable idea from JFK:
Strength takes many forms, and the most obvious forms are not always the most significant. The men who create power make an indispensable contribution to the Nation’s greatness, but the men who question power make a contribution just as indispensable, especially when that questioning is disinterested, for they determine whether we use power or power uses us.
If you can deal with a moment of sadness, try to imagine these words coming from the mouth of the current President of the Unites States, and realize how far this country has fallen in the last half century.
Craig,
Different times indeed, and a different media atmosphere!
JFK possessed many great qualities, not a great at his younger brother RFK but more than his youngest brother Edward.
The were all remarkable men with great qualities, but it was a time when the US was at the apex of power and influence.
Nostalgic makes the heart grow fonder and the prism of time can be very forgiving.
Consider;
1) JFK only won his election with the aid of organized crime and electoral fraud.
2) JFK was a serial plagiarist, philanderer and consummate liar.
3) JFK’s greatest speeches and written work was really the work of his ghost and speechwriter, 4) Ted Sorensen accompanied by a team of lesser writers.
5) JFK was in thrall to the odious Edgar J Hoover who blackmailed JFK into approving or being complicit in many high crimes and misdemeanors.
6) JFK role in Cuba and the Bay of Pigs disaster.
7) JFK and Vietnam
8) JFK had an adulterous affair with a notorious East German communist spy, Ellen Rometsch. Admittedly much better looking and considerably more intelligent and classy than Stormy Daniels, but the affair was conducted with the knowledge of the media and during his term in office(not 13 years earlier). The liaison only came to an end when his brother Robert objected.
9) JFK rarely let legal specifics deter his exercise of presidential power. At his behest in 1961, the Internal Revenue Service set up a “strike force,” the Ideological Organizations Project, targeting groups opposing the administration.
9) JFK’s description of the role of women, his use of derogatory descriptions of how women should be used and discarded as a form of instruction to his young male aides aides makes Donald Trump’s famous comments pale in comparison. The big difference is the male journalists in attendance around the White house pool, joined in the obscene discussion.
As I say, it was a different time when the press were happy to perpetrate the dream of ‘Camelot’. JFK was typical of his era and could rely on media discretion, Edgar Hoover and Sam Giancana (after all they shared girlfriends) to make sure his private life was kept private !
Ol’ Don maybe a lot rowdier, cruder and ruder, but he’s living in a different time, with a very different sort of media.
Maybe you should hearken to the words of Adam Walinsky legislative assistant and speechwriter to both JFK and RFK. (Adam Walinsky is now a fervent Trump supporter).
[ https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/09/rfk-trump-2016-democratic-party-speechwriter-214270 ]
As I say, Commeth the hour, Commeth the man !
( But I do like Robert Frost, and both JFK, RFK and even EMK, all great men from a different era).