President John F. Kennedy Speaks To Us From Across The Ages About Today's Crisis

 One Year Ago I started a project to present the brief Kennedy Presidency as an example of when our leaders attempted to deal with crises by putting the "General Welfare" principle of the people first. 

The United States has a largely poor track record in its history of standing for that idea...with exceptions. In 1961, we started on a different track, which if anything showed the potential of Americans to overcome our conflicted history and do great things, because we had leadership that was disposed to try to bring out that potential, albeit in a flawed way. 

President Kennedy was such a leader. Which is why they had to kill him. 

I have another piece which I will repost on JFK's showdown with US Steel Corporation in 1962, in which he dramatically asserted the Public Interest in regard to the flagrant actions of that outfit in defiance of the General Welfare. I'll post that in the comments. 

Unfortunately, JFK left a lot on the table undone when he died, because on social policy he felt he had little mandate to do much because his election victory was so slim. He was pushing a large element of his agenda into a second term which as we know, never happened. 

LBJ tried to pick up the baton and carry forward, but as we know he destroyed himself in Shakespearean fashion with the Vietnam War. He destroyed a lot people and their faith in government as well. 

The murder of JFK was a turning point for the US. It opened the door to a mentally ill lying fascist, Kennedy's 1960 opponent Richard Nixon coming into the Presidency. It is Nixon's "kindergarten" of financial pirates, "Southern Strategy" racists, fixers and dirty tricksters who we are fighting today, literally, who are the Trump machine. 

That is worth thinking about. If John F. Kennedy were President today, how would he be dealing with the insurrection, the Pandemic, the Red State repudiation of free elections, or the rulings of a fascist Supreme Court which is trying to revive the States Rights outlook of the Confederacy? How would he have dealt with Russia interfering with our elections, or threatening to invade nations aspiring to join NATO? What would he say about Politicians and judges who defend racist cops who execute their suspects without due process? What would JFK have done if Nixon had tried to overturn the 1960 election by calling forth a violent attack on Congress? 

Again, these are questions worth asking. Then compare your answers to what is being done, or not done in the present. And if you aren't happy with the result of this accounting, what does it mean for us, and what should we do? 

If we don't ask ourselves these questions, then act on the answers, why bother studying history?

From the archives, December 4, 2020

When we had a President who stood for the General Welfare--

I'm working on a project which is a revisiting of the JFK Presidency, with the intent of providing some guideposts for policymakers today, not just on needed programs, but for an orientation which reflects the "General Welfare" concept as it applies to the functioning of the US Presidency. 

In the course of it, I have found some quotes which are literally Gold, if looked at from the standpoint of what passes for governance today, so I'm simply going to post some of President Kennedy's statements without editorial comment. (LFR)

On the role of the Presidency--

"Today a restricted concept of the Presidency is not enough. For beneath today's surface gloss of peace and prosperity are increasingly dangerous, unsolved, long postponed problems that will inevitably explode to the surface during the next four years of the next administration... This administration (Eisenhower) has not faced up to these and other problems. Much has been said--but I am reminded of the old Chinese proverb; 'There is a great deal of noise on the stairs, but nobody comes into the room". "The President's State of the Union message reminded me of the exhortation from King Lear that goes; "I will do such things--what they are I know not...but they shall be such wonders of the Earth". 

"In the decade that lies ahead-- in the challenging revolutionary sixties,--- the American Presidency will demand more than ringing manifestos issued from the rear of the battle. It will demand that the President place himself in the very thick of the fight, that he care passionately about the fate of the people he leads, that he be willing to serve them at the risk of incurring their momentary displeasure....we will need instead what the Constitution envisioned; a Chief Executive who is the vital center of action in our whole scheme of government"

"...The President's responsibility is to all the people. He must strengthen them--and draw strength from them; educate them--and represent them; pledge his best--and inspire theirs....If he constantly reassures an imperiled nation that all is well, if he answers all critics with an air of infallibility, or, worst of all, if he himself is not informed and therefore cannot inform the people-- then the Presidency has failed the American people".  "In 1960, we must elect a President who will lead the people--who will risk, if he must, his popularity for his responsibility".

"The President's responsibilty cannot be delegated. For he is the one focal point of responsibility. His office is the single channel through which there flows the torrential pressures and needs of every state, every Federal agency, every friend and foe". 

"The President should be the Captain of the bridge, and not leave it to the helmsman to sail without direction. For in the words of Socrates; "If a man does not know to what port he is sailing, no wind is favorable". 

After his Inauguration--

"President Eisenhower said to me on January 19th, 1961, he said "There are no easy matters will ever come to you as President. If they are easy, they will be settled at a lower level".

"It is much easier to make the speeches than it is to finally make the judgments, because unfortunately your advisers are frequently divided. If you take the wrong course, and on occasion I have, the President bears the burden of the responsibilty quite rightly. The advisers move on to new advice".

On his relationship to the Press--

"It is never pleasant to be reading things that are not agreeable news, but I would say that it is an invaluable arm of the Presidency, as a check really on what is going on in the Administration, and more things come to my attention that cause me concern or give me information. So, I would think that Mr. Khrushchev, operating a totalitarian system--which has many "advantages", as far as being able to move in secret, and all the rest--there is a terrific disadvantage to not having the abrasive quality of the Press applied to you daily" ....

"Now, on the other hand, the Press has the responsibilty not to distort things for political purposes, not to just select some news in order to prove a political point. It seems to  me their obligation is to be as tough as they can on the Administration, but do it in a way which is directed at getting as close to the truth as they can get, and not merely because of some political motivation".

"Perhaps the gravest responsibilty of all rests upon the office of the President. No President can excuse or pardon the slighest deviation from irreproachable standards of behavior on the part of any member of the Executive branch".