JFK Papers

a lot of folk waiting with bated breath Annie sure there was a cover up of the real facts.This will either prove them right or stop them dreaming up more conspiracy theories.Its no bad thing for paperwork to come out of the closet.For anyone who hasn't heard of it read the McCrone report ,about Scotlands financial situation and oil ...written in the dim and distant past it was witheld for decades .It clearly shows that not only can we survive being Independent we can/could soar.The news that the UK government is witholding information on the effects of Brexit on Scotland is disturbing too,we need to know so we can prepare.If the rest of the UK is happy to blunder into it blindfold thats THEIR choice ....WE voted remain so we are interested in what mess we'll have to live with.So essentially keeping things under wraps for months or even 50 odd years is NOT a good idea .

We will not learn anything new about the murder of JFK , nothing which will stop conspiracy theories, nothing that will say why he was murdered, nothing to show Oswald wasn't a loner, nothing to show Ruby was or wasn't barking mad

How do you know all this Annie? You may well be right, on the other hand you may well be wrong.

Just my opinion

annie, you're absolutely right. I can't for the life of me see any point in dragging this up again. As you say, we will never know for certain the ins and outs of that assassination, and quite honestly do we want to?!! The people concerned, if they existed are by now almost certainly dead or extremely old, so what would we gain by knowing except vague interest?! Imo it''s all too long ago to make much impact.

Personally I agree with paddyann; I'm amazed to think that, from the point of view of future historians, people think it is OK for papers to remain undisclosed. I know there are still some documents which DT has reluctantly accepted will not be disclosed now for security reasons, but surely it is better to have as full disclosure as possible.

Apparently parts of the papers are being withheld for another six months, at the request of the CIA, I think. I would imagine it has more to do with the methods they employed at the time, rather than anything they discovered.
Saw a clip of the Kennedys arriving at Dallas; they looked thrilled to be there, full of smiles. So different from the Trumps , with their scowls, pouts and blank faces.

Oswald was the compulsory "red under the bed" America had and still does have issues with anyone who has socialist tendencies...they think socialism and communism is the same thing.Personally I always thought he was a very convenient person to have around to lay the blame on.The facts coming out that BEFORE the assasination the CIA/FBI contacted the UK with a statement saying they would have BIG news within hours says it all really.There was far more to this than a lone wolf

Being in a me me mood, I don't want to be reminded of that time. We were young and looked on JFK as almost the second coming, we would change the world . We wore Jackie Kennedy suits and hats too? And then that day in Dallas robbed us young of hopes and dreams . I loved 'the Camelot years' we had Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King too ?

Agree niggly, most are dead .

But if the CIA were involved then we do need to know. And some of the revelations about their plans to kill leaders of other countries makes my blood run cold. Some people may already be aware of this, but I wasn't (although I'm not overly surprised).

Nothing surprises me about politicians any more and I'm sure they're all perfectly capable of arranging just about anything. I too remember the feeling of hope and excitement at the election of such a charismatic young President, and his very attractive young family. They radiated a new modern forward way of thinking which died that day in Dallas. Not only did they look delighted to be there, but the crowds were genuinely delighted that they were. However, the Kennedy's had ties with the Mafia (allegedly) so who knows who or what was behind this murder, and Bobby's too. Perhaps it's better that we don't know, it could destroy Camelot and that would really be a pity.

Same for me niggly, we will never know if the Mafia and JFK were connected, who is around to deny or confirm it.

I do think his murder caused Jackie to marry Onassis , safety for her children and herself , she must have been so fearful

Never liked or trusted JFK or his brother. Revelations since have proved they were not what they appeared to be at the time.

Cheaters.

But revelations or opinions and rumours ?

The Kennedy brothers were like their father it seems, fidelity wasn't high on their agenda. I feel that's their business and my interest is in their contribution to politics. I don't expect they were much better or worse than so many politicians. What they did bring was youth and enthusiasm and what seemed like a genuine desire to improve the lives of Americans that the Republicans didn't focus on.

They were articulate, persuasive, dedicated and yes, attractive .

I'm with those who prefer documents to be open. I'd seen one of Kennedy's speeches on Communism and America's 'duty' to save the world from it during a visit to the Kennedy museum last year. Vietnam was part of that. I'm finding the documentary series compelling and very moving. It's so much a part of our generations coming of age. I'd known how bad the war was, I hadn't honestly known how bad the generals were - it's reminding me of WW1. Young men as cannon fodder with the mantra that as long as we kill more of them than they kill of us, all will be well. I wonder if JFK had lived whether he'd have had the courage to stop the war earlier than Johnson did.

A lot of people in public life are not all that they appear, far from it! but JFK, whatever his skeletons fitted the bill at that time and enthused a weary nation on both sides of the Atlantic, so different from the usual rather stuffy, worthy and dull leaders that had been churned out since who knows when, mind you Eisenhower cheated (during WW2) as did FDR , Lady Dorothy and Lord Boothby, (poor old Macmillan!) Can't think that Alec Douglas-Home cheated, but who knows, - no one is immune!!

There is an interesting novel by Stephen King about the assassination of Kennedy.

Why are they releasing the papers now? What bad news is being buried!

Iam64
Re JFK ending the Vietnam war. 'One of the conspiracy theories was that that was what he wanted, but the arms manufacturers who were making sqillions out of the war weren't going to have it, so, JFK had to die.

Cheating is a character flaw to me. Shows ones capabilities.

Yes, I think the truth needs to come out (but what will be happening in those six months?).

So many theories abound that it should put an end to speculation even though it is now part of history.

Oswald was the compulsory "red under the bed" America had and still does have issues with anyone who has socialist tendencies...they think socialism and communism is the same thing
But wasn't JFK a Democrat? Or is an American Democrat far to the right of a socialist?

morgana it's because 50 years have elapsed since the assassination like the period we have here when documents are released.