I was surprised at the fiftieth anniversary of JFK's assassination. I wasn't looking forward to all the self-important reminiscing. Insured is all seemed quite subdued. I'd even say Doctor Who won this weekend's battle of the incongruous fiftieth anniversaries.
There was less of that usual "do you remember where you were when..." As there seemed a tacit acceptance that most of today's population wasn't anywhere. I actually felt sorry for the baby boomers for once.
But as a student of twentieth century history, I was disappointed in the superficial rehashing of Kennedy's life. According to today's media, there are two views of his legacy:
- He didn't really do much, and people's memories of him are just their projections of their own hopes and dreams.
- He did do something: he gave lots of speeches and gave people hope.
I'm sorry, am I the only person who remembers the Cuban Missile Crisis? It was one of the most difficult situations the U.S. has ever been in, and Kennedy managed to defend American interests while preserving the peace. Moreover, the strategies recommended by virtually all other American politicians and military leaders would have been disastrous. First, we all owe him a big thank you on that. And second, it compares well with recent American actions which seem to be the opposite: failing to keep peace, and failing to make the country safer.
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