Oh for God's sake, he ain't getting any deader. Let it go, people!

And if you saw George Will's column today, from what he says, it seems JFK might have died in office anyway if he'd never been assassinated, or at least become so ill as to be constitutionally incapable of carrying out his duties (and therefore would have had to yield power to LBJ) because of his numerous severe illnesses and the incredible panoply of drugs, some of them conflicting dangerously with each other and others having nasty effects on his system (like boosting his cholesterol count to 400-plus) that he had to take to keep them under some sort of control.

I used to think JFK conspiracists were lunatics until it finally dawned on my why there was so much evidence that Oswald had been in contact with all the usual suspects: the KGB, the Castroites, the anti-Castroites, the mob, etc.

Oswald deeply, deeply wanted to be in a conspiracy. Any conspiracy, although he seemed to prefer leftists ones, if he had his druthers. He went around initiating contact with potential conspirators, most famously, moving to Russia so he could work for the KGB. Typically, the would-be conspirators figured out sooner or later that Oswald was a dangerous wacko who wanted to get into the history books by shooting somebody famous, and so they never did much with him. But, that's why there's this convoluted and sinister trail of contacts that Oswald left behind.

That explains Oswald--quite nicely, too--what explains the conspiracists need for a conspiracy?

For one type of person, it gives a false sense of superiority, in that they are one of the few to see the world as it truly is. They are also people who are uneducated and disinclined to put in the effort to actually learn anything of value. It's a form of pseudo-scholarship, in an agressively ignorant sort of way. For others, it's a perfect example that there's no point in doing anything, because "they" can stop anyone who gets in their way, even someone as powerful as the President. What chance has "the little guy" against "the system". In days past it was evil spirits or capricious gods, today we have the Trilateral Commission.

The real question for any conspiracy believer-- "if what you say is proven true, how will your life be in any way different?" The key to any good conspiracy theory is that in the end, it makes no difference if it is true or not.

I actually learned something new about JFK today. No Kidding. I learned that JFK received fewer direct (popular) votes in the 1960 than Richard Nixon. Only an arbitrary 100% allocation of the votes for the undesginated slate of Alabama electors -- JFK not on the ballot -- gave him a claim to a plurality of the popular vote. (Read Opinion Journal.com and skip the last 40 years worth of history channel specials and school textbooks.)

Lessseee...

Lee Oswald assassinates President Kennedy.
Jack Ruby murders Lee Oswald.
Government decision after a thorough investigation (Warren Commission) says Lee Oswald acted alone. Case closed.

Did previous presidential assassinations go as smoothly?

Raoul: A conspiracy theory has no effect on your life. But, if an elaborate murder strategy was successful in 1963, would someone consider trying in the future?

Very enlightening to hear a Mr. Posner (whose book totally discounts any/all conspiracy theories) on Bloomberg radio last Sunday. They took calls...oh, boy what a bunch of pathetic losers called in to do battle with Posner! Each one more agitated than the last and each one more easily swatted down by Posner. I just read "Libra" by Don DeLillo--I could kick myself for wasting my time. I blame conspiracy madness for the poisoned political atmosphere at all the WTO meetings. If the CIA/FBI and Arlen Specter hadn't goofed up the post-assassination so badly, hippies would limit themselves to owning aromatherapy shops and they wouldn't be "wild in the streets" 40 years after JFK became worm food.

Brian,
If many, many diverse authorities goof up their one assigned task, what does that suggest?

I know that sounds like Congress, but I digress.

It is not possible to recommend the Posner book too highly.

This morning on NPR's Morning Edition (11/21) Juan Willimas did a story on the Kennedy assassination a he said two things that were really irresponsible (even for NPR). He stated that Lee Harvey Oswald was the "alleged assassin". He also said that Dallas was full of anti-Kennedy people and the Secret Services needed to protect the president, thereby insinuating that Republicans were essentially out to kill the president. Sure, I expect this from Oliver Stone or Pacifica Radio but not a "mainstream" NPR guy. Then again NPR is shilling for the re-release of Oliver Stone's JFK fantasy.

Actually, I am not really that astonished because I have been listening to NPR for 20 years. I should get some type of award for that, or at least some type of medication.

Well, it was full of anti-Kennedy people--there'd even been ads in the papars and he was only there at LBJ's insistence--but they were angry Democrats back then.

OJ,

Several posts on conspiracy nuts, and not one mention of those benighted souls who think Eric Roberts and Julia Roberts are two different people?

Mr. Haney:

Some folk are beyond help...