In many ways, politics today are far, far better than what they used to be like

[yllus]

I follow a really neat blog called Letters Of Note; they posted this gem today which reminds you that as vile as politics seem recently, they've actually come a very long way.

In the letter displayed below, we find that John F. Kennedy's secretary of ten years compiled a list of possible suspects in his murder. Guess who topped the list? At least that's not something presidents these days lose sleep over...

Letters Of Note - Who Killed JFK?

On November 22nd of 1963, US President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed as he travelled in an open-top car through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Also in the motorcade that fateful afternoon was his secretary of 10 years, Evelyn Lincoln. Hours after the assassination, as she flew back to Washington, D.C. on Air Force One, Evelyn penned the following list of suspects in the murder of her late-boss — a list that began with Vice President Lyndon Johnson and ended with "Communists."

Some years later, Evelyn added the note seen on the list's reverse.

Transcript follows. Image of Evelyn's list courtesy of Alexander Auctions; Image of Evelyn Lincoln and JFK, above, courtesy of Jack & Jackie.

Transcript

Lyndon –
KKK –
Dixiecrats –
Hoffa –
John Birch Society
Nixon
Diem
Rightist
CIA in Cuban fiasco
Dictators
Communists

There is no end to the list of suspected conspirators to Pres. Kennedy murder. Many factions had their reasons for wanting the young president dead. That fact alone illustrates how the world suffers from a congenital proclivity to violence.

 

[Anarchist420]

Lyndon couldn't have planned it on his own, I agree with you... Most people wanted Kennedy dead or they didn't like him, I think LHO may have been carrying out what had been popular will in 1960.

Kennedy was a tool like me and he is a good example as to why the common man (myself included) should never run for President or even try to hold any position of centralized power. If only Al Smith had become President instead of FDR. FDR promised JPK a job, but all of it really fucked futurity.

I don't think better politics than they used to be is anything to be thankful for. bring back dueling and have free market health care to possibly reduce the pool of statists who may run for public office.

Just my opinion... I'm kind of sorry it wasn't very humble.

 

[Braznor]

Nothing has changed in politics really. It just appears so because the conspiracies, the intrigues, the style of execution of plans and achievements of goals have become far more sophisticated than ever before. You cannot stop progress and the evil that was yesterday is just the same as the one in our lives today, its just that we have been taught not to recognize it anymore in its current form.

Remember the more things change, the more they remain the same.

 

[LegendKiller]

Politics hasn't gotten any better or worse. They claimed Jefferson worshipped the devil and said Jackson was an adulterer.

 

[Dulanic]

The only difference in politics is who owned the politicians.

 

[dennilfloss]

Well, we no longer have Fenians invading our country and their sympathizers assassinating our politicians.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_D'Arcy_McGee#Assassination

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I don't really see what the op's story has to do with politics. Some old secretary has suspicions of the parties involved in the assassination and writes them down on a private list that isn't revealed until a decade after her death? Not that politics today aren't better than they used to be.