FREE ESSAY ON JFK: WAS HIS ASSASSINATION INEVITABLE?

JFK: WAS HIS ASSASSINATION INEVITABLE?

A popular misconception is that President John F. Kennedy's assassination was an isolated
event perpetrated by one man. This could not be farther from the truth. Instead, it was
the result of a complex combination of domestic and foreign events. When President
Kennedy was in office, he had to deal with many issues, ranging from business and finance
to crime-fighting and war issues. Perhaps it is not as important to decide who it was
that killed him, but why. President Kennedy's decisions and courses of action were not
popular with everybody, and thus it is not surprising that his assassination was
inevitable. 
The people who might have wanted John F. Kennedy dead can be classified into the
following groups: Russians, Cubans, Mobsters (Organized Crime/Mafia), Special Agents
(CIA), G-men (J. Edgar Hoover's FBI), Rednecks and Oilmen (Right-wing Extremists), and
the MIC (Military Industrial Complex). Each group had its own motives for killing John F.
Kennedy. Many of these groups that wanted JFK dead are very closely intertwined, so in
order to understand each group, they will each be analyzed seperately.
In order to better understand the relationship between JFK, the Cubans and Russians,
several important events must be mentioned and discussed. Two of the most important
foreign affairs in Kennedy's presidency were the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile
Crisis. 
During Eisenhower's administration, Cuba was torn apart by revolution. The Cuban
dictator, Batista, was an extremely corrupt man. While he was enjoying a luxurious life,
the people of Cuba were in poverty. Thus it was not surprising when a rebellion, led by a
man named Fidel Castro, took place. Batista, knowing that the majority of Cuba wanted him
out, chose to flea rather than be caught and face execution. Once Batista was out of the
way, Cuba was Castro's for the taking.
One of the first actions Castro took while in charge of Cuba was to close down all
casinos. The people running them were either imprisoned or deported. Exploitation of
Cuban workers by American was unacceptable to Castro, and he took immediate action
against this. He believed American capitalists were taking advantage of the Cubans.
Angered by this aggressive attitude toward American interests, the United States
government established a trade embargo, hoping the Cuban people would overthrow Castro
and reinstate a more American friendly leader.
With a starving population on one side, and a broken economy on the other, Castro turned
to Russia for help. Since Russia did not own any land or power in the US/Cuban region,
Castro offered the Russians a chance to extend their sphere of influence. An opportunity
which was not refused. Of course, the American government did not accept this situation
readily. A plan to train and arm Cuban exiles who would return to Cuba to overthrow
Castro was contrived. This secret operation was viewed as far less dangerous than a
direct invasion by American troops.
As the election of 1960 approached, the CIA had already made plans to overthrow Castro
with the Cuban exiles. However, to the surprise of just about everyone, a young John F.
Kennedy defeated favorite Richard Nixon by the slimmest of margins.
Nonetheless, the invasion had to go on. The plan was to bomb Cuba's airfields to prevent
the Cuban military from killing the invading exiles. However, two things went wrong in
the invasion. First, the CIA underestimated the Cuban army, and second, the airstrips
were not all taken out, allowing the Cuban airforce to retaliate. Upon hearing news of
this, the CIA told Kennedy that in order to succeed the US must provide air coverage for
the exiles. Kennedy refused however, believing it would be foolish to provoke a crisis
with the Soviets just in order to aid the exiles. Due to this, the exiles were given no
chance and were quickly demolished, and the invasion had failed.
Now that Castro knew the United States' intentions, he knew he was in immediate danger.
Once again, he turned to Russia for aid. Castro realized the only way to assert his
safety was to defend himself, and what he did was a very strategic move. He asked Russia
to send nuclear missiles to Cuba, saying to the US that any more attempted invasions of
Cuba would exact their price. For years now, the US was sending nuclear missiles to
friendly countries around Russia in order to halt any Russian expansionism, and the
Russians were more than eager to return the favor. This led to what is now known as the
Cuban Missile Crisis.
On October 16, 1962 Kennedy called his closest advisors to the White House. The CIA had
verified that nuclear missiles were indeed present in Cuba, Kennedy had to react fast. He
eventually decided to launch a naval blockade to prevent any further missiles from
entering Cuba. Though threatened by Russian Prime-Minister Nikita Khruschev Kennedy would
not let this disturb him, and he did not stop the naval blockade. The Russian ships
eventually returned home, with nuclear war being narrowly averted.
However, one must consider what kind of relationship Kennedy had with both Castro and the
Russians after the crisis. Could the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile crisis made the
Russians and or Cubans mad enough to kill Kennedy?
As was mentioned before, many of the groups that might have wanted JFK dead are closely
related. The CIA, the Military Industrial Complex, and maybe even the FBI were all
involved in the situation in Cuba, and might of had their own reasons for wanting Kennedy
dead. 
I will smash the CIA into a thousand pieces, said Kennedy after the disaster at the Bay
of Pigs. The President soon commissioned a report to see why the Cuban invasion had
failed. The results of the report were quite disturbing. It turned out that the CIA had
intentionally lied to Kennedy even though they were fully aware the invasion was
predestined to fail. However, they did not tell him this so he could be pressured into
providing air cover at the last minute. Kennedy later learned that the CIA had a secret
plot to kill Castro, a plot which he would have vehemently opposed.
Kennedy realized how powerful the CIA could be, that they could lie to him as they
please, and could plot assassinations, while he remained completely ignorant. Kennedy was
not going to take this lightly. He fired the Director of the CIA, Allen Dulles. 
Kennedy saw the CIA not only as corrupt, but as a threat to the freedom of America, and
to democracy everywhere. A threat too powerful to exist in a democracy such as the United
States'. One of Kennedy's first courses of action to restrain the CIA was to sign the
NASM 55 (National Security Action Memorandum), which would relieve the CIA of it's role
as presidential advisor, and NSAM 57, which said any proposed paramilitary operation in
its early staged must be presented in front of the Strategic Resources Group for initial
consideration, and than approval by the president, if necessary. Then, the SRG will give
out the responsibilities for planning, coordination, execution of the Task Force, the
department or individual best qualified to carry forward the operation, and will choose
supporting responsibilities. Any large paramilitary operation which needs a vast number
of military personnel, military equipment, or a high level of military experience is the
primary responsibility of the Department of Defense with the CIA in a supporting role.
With these two documents, Kennedy had effectively restricted the CIA.
Would it be a surprise then, if the CIA, in an effort to get rid of Kennedy and replace
him with a more favorable president, assassinated him?
Another group that quite possible wanted JFK dead was the Military Industrial Complex.
Just exactly what is the MIC? It is the supplier of every plane, gun, bullet and uniform.
Just about every organization that supplies or is hired by the government to build
weapons. The relationship between the government and the MIC is a very important one, and
this relationship is important in understanding if the MIC wanted Kennedy dead or not.
When it comes to the economy within the MIC, war is the equivalent of winning the
lottery. An aggressive president who does not hesitate to go into war is the ideal choice
for the MIC. The MIC thrives on war, seeing it as business, every time a weapon has to be
replaced the MIC gets richer, and the taxpayer gets poorer. The MIC couldn't care less
about Americans dying in war as long as the cash is flowing.
Military troops can be sent anywhere at anytime in the event of war. In order to foresee
a coming war, every inch on earth is now being monitored by satellites, submarines, and
radar. This machinery needs regular maintenance, repair, and replacement. Every time this
happens, the money goes into the MIC's pockets. World War II was a great example of how
war boosts the economy, and how quickly the US can get out of a depression. Similarly,
the ongoing situation in Vietnam was a great opportunity for the MIC to fatten its
wallets.
When Kennedy took the presidency, the situation in Vietnam had not yet escalated into an
all out war. It was Kennedy's firm belief that Vietnam should not the United States'
concern, and troops should be recalled back immediately. Kennedy did not see Vietnam is a
danger to democracy in America. He did not share the notion that Vietnam was a holy
crusade against the evil empire. He therefore made preparations to withdraw troops, and
end the conflict. To hurry up the process, Kennedy sent trainers to South Vietnam to
train the Vietnamese so they could protect themselves after the US had left. By signing
NSAM 263, Kennedy asserted he wanted one thousand troops out of Vietnam by Christmas of
1963, and wanted the conflict ended by 1965.
Many researchers believe this was the final straw for the MIC, if he were to now withdraw
from Vietnam, their profits would be damaged substantially. It is important to note the
actual amount of money the MIC had to gain if troops did stay in Vietnam. Estimated
figures ranged in billions, even trillions of dollars. To have Kennedy re-elected in the
election of 1964 would be disastrous the MIC.
Would it sound ludicrous at all if the MIC killed Kennedy if the gain was over a trillion
dollars, and the possible loss equal to that?
Another government-related group that may have wanted JFK dead was the Federal Bureau of
Investigations, led by J. Edgar Hoover. The FBI was a group so powerful, it put the
Secret Service to shame. If by some misfortune Kennedy were to die, the president would
become Lyndon B. Johnson, one of Hoover's best friends. If indeed he did die, the
combined power of the president and the Director of the FBI would have been more than
enough to fabricate an investigation into Kennedy's assassination.
While there is no definitive proof that the FBI conspired to kill Kennedy, it would have
been real easy for them to get away with it if they did commit the crime. This, coupled
with Hoover's and Johnson's well-known hate for the Kennedys, causes most researchers
today to consider the FBI as prime suspects.
As if President Kennedy didn't have enough foreign enemies, or enemies from his own
government, he also had many domestic enemies. Two of the biggest were the big
businessmen and the rednecks. Both of these groups were intimidated by the Kennedy
administration. Kennedy tried to find a middle road between black and white radicals. His
human-rights activities earned him the hatred of all racists.
And as for big business, he angered them by obliging steel manufacturers to reverse price
increases, as well as introducing a tax-reform legislation that would end unfair tax
practices and would abolish the profitable oil reduction allowance. International bankers
were quite angered when, in the summer of 1963 Kennedy, had the Treasury Department print
an excess of $4 billion in United States Notes, thus bypassing the powerful Federal
Reserve System. It may be noteworthy that Lyndon B. Johnson was a strong ally of Texas
oilmen who despised Kennedy, and that it was rumored that Kennedy was about to drop
Johnson from the 1964 election ticket. Could big businessmen along with Lyndon B. Johnson
and friend J. Edgar Hoover, who also might have wanted Kennedy dead, plotted to kill
Kennedy?
The last major group that would have wanted JFK out of the way was the notorious Mafia.
Since its origin, it has had a heinous reputation in the United States. John F. Kennedy's
brother, Robert, was working as Attorney General to prosecute the Mafia, thus earning him
and his brother a unpleasant reputation with them.
Many crime bosses in the United States threatened the Kennedys at one point or another.
The Mafia and US intelligence, as discovered by the Kennedy's, had a few connections
dating back all the way to World War II. While the Federal Bureau of Investigations
didn't really hunt down the Mafia, the CIA actually collaborated with the Mafia on more
than one occasion. Certain sources even claim that there were contacts between JFK and
Sam Giancana, a Mafia boss, during Kennedy's campaign for the presidency in 1960, which
led to Kennedy to winning the presidency (though the veracity of these sources leaves
something to be desired). However if this is true, the Mafia would definitely consider
JFK and his brother going after them as a double-cross, and this would have been a more
than strong enough motive for the them to kill Kennedy. It is important to note that the
Mafia felt that no person was above them, that nobody is immune from their power. If the
Mafia wanted Kennedy dead, and had a motive, is it that unlikely that they did it?
The events that would have happened if Kennedy was not to be assassinated were extremely
vital. Kennedy was going to remove a thousand soldiers from Vietnam by 1963, and was
committed to withdraw all troops by 1965, when Lyndon B. Johnson took office, neither
happened. He was going to smash the CIA into a thousand pieces, and replace J. Edgar
Hoover as Director of the FBI, this didn't happen. He may have been going to drop Lyndon
B. Johnson from the presidential ticket in 1964. Had he not been assassinated Johnson
would have never become president. When Johnson took over, he signed NSAM 273, considered
to be the opening of the Vietnam war. The commitment meant the MIC would continue to make
money, and lots of it.
Bibliography
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