Who killed JFK?

[Jeffrey]

I’ve just spent a few minutes reading some of RFK Jr.’s opinions. He seems rather adamant the CIA killed JFK. Who do you think did it?

If I knew basic tech, I’d start a poll. Since I don’t, my guess is the Mob.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Oswald acting alone. I haven't always felt this way but I have purged my life of conspiracy theories in any form. To me all of this stuff boils down to how many people would have to know and be involved? How many people would have to be quiet? Conspiracies that require too many moving parts got flushed from my life.

[acdevil]

Oswald acting alone. I haven't always felt this way but I have purged my life of conspiracy theories in any form. To me all of this stuff boils down to how many people would have to know and be involved? How many people would have to be quiet? Conspiracies that require too many moving parts got flushed from my life.

Finally have to disagree with you. I don’t think the evidence supports that conclusion.


As a partial aside, Rob Reiner’s podcast on this topic is very good and enjoyable.

[sagegrouse]

Oswald acting alone. The FBI? First, The FBI is not a person. Any plot would have to involve multiple actors and break numerous laws. Who would agree to cover it up? That's also a crime. The FBI has prided itself since the 1930s as the leading law enforcement organization in the world. The corporate ethos could not support and hide a crime and cover-up of this magnitude.

JEdgar Hoover spent his time and energy, cultivating and fending off the White House, the Justice Dept and the Congress. How and why would he perpetrate and cover-up crimes that would tear the US apart and shake up the world. He was firmly in control of his empire and had little to gain from such huge risks.

Evidence to the contrary? Be my guest --

[75Crazie]

Finally have to disagree with you. I don’t think the evidence supports that conclusion.

And I will disagree with you and side with Clem. Posner's book (the updated version) pretty much has me convinced, and it is (as Clem mentioned) the simplest explanation.

[Matches]

Most conspiracy theories give the alleged conspirators far too much credit. Ocaam’s Razor applies here imo.

[ClemmonsDevil]

Oswald acting alone. The FBI? First, The FBI is not a person. Any plot would have to involve multiple actors and break numerous laws. Who would agree to cover it up? That's also a crime. The FBI has prided itself since the 1930s as the leading law enforcement organization in the world. The corporate ethos could not support and hide a crime and cover-up of this magnitude.

JEdgar Hoover spent his time and energy, cultivating and fending off the White House, the Justice Dept and the Congress. How and why would he perpetrate and cover-up crimes that would tear the US apart and shake up the world. He was firmly in control of his empire and had little to gain from such huge risks.

Evidence to the contrary? Be my guest --

This is a great post. People don't like the idea that an absolut pissant like Oswald could take down a "great man" like JFK.

*I am NOT a Kennedy fan

[AGDukesky]

And I will disagree with you and side with Clem. Posner's book (the updated version) pretty much has me convinced, and it is (as Clem mentioned) the simplest explanation.

Does the book explain why Jack Ruby kills Oswald? That was always the part that felt like a conspiracy to me, but I’m very curious and might have to go read that book.

[75Crazie]

Does the book explain why Jack Ruby kills Oswald? That was always the part that felt like a conspiracy to me, but I’m very curious and might have to go read that book.

It does about as good as anybody can do to explain it. It is not nearly as convincing an explanation as to why Oswald shot JFK, but it is persuasive. What it does go into detail about is that Ruby was not a mobster ... the mob bosses wanted no part of him. He was Jewish, and although he wasn't rigorous about it he did admire JFK for including Jews in his retinue. He publicly referred to Oswald as "that lousy Commie". But Posner admits it's harder getting inside Ruby's head to determine motivation than it was for Oswald's.

I do recommend the updated Posner book. It is heavily annotated and just seems very convincing to me. It has been updated a couple of times since initial publication, the last time in September 2023. That last update doesn't have much meat, but the 2003 update came after the initial release of the FBI's JFK files which in general tend to support the lone gunman theory.

[JStuart]

It does about as good as anybody can do to explain it. It is not nearly as convincing an explanation as to why Oswald shot JFK, but it is persuasive. What it does go into detail about is that Ruby was not a mobster ... the mob bosses wanted no part of him. He was Jewish, and although he wasn't rigorous about it he did admire JFK for including Jews in his retinue. He publicly referred to Oswald as "that lousy Commie". But Posner admits it's harder getting inside Ruby's head to determine motivation than it was for Oswald's.

I do recommend the updated Posner book. It is heavily annotated and just seems very convincing to me. It has been updated a couple of times since initial publication, the last time in September 2023. That last update doesn't have much meat, but the 2003 update came after the initial release of the FBI's JFK files which in general tend to support the lone gunman theory.

I fully agree w/ 75Crazie here. Posner does a fine job sorting the wheat from the chaff, and the chapter on the medical data is excellent. Nearly all the conspiracy 'experts' -because they have no medical training- get tripped up on the xray and entrance-exit wounds evidence.

It is a good read.

[budwom]

mobsters can't be Jewish? Meyer Lansky would be SO disappointed.

[J4Kop99]

mobsters can't be Jewish? Meyer Lansky would be SO disappointed.

Yes and what about Don Rickles in casino or Billy Crystal in Analyze This??

[PackMan97]

Ted Cruz's dad...am I right?

[jv001]

Trump.

[Bostondevil]

I will preface this by saying that I am not well versed in JFK assassination data or conspiracy theories. I read Bill James's book Popular Crime where he posits a theory based on the "magic bullet" problem and the fact that there are eyewitness reports where people said they smelled gunpowder (not possible if the only shots fired were from the Texas Schoolbook Depository). He thinks it's possible one of the Secret Service agents in the car behind Kennedy accidentally fired the fatal shot in a confused reaction to Oswald firing his first shot.

Feel free to point out where that theory is wrong. I'm not big on conspiracies but the theory was at least interesting to read.

Shakespeare wrote the Shakespeare plays.

[75Crazie]

mobsters can't be Jewish? Meyer Lansky would be SO disappointed.

I did not mean to imply that the mob didn't want any part of him because he was Jewish; the Jewish comment was meant to explain his approval of JFK. The mob didn't want any part of him because he was a screw-up.

[75Crazie]

I will preface this by saying that I am not well versed in JFK assassination data or conspiracy theories. I read Bill James's book Popular Crime where he posits a theory based on the "magic bullet" problem and the fact that there are eyewitness reports where people said they smelled gunpowder (not possible if the only shots fired were from the Texas Schoolbook Depository). He thinks it's possible one of the Secret Service agents in the car behind Kennedy accidentally fired the fatal shot in a confused reaction to Oswald firing his first shot.

Feel free to point out where that theory is wrong. I'm not big on conspiracies but the theory was at least interesting to read.

Shakespeare wrote the Shakespeare plays.

Now, if you had found a way to tie in the Roswell aliens to your comment, it would have nailed all of the big three conspiracy theories. Nevertheless, well done!

Posner goes into near-excruciating detail on the physics of the paths of all three bullets, based on several different pieces of evidence, and concludes that all three came from Oswald's rifle. I don't have the ability to critically assess his conclusions, I just find them compelling.

[OldPhiKap]

Who killed the Kennedys?

After all, it was you and me.

[Bob Green]

Who killed the Kennedys?

After all, it was you and me.

Well I’m not gonna argue with Mick.

[FosterCoachK82]

A lot of people are saying it was the Bush Family.