September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959
Due in part to the Don Mclean song and a slightly idealistic high school history teacher I see the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, and several others, not only as the creation of a mythical American pop music icon but the entering of a new era filled with both promise and troubles with the beginnings of the 1960's. Whenever someone with such energy is lost so young in life often the "what if" question gets asked wondering what sort of impact he or she would of made if things had only been a little different. The playing of Don Mclean's "American Pie" prompts me to also ask the "what if" question that if only a few things been different about the 60's.
Had JFK not been killed would have the Vietnam War been been stillborn as some suggest? Had Robert lived would he have taken the Democratic presidential nomination from Vice President Johnson after John had done his two terms and gone on to be president after his brother? And if all this had happened would Nixon's return to politics been as stillborn as the American involvement in Vietnam? Just how much of the troubles America experienced from the 60's until now could have been avoided with only a few things altered?
10 comments:
Instead of The Clenis, we might have The, um, Robertis. "You wouldn't have had Nixon to kick around at all, a-roo!"
Naw, Nixon would've won.
To this day when I read or watch a show about Nixon I almost can lend some credit to some grand cabal controlling the country. But in the end this was just me wondering what it would have been like if history had taken a different path.
Another What-If ha? :) I suppose everything happens as it should.
I love this song btw!
Keshi.
Keshi: Yeah, I guess in the end it does but I do wonder.
I think over the last 8 years a lot of us have had the very same thoughts. Sadly, we are where we are and we need to push forward and hope we can clean up this mess.
"What if's" are irrelevant as we cannot go back and grab them.
I went to see Frost\Nixon yesterday and was chilled by Nixon's views on power. Regardless, he was, in many ways, far more effective than George Bush. Sadly he became a victim of his own megalomania.
BTW I have read that John Kennedy had ordered the Defense and State Departments to figure out a way to get the U.S. out of Vietnam before the war escalated out of control. Two weeks later he was assassinated.
Beach: I can't locate the embed code for Sharkwater. I want to put it on my blog. Can you send me the code? I am at madmikes1@gmail.com. Thanks!
No question about it: Had RFK lived he would have won the presidency in 1968. No question about it.
Malicious Intent: My history teacher was a hopeless idealist who lectured one day about how both Kennedy brothers would have ended Vietnam. Really enjoyed his lecture cause he framed it with the death of Buddy Holly and how in the Don Mclean song the "father, son, and Holy Ghost were JFK, RFK, and Martin Luther King. Plus I am hopelessly addicted to the science fiction sub-genre of alternate history. But you are ultimately right, what if are irrelevant.
MadMike: Nixon, while and intelligent man were as Bush was not, is an example of who should never run for president. I could very well be wrong but he is were everything started to go wrong in this country.
Vigil: I think RFK would have won as well.
I love the songs....
thanks for sharing.....
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Melvin
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