I see Kennedy as intending and capable of working to restore health at the many levels of our ailing country, so that we can be an asset in the world rather than enabling the massive transfers of wealth that are fueling wars that are devastating to others. Charles, I so appreciate your support of him, and hope that more and more people can be aware of his candidacy - everywhere the race is being characterized as being between two horrible choices, Trump and Biden. Blessings.
Why the nostalgia for Camelot in this community? JFK a peace & anti-colonial president.? I highly doubt it. Rather than looking at history through the lens of "Great white men" why don't we see how everyday people in solidarity were shifting the country towards Peace and it was met by systemic push back from those in power.
I was just entering into adolescence when JFK was murdered so my perspective is limited in the same sense as everyone else. But the memories remain strong particularly those moments when I cried watching his funeral on TV or the frightened state all of us felt in October, 1962 when the tension was the highest ever. Living through this and everything else that was going on left a mark on me - add to that the fact that I grew in the Deep South in the waning days of Jim Crow and you might say there was fertile ground for some interesting exciting and sometimes very confusing development. And over a half century later, it’s still going on. I think many of us who were around back then can relate - maybe now we are a little less naive and more aware of what threw us off. I still remember learning about an older kid from my town who wasn’t returning home alive from Vietnam and thinking that could have been me. Just so much was going on inside that lit my flame way more than any ambition I had to become successful rich or famous.
While we can speculate about JFK or MLK or RFK or LBJ or Tricky Dick or whatever, we lived through a true existential event. Right around the start of the plandemic I read the book JFK and the Unspeakable by James Douglass. I recommend it to everyone because it places you right into the midst of what he was facing, the actions he took and his subsequent death. You see firsthand what it takes to be a strong leader and the price paid for it. Yes it’s up to all of us to wake up, spread insight kindness and wisdom. But there are people who are in positions to turn this world into a true hell and maybe we should pay attention to those who worked for peace like he did.
Thank you for your thoughts. I wasn't born until a few years after the Kennedy Assassination so I don't have the same lived experience. I look at JFK as just another politician who had good branding that deeply resonated with White Americans. The loss of innocence of that moment is not unlike the pandemic or response to the killing of George Floyd. They are points where the contradictions of the current system come into full view unobscured by the ideological/propaganda of post-modern capitalism. For some when the veil is lifted they can't unsee what they saw, however for most, they turn away and hope for a return to the comfort of mythological narratives (MAGA/Camelot). If we are truly looking to create a new story let's leave the old stories alone and take on the struggle to create a new mythology/ideology/story/movement.
Indeed - Life only moves forward and we all must steer our own course. There’s no getting around that. We are impressionable creatures however for better or worse and it’s good to be careful who we are turning to for inspiration and direction. JFK cared enough about the human race that he went around his advisors and generals to set up a direct secret communication with Khrushchev- while we can’t say for sure what would have happened, we can take a breath, look around and appreciate all that worthwhile in our lives and remember that these two men cared enough to step out of the line. I’d say this time we’re in bares a striking resemblance. And look what the situation is like when you have someone “in charge” who’s a senile old man who’s completely controlled by what I consider enemies of the people. I truly hope that we can all come forward to change things before it’s too late.
I came here because of curiosity and a genuine desire to understand further this particular substack community. I regularly read Charles' work both here and in his books and I'm both intrigued by the "New Story" but also perplexed at times by how the New Story is being translated into action. In this particular case I was asking the question of how the New Story is asking us to look again at JFK and reframe him in a way that hasn't been done before. In addition, posing a bit of a challenge that the way I read Charles' work we shouldn't be focusing on individuals but rather systems and relational/historical dynamics. Would be happy to hear your thoughts. However, I would ask that we leave the judgments at the door and assume best intentions here.
Tom, then you're a catalyst for action. Don't blame the 'Camelot' myth of JFK with his nephew, who was just nine years old when he was assassinated, and just fourteen when his own father was murdered. As such, what does this candidate want to do for a nation in strife? He is the one at risk if we believe the urban legend that says that, "no Kennedy will ever again be elected President of the United States." We should concern ourselves with what this candidate wants to accomplish for the good of a nation and its people. And, and this is important, because we are running out of time in this election year. So, Charles going to Kingston on Tuesday is really cool. Things are heating up, don't you think?
Just one thing, Charles. JFK was an unknown senator from Massachusetts, and the incumbent, Eisenhower, had just built over eight years the so-called, Military Industrial Complex, which he warned about when relinquishing office to Kennedy.
So, RFK Jr. is someone as bonafide as his uncle was, as well as his own father. All we have to do is give the man a chance. The only risk is the possible change for the better. People are afraid of change, which means they fear new possibilities unless given a guarantee. This election is one of those occasions where people have to show courage for a future that could change the world, and even overnight.
Hi Charles and Everyone making the world more beautiful. I just completed a Landmark course (synchronicities with Zen!) and we formed a book club and our first book was “The more beautiful world our hearts know is possible”! We are “meaning making machines” and each one of us “is unique-just like everybody else.” 🥳 Your words, writing, have inspired me to JUST GO FOR IT! I applied and have been accepted into Granta’s Nature Writing Workshop and am raising funds through GoFundMe to cover the 1,250 usd fee. Please consider donating: THANK YOU!
Hey, Good news. I live a minute away from Kingston. I’m Tiokasin Ghosthorse’s wife/partner I think you both have met in Portugal. He’s out of the country @ the moment, but I’ll be there.
I was open to RFK jr's candidacy for a bit last summer but I have totally turned against him. To say that Biden is a greater threat to our democracy than the orange smear, the walking, talking crime spree is just a big pile of steaming BS. I'm burning my RFK t-shirt in my burn pile next week.
With a limit on attendees, do you prefer that non NY residents wait for another opportunity in their state? Wondering if that is behind the "ignore this post if you don't live near there." I'm in CT and am interested in coming.
I would love to come sooo much!!But I have other duties(and live in Germany).
Is there anychance to get the speech recorded? Would be amazing!
My opinion about RFK is that he defenetely should get the next president.
Yes he is very American. But for us in Europe this seems to be the east thing: The US taking care of it’s own problems rather than shooting around in the world!
And this step has a profound meaning . It seems to me a step that is somehow in the air to learn : taking care of your own community without be blind for the rest of the world. How does that work???
What do you think about his manager basically saying he's just a shill to get Trump re-elected? If so, shame on him. If he was really trying to get elected, he wouldn't be siding with either side.
Yes, reliquishment of empire building, hero nation, etc. But does that mean accepting a world government in it's place? And who controls this? So far, the globalists have been extremely brutal in thier consolidation agenda. Please explain. I like your writing but I have questions about this and RFK's support of Isreal.
I was ALL for Kennedy Jr until his hundred percent pro Israel, hundred percent for war, hundred percent for apartheid, hundred percent for genocide – – ridiculous! Previously, I thought he was very intelligent and had analyzed everything in a very pro ethical American way, but now NO WAY!!
Interesting. Kennedy strikes me as being very "pro-American" and not terribly into a multi-polar world or relinquishment of empire. Of course I quit paying close attention when he proclaimed himself 100% behind Israel and talked about closing our borders....perhaps he's changed his tune quite a lot.
I see Kennedy as intending and capable of working to restore health at the many levels of our ailing country, so that we can be an asset in the world rather than enabling the massive transfers of wealth that are fueling wars that are devastating to others. Charles, I so appreciate your support of him, and hope that more and more people can be aware of his candidacy - everywhere the race is being characterized as being between two horrible choices, Trump and Biden. Blessings.
Why the nostalgia for Camelot in this community? JFK a peace & anti-colonial president.? I highly doubt it. Rather than looking at history through the lens of "Great white men" why don't we see how everyday people in solidarity were shifting the country towards Peace and it was met by systemic push back from those in power.
I was just entering into adolescence when JFK was murdered so my perspective is limited in the same sense as everyone else. But the memories remain strong particularly those moments when I cried watching his funeral on TV or the frightened state all of us felt in October, 1962 when the tension was the highest ever. Living through this and everything else that was going on left a mark on me - add to that the fact that I grew in the Deep South in the waning days of Jim Crow and you might say there was fertile ground for some interesting exciting and sometimes very confusing development. And over a half century later, it’s still going on. I think many of us who were around back then can relate - maybe now we are a little less naive and more aware of what threw us off. I still remember learning about an older kid from my town who wasn’t returning home alive from Vietnam and thinking that could have been me. Just so much was going on inside that lit my flame way more than any ambition I had to become successful rich or famous.
While we can speculate about JFK or MLK or RFK or LBJ or Tricky Dick or whatever, we lived through a true existential event. Right around the start of the plandemic I read the book JFK and the Unspeakable by James Douglass. I recommend it to everyone because it places you right into the midst of what he was facing, the actions he took and his subsequent death. You see firsthand what it takes to be a strong leader and the price paid for it. Yes it’s up to all of us to wake up, spread insight kindness and wisdom. But there are people who are in positions to turn this world into a true hell and maybe we should pay attention to those who worked for peace like he did.
@Jeff
Thank you for your thoughts. I wasn't born until a few years after the Kennedy Assassination so I don't have the same lived experience. I look at JFK as just another politician who had good branding that deeply resonated with White Americans. The loss of innocence of that moment is not unlike the pandemic or response to the killing of George Floyd. They are points where the contradictions of the current system come into full view unobscured by the ideological/propaganda of post-modern capitalism. For some when the veil is lifted they can't unsee what they saw, however for most, they turn away and hope for a return to the comfort of mythological narratives (MAGA/Camelot). If we are truly looking to create a new story let's leave the old stories alone and take on the struggle to create a new mythology/ideology/story/movement.
Indeed - Life only moves forward and we all must steer our own course. There’s no getting around that. We are impressionable creatures however for better or worse and it’s good to be careful who we are turning to for inspiration and direction. JFK cared enough about the human race that he went around his advisors and generals to set up a direct secret communication with Khrushchev- while we can’t say for sure what would have happened, we can take a breath, look around and appreciate all that worthwhile in our lives and remember that these two men cared enough to step out of the line. I’d say this time we’re in bares a striking resemblance. And look what the situation is like when you have someone “in charge” who’s a senile old man who’s completely controlled by what I consider enemies of the people. I truly hope that we can all come forward to change things before it’s too late.
@Tom
No posts, no likes, no notes and no subscriptions? Also quite ignorant about politics and US history? Why, exactly, did you bother to come here?
I came here because of curiosity and a genuine desire to understand further this particular substack community. I regularly read Charles' work both here and in his books and I'm both intrigued by the "New Story" but also perplexed at times by how the New Story is being translated into action. In this particular case I was asking the question of how the New Story is asking us to look again at JFK and reframe him in a way that hasn't been done before. In addition, posing a bit of a challenge that the way I read Charles' work we shouldn't be focusing on individuals but rather systems and relational/historical dynamics. Would be happy to hear your thoughts. However, I would ask that we leave the judgments at the door and assume best intentions here.
Tom, then you're a catalyst for action. Don't blame the 'Camelot' myth of JFK with his nephew, who was just nine years old when he was assassinated, and just fourteen when his own father was murdered. As such, what does this candidate want to do for a nation in strife? He is the one at risk if we believe the urban legend that says that, "no Kennedy will ever again be elected President of the United States." We should concern ourselves with what this candidate wants to accomplish for the good of a nation and its people. And, and this is important, because we are running out of time in this election year. So, Charles going to Kingston on Tuesday is really cool. Things are heating up, don't you think?
Here is a full recording of RFK's intro, the talk and my question to Charles, courtesy of Pacifica Radio Network.
https://planetwavesfm.substack.com/p/charles-eisenstein-speaking-tonight
Just one thing, Charles. JFK was an unknown senator from Massachusetts, and the incumbent, Eisenhower, had just built over eight years the so-called, Military Industrial Complex, which he warned about when relinquishing office to Kennedy.
So, RFK Jr. is someone as bonafide as his uncle was, as well as his own father. All we have to do is give the man a chance. The only risk is the possible change for the better. People are afraid of change, which means they fear new possibilities unless given a guarantee. This election is one of those occasions where people have to show courage for a future that could change the world, and even overnight.
Hi Charles and Everyone making the world more beautiful. I just completed a Landmark course (synchronicities with Zen!) and we formed a book club and our first book was “The more beautiful world our hearts know is possible”! We are “meaning making machines” and each one of us “is unique-just like everybody else.” 🥳 Your words, writing, have inspired me to JUST GO FOR IT! I applied and have been accepted into Granta’s Nature Writing Workshop and am raising funds through GoFundMe to cover the 1,250 usd fee. Please consider donating: THANK YOU!
https://gofund.me/a7e86d55
Hey, Good news. I live a minute away from Kingston. I’m Tiokasin Ghosthorse’s wife/partner I think you both have met in Portugal. He’s out of the country @ the moment, but I’ll be there.
I was open to RFK jr's candidacy for a bit last summer but I have totally turned against him. To say that Biden is a greater threat to our democracy than the orange smear, the walking, talking crime spree is just a big pile of steaming BS. I'm burning my RFK t-shirt in my burn pile next week.
With a limit on attendees, do you prefer that non NY residents wait for another opportunity in their state? Wondering if that is behind the "ignore this post if you don't live near there." I'm in CT and am interested in coming.
I would love to come sooo much!!But I have other duties(and live in Germany).
Is there anychance to get the speech recorded? Would be amazing!
My opinion about RFK is that he defenetely should get the next president.
Yes he is very American. But for us in Europe this seems to be the east thing: The US taking care of it’s own problems rather than shooting around in the world!
And this step has a profound meaning . It seems to me a step that is somehow in the air to learn : taking care of your own community without be blind for the rest of the world. How does that work???
What do you think about his manager basically saying he's just a shill to get Trump re-elected? If so, shame on him. If he was really trying to get elected, he wouldn't be siding with either side.
Yes, reliquishment of empire building, hero nation, etc. But does that mean accepting a world government in it's place? And who controls this? So far, the globalists have been extremely brutal in thier consolidation agenda. Please explain. I like your writing but I have questions about this and RFK's support of Isreal.
don't ignore this post if you don't live near there -- please share it!
I was ALL for Kennedy Jr until his hundred percent pro Israel, hundred percent for war, hundred percent for apartheid, hundred percent for genocide – – ridiculous! Previously, I thought he was very intelligent and had analyzed everything in a very pro ethical American way, but now NO WAY!!
I was very interested in RFK Jr until his VP selection. Now, no way.
Actually I am more interested in Kennedy because of his VP choice, and he’s going to need all the help he can with his continued support of Israel.
Interesting. Kennedy strikes me as being very "pro-American" and not terribly into a multi-polar world or relinquishment of empire. Of course I quit paying close attention when he proclaimed himself 100% behind Israel and talked about closing our borders....perhaps he's changed his tune quite a lot.