Conspiracy Theory

By Michael Patrick Okeefe

On April 27, 1961, JFK gave a speech to the American Newspaper Publishers Association. In the speech, he made the following comments about the dangers of secret societies, which "we the sheeple" seem to have forgotten. In part, JFK said:

"For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.

Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed."

At the time, it was widely assumed that JFK was talking about the "Russians" or "communists". However, when you view certain obvious aspects of U.S. history over the last 47 years -- the de-industrialization and decline of the U.S. economy; the precipitous fall in the general intelligence of the American populace, including the inability to exhibit a basic understanding of geography, economic principals, governmental function, or world affairs; and the deterioration of moral and social standards -- you have to wonder. You have to wonder if JFK was referring to some other "monolithic and ruthless conspiracy", and whether that "monolithic and ruthless conspiracy" has completed the majority, if not the entirety, of its work.

Randy Newman once wrote that America was " . . . the best dream that man ever dreamed." In all deference to Mr. Newman, there is no comfort in focusing on the warm dream of what the U.S. once was, or what we perceived the U.S. to be. We must face the cold reality of what our nation has become.