"There are other things involved that are detrimental to other things"

[Minstrel Boy]

Posted to my blog here.


Have you ever heard of Regis Blahut? But I'm getting ahead of myself. Have you heard of Robert Groden?

Groden was a photographic consultant for the doomed House Select Committee on Assassinations. (To see just how doomed it was, you ought to read the account of its own frustrated investigator, Gaeton Fonzi.) He gave Chief Counsel and Patron Saint of the Limited Hangout, Robert Blakey, some serious grief.

Here's Groden, from Fonzi's book:

One of the first things I did was ask to see the autopsy photographs in the National Archives. I wanted to find out how it was that the Warren Commission concluded the shots came from the rear when all the doctors at Parkland Hospital, every one of them, wrote in their reports that Kennedy's head was blasted out. When I saw the autopsy photographs I was shocked. After years in photo optic work I knew what I saw, and what I saw was a matte line in the photograph of the back of the President's head. That's when two photographic elements come together visually and there's an overlap. I saw a soft edged matte insertion forgery of very high quality which made it appear as if there were a small wound of entry in the rear of the President's head.

After performing photo-optical tests on copies to confirm what he saw, Groden wrote a report about it to Blakey, saying that it was his professional opinion that the autopsy photographs of President Kennedy had been retouched.

Now, enter Regis Blahut.

Under the deal Blakey worked out with the CIA (which he never regarded so much as a material witness) for access to confidential records, the agency agreed that certain documents could be transferred to committee offices for examination, but only in a secure room under guard of a CIA representative. In an adjoining secure room was a safe containing evidence such as the autopsy photographs Groden had determined to be skillful hoaxes. Even committee staff were forbidden from touching them without Blakey's permission, and each visit to the safe was logged.

Fonzi's account of what happened next:

One day, a staffer, with authorization, removed some photographs for study in another office and closed the safe but neglected to lock it. When she returned, she noted that one of the autopsy photographs, instead of being in its plastic jacket in its book, was loose and lying on top. It was as if someone had removed it for examination and then, perhaps hearing her return, quickly tossed the photograph back without putting it back in its protective jacket. Blakey called the FBI and a fingerprint check revealed that the person who had touched the photograph was Regis Blahut, the CIA's security representative. Confronted, Blahut first denied and then, after failing three polygraph tests, admitted he had handled the autopsy photo. Blakey later attributed Blahut's act to "curiosity," but Blahut blurted to a reporter, "There are other things involved that are detrimental to other things." The CIA fired him but, in the end, the committee never did find out what the incident was really all about, or whether it was related to any of Bob Groden's claims.

Claims, Fonzi adds, which Blakey never really confronted in his report.

There are other things involved that are detrimental to other things. I don't even know how to begin parsing that. Still, to me, those inelegant words hang over recent American history like a thunderhead. Each official inquiry into the high crimes of the National Security State, from Warren to the reluctantly-struck 9/11 commission, has shown the dead hand of state-sanctioned cover-up: stonewalling, lies, supression and falsification of evidence, intimidation and murder of witnesses. With sleight of hand more adroit than the bumbling Blahut, the security apparatus sends the message, Don't go there.

America is well on its way to paying an apocalyptic price of not having gone there in the immediate aftermath of Kennedy's murder. The truth may have been too awful then, but in the 40 years since the crimes have only compounded, the lies become more fantastic, the cognitive dissonance more acute. The petro-fascist Cheney/Bush cabal would never have seized power if Kennedy's killers had been brought to justice, because they are Kennedy's killers, all in spirit and some in deed. Americans cannot forever ignore or excuse the CIA's perpetual tampering with the storehouse of their historical memory. There will be a reckoning for not going there, and it will be terrible.

[Eloriel]

1. Excellent. I've often said the very same thing

(tho considerably less elegantly):

America is well on its way to paying an apocalyptic price of not having gone there in the immediate aftermath of Kennedy's murder. The truth may have been too awful then, but in the 40 years since the crimes have only compounded, the lies become more fantastic, the cognitive dissonance more acute.

I've said that not dealing with these forces after the Kennedy assassination MAY have been our last chance, but certainly not going after Bush for all the Reagan/Bush era scandals certainly was.

That's also why I say that just electing Kerry (IF we are successful in overcoming all the vote-stealing and vote-suppression sure to happen) will be but a pleasant respite in our continuing march toward establishing the Fourth Reich UNLESS we FINALLY bring them to justice and so discredit the Bush Crime Family (does the name "Benedict Arnold" ring a bell?) that none of them can ever serve in any political office again.

And I know you agree. Excellent piece and I'm really glad you bring them here to DU -- I just don't find the time to surf my favorite blogs.

[truth2power]

2. This last part makes me want to cry...

"The petro-fascist Cheney/Bush cabal would never have seized power if Kennedy's killers had been brought to justice, because they are Kennedy's killers, all in spirit and some in deed. Americans cannot forever ignore or excuse the CIA's perpetual tampering with the storehouse of their historical memory. There will be a reckoning for not going there, and it will be terrible."

I'm old enough to remember the assassination of JFK. I guess I won't live long enough to ever know the truth of this.

But I wonder if the monsters who are manipulating events will EVER get their due! It sickens me to know that they've got away with it for so long.

[Minstrel Boy]

5. It makes me almost want to believe in Hell

so America's assassins don't find peace in the grave.

Here's one for whom I could wish that:



And here are some reasons why:

http://www.namebase.org/sources/UJ.html

http://www.realhistoryarchives.com/collections/hidden/bishop.htm

http://karws.gso.uri.edu/JFK/the_critics/griffith/Document_May_Link_Oswald_to_CIA_Agent.html

[truth2power]

11. I tell people that all the time...

referring to various members of the BFEE burning in hell for all eternity.

In general, I find the idea of a literal pit of fire where one burns for all eternity to be a primitive concept. But in terms of Bush and his murdering cabal, I'll make an exception.

[Beam Me Up]

3. Thank you, MB, very well said. My problem is this:

Although I do not at all advance the raison d'tre for the NSS's assassination of 3,000 Americans on 9/11 to advance the agenda of a permanent war footing in the Middle East, how can it be argued that the consequences of PEAK OIL are not matters of the utmost National Security? SOMEONE is going to have control over the last remaining oil reserves on the planet, right? And if it isn't OUR MILITARY, it will be someone else's military, right?

As I say, I'm not trying to condone either their actions or their agenda, really, but I am suggesting that any genuine alternative must address the real issues and how to handle the consequences of this turn in human events that looms directly in front of us. One of the reasons I am furious is that we have known for at least 30 years that we were going to hit this historical bottle neck. Had the elitists offered REAL leadership, much of the hardships before us could have been mitigated if not avoided. We could have, by now, been well on our way to creating a renewable energy infrastructure. But that has not been the case and any movement in that direction to investigate and implement it has been left to starve for public attention (not to mention the necessary public subsidies).

Bastards. They have betrayed not only the American people but the world and they have, ultimately, betrayed themselves.

As justified as these sentiments are, they don't address the problem. What the hell are we going to DO? What the hell CAN we do? If we can take these questions seriously, there is a very slim, very slim chance, that we can at long last have a REAL revolution. One that forever removes from the clutches of the seafaring elitists control of the wealth of nations.

[Minstrel Boy]

6. Motives for evil acts can appear quite reasonable to desperate actors.

The state's crimes are not random acts of purposeless violence. There are always motives, and the perpetrators can justify their actions as being in service of a greater good.

I think even those who killed Kennedy justified their actions to themselves by believing they were acting in the best interests of their country.

[truth2power]

13. Reminds me of that last scene in Three Days of the Condor

When the lights go out Americans would be willing to destroy any country to get the oil.

I don't have the dialog. Someone here could post it if they have a mind to.

But you are absolutely right. WHY wasn't this problem addressed 30 years ago? Did we think oil was an infinite resource? Or was it that the PTB wanted to line their pockets with the last few billion $$$ before the darkness came? Bastards, all of them.

[H2O Man]

14. While alternative energy sources

is a wonderful subject, it has nothing to do with JFK in Dallas. The oilmen who hated JFK were concerned with his advocating for the depletion allowance, not with the control of foreign supplies.

Note: the oil depletion allowance was brought up twice in the Senate in 1964, when the President was from Texas. On 2-3-64, Senator Laushe of Ohio tried to have it lowered to raise $$$ to help middle class kids with college expenses; his amendment was to Ribicoff's (NY) bill. It died a lonely death.

On 2-6, Senator Williams (NJ) tried to re-introduce a bill that was defeated 61 to 33. New York's Senator Javits made the famous comment, "This is the sacred cow of sacred cows."

[Beam Me Up]

22. Apparently it was all about greed.

Personally I don't understand it. Greed, wealth, power. These are not things I've ever had nor ever particularly wanted.

You know what WEALTHY would be to me? A world at peace with itself. Living in a physical body on a physical planet inevitably necessitates some pain and suffering, there is no way around it. But so MUCH pain and suffering, over 95% I would guess, is completely unnecessary from any objective point of view. Feed the hungry. Shelter the poor. To give aid and support to others at every level (physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual) is to give aid to yourself. We are all one thing experiencing life from different temporal and spatial perspectives. We could all actually KNOW THIS with only a little effort of attention.

Western civilization is going to come down because it is built upon an epistemological falacy that separates the observer from the observed. It is a fundamental flaw that can not be reconciled with the actuality of an organic, lawful, integral system that is, by its very nature, self regulating.

[Wind Dancer]

4. It's too painful to even comprehend

how different this country would have been had Kennedy not been assassinated. The history books would show a totally different picture of the past 40 years, can you even imagine? The military industrial complex would have never gained the power and control we see today. How many deaths would have been prevented had that one day in history not occurred.

How many courageous leaders have been murdered who promoted peace, equal rights and support for the poor and disabled? Heartbreaking!

The secrecy now is far worse than 40 years ago in this administration. There is no transparency. 9/11 has not been investigated. We see the same players, just a different year. What will the cost be to this country? I can't ever go there.





:cry:

[seemslikeadream]

7. But you don't know what it is Do you, Mister Jones?

You walk into the room
With your pencil in your hand
You see somebody naked
And you say, "Who is that man?"
You try so hard
But you don't understand
Just what you'll say
When you get home

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You raise up your head
And you ask, "Is this where it is?"
And somebody points to you and says
"It's his"
And you say, "What's mine?"
And somebody else says, "Where what is?"
And you say, "Oh my God
Am I here all alone?"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You hand in your ticket
And you go watch the geek
Who immediately walks up to you
When he hears you speak
And says, "How does it feel
To be such a freak?"
And you say, "Impossible"
As he hands you a bone

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

You have many contacts
Among the lumberjacks
To get you facts
When someone attacks your imagination
But nobody has any respect
Anyway they already expect you
To just give a check
To tax-deductible charity organizations

You've been with the professors
And they've all liked your looks
With great lawyers you have
Discussed lepers and crooks
You've been through all of
F. Scott Fitzgerald's books
You're very well read
It's well known

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, the sword swallower, he comes up to you
And then he kneels
He crosses himself
And then he clicks his high heels
And without further notice
He asks you how it feels
And he says, "Here is your throat back
Thanks for the loan"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Now you see this one-eyed midget
Shouting the word "NOW"
And you say, "For what reason?"
And he says, "How?"
And you say, "What does this mean?"
And he screams back, "You're a cow
Give me some milk
Or else go home"

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?

Well, you walk into the room
Like a camel and then you frown
You put your eyes in your pocket
And your nose on the ground
There ought to be a law
Against you comin' around
You should be made
To wear earphones

Because something is happening here
But you don't know what it is
Do you, Mister Jones?
- DYLAN

[Minstrel Boy]

8. How about a little Paranoid Larry?

From "Two Boats in the Night":

There was the Bay of Pigs fiasco
Which spoiled the relations
With the chain of command,
Disappearing up the line.
They insisted upon his complete cooperation,
And he respectfully declined.

And Operation Zapata was the codename for the Bay of Pigs,
Like the Bush's oil company;
What a funny coincidence.
And they painted two gunboats
To make it look like a pleasure trip,
And the "Houston" and the "Barbara" were the boats they sailed in on.

That's when they tried to takeover,
But he didn't die in vain.
Since he stood up
We know some of their names.

[Beam Me Up]

9. One big wolloping big kick

:kick:

[Minstrel Boy]

21. Sing it again, Larry:

CI-al qaeda,
FB-Iran,
NB-see nuthin',
JF-came and went.

Cuz he stood up for somethin' -
Who remembers just what.
We all know what happened,
But at least he stood up.

[robertpaulsen]

10. Gaeton Fonzi's The Last Investigation is one of my favorite JFK books.

Reading that made me realize that the "independent" 9/11 Commission would never amount to a hill of shit. Sibel Edmonds made that pretty evident with the rebuttal she wrote to their report.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0802-06.htm

[H2O Man]

12. Great post.

Thanks. Of course the original investigators for the House Committee were going to uncover the truth of Dallas and Memphis, and that led to a few changes in their make-up. However, these cases have been "solved" long ago, and anyone interested in learning who killed JFK or MLK can easily do so. There is no more mystery to either case than, for example, who killed Nicole and Ron.

[Minstrel Boy]

15. Reading how original chief consul Richard Sprague

was run out of town because he was intent on conducting a proper murder investigation is pretty heartbreaking stuff. One of the last chances for "official" history to get it right.

And you're right, the deep truth of the murders of JFK and MLK have been exposed. The identity of the triggermen is not as important as the identity of those who paid for the bullets. I'd also add RFK. I believe the details of that case even more self-evidently demonstrate conspiracy. For instance, the coroner found he was shot point blank from behind at an upward trajectory, while Sirhan stood a couple of feet directly in front of him. And hello, girl in the polka dot dress.... (Excellent sources on RFK are Lisa Pease's essays in The Assassinations anthology, and William Turner's The Assassination of Robert F Kennedy.)

[H2O Man]

16. Richard Sprague was convinced

the nation was ready to tell the truth. And he was going to lay it out in an easy to understand fashion.

With the MKL investigation, there was significant intimidation. Read anything by Dick Gregory about what the black representatives said to him about the Hoover influence. There are plenty of reliable sources about Hoover's connections with Army intel, who were following Martin. Still, it was the off-duty cop that fired the shot.

The actual gunman/men in each case are known. Look at the tie RFK has grasped in his hand. These individuals have been as accurately identified as OJ.

(On edit: Lisa Pease is on target. Also, add Malcolm to the list.)

[Minstrel Boy]

17. How many people know that a court found the government

complicit in the death of MLK? The trial was just in '99 - that should have been the trial of the century. And how quickly was it made to disappear from the US media's radar?

The King family sought only $100 in damages. Establishing the truth was their purpose. And yet the truth has again vanished.

And yes, the picture of RFK on the floor, clutching Thane Eugene Caesar's clip-on tie, who happened to be standing in the place of the shooter, according to the coroner's findings, and who lied about his gun that night. Company man.

[H2O Man]

18. Very good, M.B.!!!

I'm impressed by people who know the truth about these cases ..... no nonsense, just a rational understanding of one of the saddest chapters in our nation's history.

If you read Lisa's works, then I assume you understand what happened to Malcolm, too.

[Minstrel Boy]

19. Thanks, H2O Man

The truth is all there for the learning, despite the best efforts of a 40-year cover-up. And it's living history. Their consequences are still compounding.

And yes, Malcolm too...

[H2O Man]

20. You've hit the key:

"Their consequences are still compounding."

There is a beautiful poem by Jalal-ad-din Rumi, the Persian Sufi: "This world and yonder world are incessantly giving birth: every cause is a mother, its effect the child.
When the effect is born, it too becomes a cause and gives birth to wonderous effects.
These causes are generation on generation, but it needs a very well lighted eye to see the links in their chain."

Today is a consequence of yesterday, and tomorrow will be a direct result of today. Thus, it takes no great talent to be able to say with great certainty exactly what will happen in the future -- one need only look to the past. And that is the key to being able to understand the difference between true conspiracies (these murders) and the many things that are the consequence of past evil actions of the American government.

The only thing that can change is people. People can change. And when people change, they can affect change.