Oswald Acted Alone: JFK Assassination Solved (Part 2 of 2)

[@jillparker6553]

I would love to see one of these about 9/11 and the conspiracy theories surrounding it. It was an inside job, etc, and others like what are included in the movie Zeitgeist.

[@squillz8310]

I'd also love to see him take that on! I feel it'd require even *more* research and time to produce. Such a convoluted story that goes back a lot farther back. He'd no doubt do a phenomenal job defeating those arguments about it being staged or whatever the hell. A terrible tragedy occurred that day. I was 2 and a half weeks from being 1 year old so I have no memory, but I take it upon myself every year to spend that day mourning those who were so needlessly killed.

[@Juan_lauda]

Yes please

[@HeyThatsInteresting97]

This is an absolute must from Sean!

[@James-ll3jb]

Me too!

[@if6was929]

I haven't seen, Zeitgeist but every point made in the film, Loose Change, is rebutted by Popular Mechanics.

[@dimetronome]

As a history professor, one thing that depresses me about the JFK assassination conspiracy theories is the tremendous amount of time and energy that profoundly intelligent people have wasted on obsessively researching and vehemently defending these theories. Meanwhile, there is overwhelming evidence of multiple assassinations that were actually carried out by the CIA against leaders of developing nations (also during the Cold War), but the details of these assassinations are largely unknown to average Americans and never garner the same kind of attention as the imagined conspiracy theories surrounding the Kennedy assassination. Thanks for the outstanding videos, Sean!

[@SeanMunger]

Thanks, and I agree completely.

[@JohnWest-zq5gs]

You're right I think one of the reasons they keep this JFK conspiracy going is is to make money off selling books and making movies JFK with Kevin Costner look at the money look up the money they make off selling books and making movies about it sad part about it is you can't talk to these people that believe there was a conspiracy to kill JFK I mean they refused to listen to logic and reason

[@scottriedel6222]

We can thank Jack Ruby for that, I suppose.

[@seanholland6132]

I'm so glad someone finally saying this. This has been a major frustration for me for years when talking to people I know who lived through the assassination. It feels like they need it to be something special so that they can point and say " I know better."

[@bobtaylor170]

​@@chriscald9426you're just willfully oblivious to evidence, aren't you? Permanently "underemployed," I suspect, or a trust fund baby. I was eleven at the time. By nightfall on November 22, 1963, it was obvious to everyone but the neighborhood wackjob that Oswald was the assassin. If reason can't get to you, look at the photos taken of Oswald on November 22 and especially the mugshots made of him shortly after midnight on November 23. Do you see the countenance of a horrified, terrified innocent man caught up in something almost unbelievably wrong? No, you see smugness. You see insolence. You see a psychopath. Ruth Paine, sitting with Marina Oswald that awful afternoon and watching the events of the day unfold, says to this day that when she saw Oswald on TV, she could tell instantly that "he was in his element."

[@landochabod7]

I'm seeing this a few days after LEMMINO's video about Oswald and the Texas School Book Depository. While that one has much more elaborate production, it baffles the mind that this one (well, these two), which is very thoroughly researched, only has 1/600 the number of views. It's very informative and well-argued. Also, great job on the Iran-Contra one, which is how I found your channel. You've earned a subscriber. Cheers from Italy.

[@SeanMunger]

Thank you! 🙏

[@victoriancu5661]

I never realized just how many angles there were to this event. What surprised me is you didn’t even get to any theories that involve the Soviet Union, which can all be easily dismissed simply by reading about how completely taken by surprise the Soviet government was. But I guess that on its own could be a 3 hour video.

[@CJK-bt4ll]

Hands down, this is the best conspiracy theory buster I've seen. This is a must see. Sharing it everywhere.

[@SeanMunger]

Thanks!

[@Philosophy42DaysUth]

Your question of "have you read it?" resonates with me. I went through most of my life thinking the Warren Report was more like an edict, so when I actually looked at, I was surprised to see it assesses evidence ... it even has a section responding to conspiracy theories and explaining why most of them fail on the timeline. TY for your time and these vids.

[@anna9072]

I think Oswald’s motivation was not entirely political. It was a political statement, yes, but the main motivation was that it would validate him, it would make him a big wheel, not just a 2-bit loser. It was his one shot at glory. And if Ruby hadn’t killed him, he would probably have smirked and swaggered his way through his trial, reveling in the attention.

[@stddisclaimer8020]

@anna9072 "He (Oswald) would probably have smirked and swaggered his way through his trial, reveling in the attention." Which is exactly what we saw happen in the Manson trial. The sole difference being, Oswald probably would have not lunged at the judge with a sharpened pencil.

[@foggymedia]

I'm glad you're sticking to the facts Anna.Yes he was bursting at the seams with smiles ready to erupt under the surface 😅

[@michaelplummer395]

Listen or read Gerald Posners Case Closed every conspiracy theory is debunked by fact and logic

[@2Muchpjp]

​@@foggymediayes, when told he was charged with murder, his eyes were filled with joy, not horror and confusion.

[@tonyc8752]

Agree. I think he was basically a serial killer, and his targets were political government employees. In 6 months, he shot at Gen Walker, President Kennedy, Governor Connelly, Officer Tippit and attempted to shoot his arresting officer.

[@franciscoortega7938]

i thought i was going to listen to it for a few minutes while eating.... nope... i had to listen to the whole two parts. from lunch to dinner... very well done.

[@lo-fidevil2950]

You mentioned that Zapruder was filming from atop a pergola. The pergola was right next to the grassy knoll. If someone had fired a rifle (even a suppressed rifle) 50 feet to Zapruder’s right, he absolutely would have noticed the shot. I mean the knoll is right there. The pergola is basically on it.

[@SeanMunger]

That is an excellent observation!

[@aaronz7056]

Anybody firing a rifle behind that flimsy knoll fence would have been absurdly obvious and very visible to a lot of people. He would have been plainly visible to the witnesses directly under the sixth floor window, for a start.

[@Treblaine]

It's gotten to the point of "well, they only fired a single shot from a small silenced single-shot pistol, shooting discretely from the hip AND it missed. BUT THAT'S STILL A CONSPIRACY!" What could the conspiracy even be? "You use your bargain-basement sniper rifle from a concealed position while I try to use my super advanced traceless pop gun from an extremely exposed position and I won't even aim." What kind of plan is this?

[@LePubPattaya]

I just came back from visiting Dallas, having wanted to go for 45 years. I thought exactly the same thing. You can absolutely pinpoint AZ’s location and more importantly, his assistant who was standing right behind him. It’s so close to the “assassin” on the embankment (I refuse to call it the grassy knoll as that plays into their vocabulary “

[@kevinmahernz]

There would have been a huge number of witnesses, and as Sean pointed out the difficulty of getting away quickly from the crowd. Plus as you mentioned, the camera operator would have noticed it and probably pointed the camera in the direction of where they thought that shot had been fired from - but of course did not because no-one fired from there.

[@VsofiaV]

I used to think Oswald was a scapegoat, but you have legit convinced me that he acted alone. No one seems to talk about all the evidence that shows it was just him, they only want to talk about the conspiracy theories

[@graphospasm5394]

Kudos to you for admitting that you were wrong, it's not something everyone can do.

[@colewyatt4345]

Hey Sean, is there any chance you could do a video on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr? I’ve heard a lot of conflicting information surrounding the event and I am curious to know your thoughts.

[@squillz8310]

Yes this! There's plenty of theories surrounding his murder and I'm currently in a spot where I don't have a concrete belief on what happened. He'd surely do King Jr. Justice if he covered it.

[@mckernan603]

How about all our victims in the third world too, from Diem to Allende.

[@bobtaylor170]

Two books: 1. Hellhound on his Trail, by Hampton Sides. 2. Gerald Posner's book about the assassination, the title of which I don't recall at the moment. The books are very different. Sides' presumes Ray's guilt, and his portrait of Ray as a human being shows you why he was guilty. Posner, an attorney, has written a much drier book, but his forensic analysis is brilliant. If you combine the two books, you can't believe that anyone else but Ray did that crime. The big question about Ray has always been where he got the money to elude an international manhunt for two months, and this, of course, has fed the suspicion that he was a hired hand. What this overlooks is that Ray and his two brothers were professional criminals, primarily holdup artists.

[@SanfordGoodman]

I have NEVER believed in comspiracy theories because they have never jived witth the facts. I'm glad that someone like you is reporting the truth based on evidence. I wish more people believe as you do.

[@adestra6840]

Sean, you may not realize how important your two part video is on this matter. I now have something to show my kids when this topic and the wild theories come up. Thank you so much for your work.

[@zenoblues7787]

While I never believed the JFK conspiracies. I was shocked at how well documented and intensely investigated the assassination was. Its staggering how much proof they had and yet people still refuse to believe it. You couldn't have asked for a more open and shut case. Especially for the time. The investigation was thorough, and reached a standard of evidence that most convicted criminals don't have.

[@Archangelm127]

Same.

[@GaryED44]

Agree completely

[@anttimohkoi7437]

There are still millions of people in America who believe the moon landings were faked or that the Earth is flat. Propably nothing to do with education standards...

[@isaaclaf1000]

I was under the impression there was some missing information. A few data points that would tie it all together. Apparently that was just move conspiracy noise intended to obscure the real story. The conspiracy is cabal of creeps making money off of well understood event with alternative explanations.

[@bobtaylor170]

I think public rejection of the evidence was an augury of America's retreat away from word based, fact based thinking.

[@gakster29]

JFK wasn't shot...his head just did that... (seriously, though...thank you for this series! Subscribed!

[@clinteranovic8075]

I think what ignited the conspiracy theories about it was the fact that Oswald was shot by Ruby so the immediate reaction was that it was an effort to silence Oswald.

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

Makes sense. I think many also dont like thinking that a loser like Oswald, could pull off the assassination of a sitting President. As Dr. Munger stated, Kennedy's assassination was a Perfect Storm of a bunch of different things coming together. I also think that societal, and especially Secret Service naivety was the root cause of the assassination of JFK. To allow a sitting President, to be driven through a city with SO MANY impossible places to patrol and protect, was just irresponsible. Look at the video clip of the motorcade as its about to turn onto Elm Street, there are SO MANY tall buildings and windows where anyone could have done what Oswald did. On top of that, allowing EVERYONE in that area, to know the route of the motorcade, and have the President of the United States be COMPLETELY unprotected in a car moving at such low speeds, is not only naive, but criminal in my estimation. It never should have happened, and the butterfly effect in terms of our prolonged participation in the Vietnam War, may have cost THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of Americans lives that may not have ended up occuring had Kennedy stayed in office until 1968. We can only imagine.

[@petermacmillan6756]

I'm not sure if the conspiracy theories flourished because information was withheld, or because there was so much of it to scrutinize. Many of the early critics of the Warren Commission were based on the report itself--readers questioned the ballistics, eyewitness accounts, and minutiae because the overall circumstances seemed suspicious to them. A determined conspiracy theorist can find lots to question in a 26 volume report. I don't think government agencies rushed to disclose everything they did before the assassination to the Warren Commission. The Secret Service failed to protect the President. The FBI and CIA failed to recognize that Oswald was a threat. The Dallas police failed to protect the President, J.D. Tippet, and Lee Harvey Oswald and even allowed Jack Ruby into the police department when they let reporters see Oswald. All of them had a reason to minimize their errors, and they all hedged at least a little bit. The FBI destroyed the note Oswald sent to Special Agent Hosty. I don't think it is unreasonable to say that the CIA was not entirely honest about what it knew about Oswald, and there are lots of questions about what it might have been hiding. The photograph of someone (not Oswald) visiting the Soviet Embassy in Mexico City is either the result of incompetence or a lie. That doesn't mean that there was a conspiracy, but it did fuel the general skepticism about the extraordinary circumstances of the assassination. There are some unanswered questions, like the identity of the so-called "babushka lady" seen on the Zapruder film, and some surprising details like the apparent movement of JKF's head, and the limited time for Oswald to have fired three shots. Again, they do not prove a conspiracy, but they inspired skepticism.

[@darrenklein6090]

It’s amazing how much chaos was unleashed by one man’s (somewhat) impulsive action.

[@joewatson7069]

LHO would be so pissed to see how few people believe he did it lol

[@Landrar]

WHAT IS THIS? A really well thought out video on JFK that doesn't revolve around the same old nonsense and actually relies on facts and verifiable information? Sir, this is KZbin. We have a reputation to keep up.

[@famfamfam5782]

I gotta pause watching this again to express how great this video is. As a literal lifelong despiser of conspiracy theories the combination of of rigorous facts and logic with righteous smackdowns is pure joy

[@bobtaylor170]

"...literal lifelong despiser of conspiracy theories..." could be a description of me.

[@Dreaming5]

Sean Munger is my new Netflix 🍿

[@anthonyvictor3034]

Many years ago, as a junior school English student who liked books and movies like Day of the Jackal (Frederick Forsyth) and The Manchurian Candidate (Condon) I wrote a short story in which Oswald was a Soviet sleeper agent who was activated to kill Kennedy by Khrushchev’s orders as revenge for the Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a joke on my part, a pastiche of what were then called ‘faction’ thrillers. (Got an A for it so I am not complaining😀). Looking back, I should have turned it into a book…would have gotten rich, could have retired at 13 to the Bahamas, and I’d have added another 20 minutes to your brilliant two part video. Jokes aside, thanks for your work. Really well done. As one who later became a historian (among other things), I really appreciate your thorough and highly engaging work.

[@zorglubmagnus455]

Oliver Stone and Ridley Scott should be ashamed for their ludicrous ‘historical’ movies. And everyone who makes historical movies without any regard for the truth. Movies have consequences.

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

Sadly, had David Ferrie, Clay Shaw, or Jack Ruby have been alive in the 90s, JFK probably never would have been made, and if any had, they would have sued Stone's balls off.

[@mckernan603]

No, even if Stone was completely wrong here, he gets credit for shining a light on our dirty war in Central America

[@trekkiejunk]

Ridley Scott? What did he do?

[@pen2199]

@@trekkiejunk not sure, did he do blade runner....don't matter

[@dchegu]

​@@trekkiejunkprobably how ridley Scott butchered history of Napoleon in his supposedly autobiographical movie bout Napoleon

[@MrNb131]

Thank you for making this. I had been watching the Mark Gruber videos and was fairly convinced that it was a CIA hit. This series has brought me back to reality.

[@aaronz7056]

Mark Groubert, a man who happily hawks books written by Alex Jones, cranks out video after video giving his middle finger to the family of a decorated police officer who lost his life in the cause of his duty as he accuses the man without evidence of being a conspirator so long as it suits his crackpot "theories," and does the same to Ruth Paine as though he is just gagging for her to sue his ass for slander.

[@cunningplan9049]

The most comprehensive JFK video I have ever seen ! (Watching and subscribing from Denmark). When something horrific like this happens, you can understand people would like to believe something bigger is behind it. However, the simple explanation is usually the correct one, and here the evidence of this is overwhelming.

[@philmoneybagsburnell6192]

As a history nerd I love your longform videos! Appreciate your attention to detail and logic when it comes to explaining events.

[@woutmertens1583]

Oh crap, you changed my mind

[@nancysturm9162]

One of the most amazing things about these two videos is the wacky font you used for the chapter titles! I learned a lot, although I (age 8 in 1963) never paid any attention to the conspiracy theories out there, so I didn't need any debunking. But thanks for putting all of this together. Very informative.

[@Will-Parr]

At the age of 11, I was released from school early. I walked home to find my father in front of the tv crying, which was something I had never seen. For many years, I kept saying that someday the truth would come out. But now, at age 71, I have come to the conclusion that that you are correct.

[@winterhaydn]

It's weird how people get emotional over symbolic junk tied into their identity, like a president's death, but feel apathetic over common human tragedies.

[@micol7490]

​@@winterhaydnhow can you state so pompously that his father was not empathic to common people's suffering? Even if I could maybe try to understand your point, don't you feel like you're doing the same thing you accuse others of? You jumped on a comment that talks about a childhood memory linked to someone's father and insinuated that the person the comment talks about was devoid of personality and apathetic towards others. While you yourself are acting by like a really rude person... Projection maybe???

[@LukeStevenssGooglePlusProfile]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[@TonyTalksBack]

Well done Mr. Munger. You’ve changed my mind on this. I feel a little silly actually for thinking what I used to about the whole affair

[@ricardopacheco97]

Man, leading up to the 60th anniversary of the JFK assassination, I kept searching on streaming services for documentaries/movies/etc about the subject, but most were about the ludicrous conspiracies (of course Oliver Stone's JFK it's the highlight, those 3 and-a-half hours flyby, even if his final theory is ridiculous), and finally settled for the 11/22/63 miniseries, based on Stephen King's excellent novel (my favorite novel period). But then I discovered your video, exactly on the anniversary of JFK and honestly, your video should be shared on public schools, this has been one of the more comprehensive and in-depth documentaries I've ever seen and it kept me engaged all the way, I plan to make it an annual tradition. Of course I'll subscribe, greetings from Mexico

[@taco4242]

I just discovered your channel a couple days ago. I've since watched both of your election vids, your Franklin Pierce Vid, Titanic and now these two. Great work. And yes, I subscribed.

[@mirk042]

It's almost unbelievable, that most Americans still think it was a conspiracy. Thank you for both videos, Sean. I highly enjoyed watching them.

[@SeanMunger]

Thanks! Yes, it's amazing that so many people still don't know the facts.

[@Matt-cr4vv]

I think it’s a mix of things. Some of it has to do with how guarded documents surrounding it have been which gives people a feeling that something is being hidden from them. But the other aspect is that facts don’t matter for some. If you’ve convinced yourself logic doesn’t necessarily matter at a certain point.

[@markellzey1531]

People haven't taken the time to read the Warren Report. I love that Sean tells you where you can find the infomation.

[@GodlessScummer]

Thanks for this video series. I used to be a believer in JFK conspiracy theories but in recent years I've come to much the same conclusion as yourself. But you've said it all way better than I could ever do.

[@Synky]

Here's to the continuation of this epic masterpiece! It's quite unfortunate that your views are so low, but I stumbled upon your channel via the algorithm's recommendation, indicating that your well-deserved recognition might be on its way. I must applaud your data-driven approach to presenting historical events, as it's refreshing to find a channel that sticks to the facts rather than sensationalizing the matter. The fact that your views are low sadly echoes why so many Americans buy into wild conspiracy theories, particularly surrounding JFK (as documentaries/videos discussing conspiracy theories/alternative "facts" Garner far more attention)

[@Synky]

I would also like to add that before this video, I quite literally believed that no one knew exactly what happened with JFK. My general opinion on the matter was muddied by the media/content I consumed so seriously thank you for being direct in your assertions and presenting the case so clearly.

[@ArmchairSkeptic2010]

Absolutely brilliant!!! Its rare, if not impossible, to find this level of thorough examination of this tragic historical event that is not sullied in some way by trying to patronize to the large swath of conspiracy minded people. I applaud your courage and your scholarship. Thank you truly!

[@chrisgenovese8188]

I cant believe i just spent four hours to be convinced of something i already believed. I recently read 11/22/63 by Stephen King, and im surprised at how well researched it was.

[@madlift]

Prof. Munger-- fellow historian here. I just found your channel and I'm so pleased you chose to tackle thorny topics like this on a popular platform like KZbin. Your dispassionate, fact-based, and well-sourced presentation is a breath of fresh air. Kudos to you! Is your Ko-Fi the best way to support more and similar quality content from you? I'd be happy to become a monthly subscriber.

[@SeanMunger]

Go to www.gardenofmemory.net!

[@madlift]

@@SeanMunger Will do! Thanks!

[@Andyanddiana467]

Great series of videos. I used to believe in JFK conspiracy theories when I was younger, but as I get older (and hopefully wiser) and more aware of principles of reason and logic, including Occam's Razor, I've become a skeptic.

[@jetcat132]

Good for you. I went through the same transformation.

[@JonBrownSherman]

Well color me convinced. I love it when smart people take the time to explain things in a detailed and logical way. Keep up the great work!

[@RobertLeclercq]

Thanks for this Sean. I really appreciate your efforts with these long documentaries. Hopefully KZbin will start promoting your channel. You definitely deserve it!

[@SeanMunger]

Thank you. A different long form video of mine (not this one) just went viral this week, so maybe they are finally catching on!

[@RobertLeclercq]

@@SeanMunger Yup the Iran-Contra video was what led me to your channel. If I have to I'll eventually migrate to your shorter stuff. As a contrarian to pop culture trends I crave that longest content I can find on a subject vs TikToks.

[@jillparker6553]

I'm so glad KZbin led me here!

[@JessicaClariceElsener]

This has been the best set of JFK Assassination videos Ive ever seen. I don't meet many others who also own Reclaiming History. Bugliosi died before he got to make any real documentaries about the book. So this is beautifully done in the same spirit. You should be proud for making this. It's perfect.

[@markdaniels7174]

I became a CT’er after watching Stone’s JFK; I watched it dozens of times and read dozens of assassination books - which, as you know, are pretty much ALL conspiracy books. I then challenged myself to see what the other side (the lone gunman proponents) had to say… and they changed my CT ways. Even after having my two biggest issues with the official story debunked (the magic bullet, the Garrison investigation), it was still hard for me to fully jump to the other side. Such beliefs are deep seated, so it requires an inner paradigm shift. But I did it! Today I’m well-versed in the truth of the assassination, and I learned a valuable lesson in critical thinking and evaluating evidence, which I’ve applied to many other things since. Only one thing you said was new to me: the bit about WHY the documents were going to be kept private for 75 years. I should’ve figured it wasn’t because they held deep secrets about what “really” happened. We already KNOW what happened! We’ve known for decades.

[@ultra_marcus]

About 5 years ago when I returned to this subject for the first time in over a decade since my teenage years, it slowly dawned on me that either; one of this myriad of mutually exclusive conspiracy theories was true - or none of them were. I'm grateful for these videos and the time you put in, and for not lingering on gruesome sensationalism.

[@chrislewis6488]

I always knew that Coca cola was deadly but holy cow 😂

[@crappocrappoproductions-ak9403]

In May 1992, Navy pathologists Drs.James Humes and J. Thornton Boswell gave an interview that appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. It was the first (and only?) public statement given after almost thirty years by the doctors who performed the autopsy on JFK. They were adamant that their findings were accurate and not influenced by anyone. One aspect of their interview focused on the gunshot wound that caused the cranial bones to unequivocally demonstrate a pattern of ‘beveling’ that allowed identification of the occipital area as the entry point and right parietal area as the blowout exit wound. Thus, the fatal bullet was concluded to have been fired from behind Kennedy. To my knowledge, this particular detail was never raised in any conspiracy theory that purported that the shot came from the grassy knoll. Great work Dr.Munger !

[@9Ballr]

I believe in that same issue of JAMA (May 27, 1992 - Vol. 267, No. 20, pp. 2804-2805), four of the five doctors who treated JFK at Parkland (Drs. Baxter, Carrico, Jenkins, and Perry) said that nothing they observed contradicted the autopsy finding that the bullets were fired from above and behind by a high velocity rifle, and that they did not see evidence of gunshot wounds from the front.

[@MBarne4908]

OH…MY….GOD!!!!! FINALLY!!! Someone has finally put the undisputed truth out there that supports the conclusions I had come to. Being 5 years old, and watching the Oswald Shooting on Sunday, waiting to go to church, (i thought THAT was the shooting of the president!) my mother had shielded my from all the news on Friday and Saturday. My father worked for Lockeed, (maker of the U2 spy plane and other military projects) so for the rest of his life always believed someone (the Mafia) had done it. Over the years I got into all his books on the subject and went down hundreds of rabbit holes and idiotic conspiracy theories. I listened to all the 76 committee hearings, watched “EXECUTIVE ACTION” I was convinced THEY DID IT! Then… in the 90s, a couple things happened. I read “CASE CLOSED” by Gerald Posner, and then WENT TO THE 6th FLOOR MUSEUM IN DALLAS! By the time JFK came out I thought “this is ALL IDIOCY!” All conspiracies fall apart, most are complete nonsense, and we’ll, I WOKE UP! But of course, the world is so seduced by conspiracies, that especially are so prevalent in today. The internet is idiocy on most things and dismiss real things that are going on in front of our faces. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING THIS, laying it out in perfect detail. So grateful! I’m joining everything you got! Thank you, thank you thank you!!!!

[@DRF1001]

I flew with a guy that X trained into U2s. He died over Korea - RIP Marty Mcgregor I was at Beale and was assigned to F117s on the Q models. Beale was CIA Brian Shull just died too - Spent many years with him talking photography JSoC did this - He was shot from multiple directions. NSAM 273 was one of of reasons. Michael Paine lived in Yuba City for a reason

[@dco1487]

I spent a lot of time on this subject, initially being sucked in by the conspiracy theories. After I consumed enough I also realized what horse poo it all was, I find it amazing how most people want to hang on to whatever baseless junk they just want to believe. Even more amazing what people will do for a buck. Oliver Stones is so bad

[@pauljosephbuggle3722]

Well done! You have produced a convincing case. Excellent.

[@msvalderrama1]

I read Bugliosi’s Reclaiming History in 2008 or 2009. It took me at least 6 months to finish & I dedicated hours each day to reading it. That text closed the book on the conspiracies as far as I’m concerned.

[@gaylebaker8419]

You realise, of course, the the conspiracy theorists can prove you wrong by simply saying, "You're lying." Then they quickly leave the room.

[@SeanMunger]

"You're lying," or their favorite, "You're a CIA agent," or "You're the deep state" or "you're stupid," or... (500 other canned and brainless responses).

[@jetcat132]

@@SeanMungerHaha yes… I’ve had many of those debates with those guys.

[@williamward9755]

What they’ll usually defer to is, “Well, they were in on it too”.

[@stanmurphy3638]

@@SeanMunger Someone responded to one of my anti-CT comments by calling me a government operative hire to cover tracks of the coverup.

[@StephenSchnee]

I spent most of my life (60 years) believing in the conspiracy theories revolving around the JFK assassination but came to my own conclusion a decade or two ago that he acted alone. I LOVE to listen to all the theories that are out there, but I have to say that you are the only one that makes 100% sense. You just lay out the facts, and that is what matters most. Thank you. But yes, I do love all the other conspiracy stuff but I believe in those like I believe in ghosts, Bigfoot, and UFOs (i.e. fun to think about but no real proof)

[@briannash9389]

Thank you for this excellent work! I suspected that there was a conspiracy but this pair of videos has convinced me it was just Oswald. Have you ever considered being a lawyer? You present evidence well.

[@SeanMunger]

I used to be a lawyer.

[@GuyGabriel-eu7hb]

Thank you for making these videos and for your common sense approach. I recently told a coworker of mine that I believe that Oswald acted alone and he replied, "Have you seen the Zapruder film?!" (Who hasn't) I told him that I'd seen it countless times and he just shook his head and said, "Well, I think the Warren commission did a terrible job", without giving any specific examples. Your videos give us something to refer conspiracy people to (if they can take the time to step away from their confirmation bias).

[@SeanMunger]

Thanks. It has been my experience that the vast majority of conspiracy believers will never accept or even entertain any true facts that conflict with their beliefs, which for them is like religion. Once in a great while someone breaks out of it, but for most of them, they cannot and will never accept the truth. The conspiracies they believe in are articles of faith for them.

[@sowen1062]

As someone who is 61 now, the assassination, and all the theories, has been a source of great entertainment and somewhat of life long passion for me. I love a great mystery. The one thing that always stumped me on believing there was one shooter was that head shot. My eyes would not allow me to believe that shot could be from the rear. As I watch it now, after watching your incredible videos, it’s still difficult to see that shot not being a frontal shot. But I do now see that slight Foreward movement you talked about and with all the ballistic evidence that, to be honest, isn’t covered as honestly and as factually by the conspiracy believers, I do now believe the totality of the actual evidence points to Oswald and only Oswald. Thank you!

[@Mantuamaker]

I had the pleasure of being a nurse to Mr. Dolan, who was an Aid to RFK during this era. It was amazing to hear stories from that time, and just how much RFK’s whole staff was involved in the goings on. One day Mr. Dolan talked about the time just after JFK’s assassination and before RFK’s. It was like being there, in a way because that was the way his mind worked at that point. This was my closest brush to historical figures in my life.

[@jonsrecordcollection7172]

A major argument against the theory in Mortal Error is that the Secret Service agent in question, George Hickey, sued Bonar Menninger and his publishing company & won the lawsuit against them. Hickey was not a rich man; the only reason why he would have sued is that the theory was bunk.

[@RichardCook-on3gf]

At first I thought it was Oswald. After ten years I started thinking it was Oswald with the backing of the mafia. After a few more years I became convinced Oswald acted alone, and I maintain that belief to this day.

[@LukeStevenssGooglePlusProfile]

That's critical thinking, nice to know there's more of us out there.

[@wbowes]

Thank you for one of the most comprehensive explanations of the Kennedy assassination I have seen. Really enjoy your work. Thank you.

[@dancooke8943]

This is a brilliant display of logic and research. Well done! Absolutely invaluable in a time riddled with skepticism and uncertainty

[@Sighhhh]

lol i love the secret service alien theory. Ive been pretty somber throughout watching your 2 parts but that bombshell made me laugh.

[@michaelbarnhart2593]

There is a great passage by the author Thomas Mallon, who wrote a book about Ruth Paine: "Most conspiracy theorists do not want the case 'solved' but want to sustain the imagined mystery's eternal life. They are less in the business of 'spreading the truth' as they see it than repeating writ. They light not a prairie fire, but a sort of burning circus hoop through which the same villains and dupes are coaxed to jump through again and again."

[@SeanMunger]

Exactly right. It's why the conspiracy nuts hate this video so much, no more circus!

[@LukeStevenssGooglePlusProfile]

It all comes down to the idea that the conspiracy believers feel they know the 'secret knowledge' hence they get an ego boost.

[@bobtaylor170]

Mallon's book is excellent. Another author whose book deserves attention is Jean Davison's Oswald's Game, which is one of the most remarkable books I have ever read.

[@nicklewnv]

Bugliosi is a fantastic author. Sean, I would love to watch a Munger-style video on the story covered in his book, And the Sea Will Tell.

[@SeanMunger]

I did that, actually! Search for a two-part video series on this channel called "Palmyra Curse."

[@NickFromDetroit]

Nice videos. The first time, when I was a kid in the ‘70s, that I heard about the odds of JFK assassination witnesses dying was at the end of the 1973 movie “Executive Action” which stated, “In the three-year period which followed the murder of President Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald, 18 material witnesses died - six by gunfire, three in motor accidents, two by suicide, one from a cut throat, one from a karate chop to the neck, three from heart attacks and two from natural causes. An actuary, engaged by the London Times, concluded that on November 22, 1963, the odds against these witnesses being dead by February 1967 were one hundred thousand trillion to one.” This movie was based on Mark Lane’s book, “Rush To Judgement,” and starred Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, and commie Will Geer. Mark Lane was involved in making it. The HSCA found that the actuary was invalid because the universe of “witnesses” could never be defined. The editor of the London Sunday Times would/could not give the name of the actuary. I remember reading, somewhere, that this calculation was wrong. Also, the patholigist’s name is pronounced Dr. Michael Bah-den. I was raised on the JFK assassination, practically. He was like a saint in my house. Both my parents believed in a conspiracy. They were in high school when he ran in ‘60. They turned into Reagan democrats in the late ‘70s, but still believed in conspiracy. In ‘92, when I got out of the Army, I went to Dallas, took videos of DP, went to the 6th Floor, even the Dallas library. There was also another “museum” in a multi-story mall on Houston St., down where all the bars were. There I got to hold a MC rifle, operate the bolt, look through an identical scope. They had a nice model of DP. While there, Gerald Poster walked in. The owner and he debated a while. While in Dallas, I stood where Zapruder stood & took video of the whole area. I immediately noticed that you could see right over the picket fence. If a shot came from there, everyone in that area would have seen the person. The fence was only about 30 feet from Zapruder & his secretary. The people on the cement stairs would have reacted to the loud report of any rifle. This was the first crack in my belief in conspiracy.

[@chocolatetownforever7537]

Thank you for the video Dr. Munger. I love your videos, and my only complaint is that there arent enough of these longer ones lol.

[@richierugs6544]

i agree, it is so good i do not want it to end!

[@PhoenixWormwood137]

This was a great video. I would love to see a longform debunking video like this on 9/11 conspiracies!

[@richjjames7462]

Excellent, i think the mythology of oswalds life prior has so often been paraded without any attention to the facts you so clearly put forward

[@jongraham7362]

You did a pretty good job, Sean. I think you may have gotten a few minor details wrong, but they are inconsequential. There are things you didn't say that I would have added but overall, very well done.

[@victoriapayne9491]

I’m so glad someone intelligent spells all this out and calls out all the BS. You have a sharp mind and I wish there were more people like you and less people like JR or AJ

[@lillonerboi504]

Alright so I’ve finished both videos and your fall of the monarchies all today here on my work shift. Firstly, seriously impressed. I grew up firmly believing in there being a conspiracy on multiple levels surrounding his death. Although I just naturally shed off many of those beliefs with maturing, because many of them are just flagrantly false or ridiculous, I did maintain some level of firmness in my belief in specifically the CIA being a possible culprit. Having finished both these videos I have to say I’m glad I didn’t keep putting off this video. I was worried my inherent distrust of the government would cloud me from accepting the valid points you make. Although I never really bought into the theory of multiple shooters really ever, you concisely broke down each variant of the “this branch of government is responsible” theories and solidified facts that I had previously seriously questioned like the magic bullet theory. Personally, looking over all of the evidence myself I agree. Oswald acted alone. He wanted to kill Kennedy, nobody in ties with any government or group approached him or assisted him. However, I do have a inkling of a feeling the CIA at the very least was not in the least disappointed with his death, if not willfully avoided taking action against Oswald prior to the shooting. Dan Carlin put out a podcast surrounding the events leading up to the Cuban missile crisis, and brings up a statement said by Vincent Bugliosi in his book, where JFK apparently stated he would “splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter them into the wind.” After advisors/CIA told a young, inexperienced JFK that the plans for Bay of Pigs should be conducted and they had vetted the plans enough to ensure success. Now Dan himself will be the first to say he is not a true historian, although I personally give the man credit since he does have a B.A in history. And Dan doesn’t make the statement this was an infallible fact. But it does make me ponder if the CIA was somewhat uncaring about Kennedy’s safety if the supposed statement was true. Obviously I’m not changing my stance on Oswald’s overall involvement. You’ve made a solid enough case that there isn’t a genuine conspiracy on any level. The CIA would have no reason to actively seek Kennedys demise even if they were fear of him doing anything untoward to their establishment. Which from the little bit of research I’ve done myself, wasn’t the case. Kennedy was as you said, just following the motions set by his predecessor. Maintaining a presence in Vietnam and seemingly leaving the CIA entirely to their own devices. But I can’t shake this distrust. I think if Kennedy really did ever make such a statement about essentially dissolving the CIA, I can absolutely get behind the CIA just turning the cold shoulder to specific information. No harm no foul in a sense. But that’s still contingent on hearsay from a source that themselves doesn’t claim it to be more than just hearsay.

[@Mucologist]

Just past the 60th anniversary of the event and I needed what you presented in the worst way. I inhaled it. I am at peace again. Thanks,

[@sidehat1655]

God I wish this had more views. Bugliosi was such a towering figure and you've really picked up his mantle in equally admirable fashion. I loved your dismissal test btw. Good solid abductive reasoning. I'm really impressed.

[@Princessinfinity]

The only conspiracy theory I ever really entertained was the one brought forth in the Mortal Error book, only because it was the most believable of all the other craziness out there, at least to me, and even though I read the Warren Commission report afterward, I still leaned toward the idea. After watching your extremely informative and fact-driven series, I don’t really believe in the Secret Service theory anymore, but I’ll keep it as a kind of alternate reality scenario because I was very entertained by it. Thanks for all your hard work; you’re fantastic!

[@aaronz7056]

Mortal Error's scenario is flatly contradicted by eyewitness, film, medical and ballistic evidence, and Agent Hickey successfully sued the publishers.

[@davidgoetz2576]

Actually, Agent Hickey was in the Secret Service follow-up car, not the Vice President’s car. Just a minor point.

[@adreaminxy]

As someone who has been sucked into various conspiracy theories throughout life, I am extremely grateful for this and other videos on the channel. Facts are amazing and way better than fantasy!!

[@MWSin1]

My god... Kennedy was killed by a Coca-Cola bottle.

[@supercriceto]

Or was it Pepsi? . . .

[@davidjamesrumsey]

Thank you so much for this. We really need a fun, funny, visually interesting documentary that contain this content. I wish I was a filmaker and could do this.

[@tinadaugherty9073]

Thank you Sean! Finally, got it right. Everything you said made sence, after sixty years. This is why I have done better in college than High School. Just tell the full truth that backs up evidences.

[@rathchain3287]

Very well done videos. TY. Due to a major family event that coincided with the JFK assassination, this topic has come up a lot in my life, more I think than most people. I was always skeptical of the conspiracy theories, and sick of talking about them, so years ago I bought & read a copy of the Warren Report. From that point forward when anyone tried to push conspiracy theories on me I offered to loan it to them, and only if they read the report would I agree to talk with them about it. Since then the case has only become clearer. Oswald, a severely flawed individual acting alone, seized an opportunity that fell into his lap. And as I tell my film group friends, the Oliver Stone treatment is more "inspired by" than "based on" a true story;)

[@nayR5]

Lemmino made an excellent documentary on this subject and one important fact he brought up is that even for hunters, who spend considerably more time around firearms than the average person, it is difficult to tell how many shots are fired based on sound alone. A hunter fired two shots, another hunter less than a 100 yards away said he heard five. (Firearms: Investigation, Identification, and Evidence by Frank J. Jury & Jac Weller Major Julian S. Hatcher, 1957)

[@Capero10]

People seem to have forgotten what an "echo" is

[@ziploc2000]

Thank you for an excellent breakdown. One of the things that convinces me that Oswald was indeed a lone gunman is that the crowd only heard three shots, and the witness who saw Oswald shooting from the window. I can imagine a nefarious party planting the rifle and cartridge cases in the sniper's nest, but gun shots are loud, and if more than one gunman had been involved, those extra shots would have been heard. Oswald shooting a policeman later the same day also points to his guilt, you don't kill a man if you're inoocent. There's a Mark Wahlberg movie "Shooter" in which the hero is framed for a similar assassination, but during his escape he specifically doesn't kill an FBI agent he runs into, because he didn't shoot anyone in the first place.

[@BradBrassman]

An excellent pair of documentaries. Like you I also believed TMWKTP for a long time, and also found Howard Donahue's/JFK the Smoking Gun evidence fairly compelling but as a small time historian myself I think you'll agree that the enemy of the historian has long been folklore!

[@edgeman1135]

"Bobby's absolutely ruining us! Lets gets back at him by killing his brother, the president." No serious person could honestly believe this right?

[@ryananon779]

I'm a serious person and I do believe that Oswald acted alone, but I don't find that claim too incredible. You put it in terms that make the person posing the claim sound like a moron but it's not actually that far-fetched. Mobsters, petty hatred and extreme violence do go hand in hand after all.

[@dunkirchen1940]

You've officially changed my mind, Sean! Love your videos!!

[@mattgilbert7347]

Superb. Some friends of mine who subscribe to various conspiracy theories about JFK's assassination need to see these videos.

[@RashBold]

The evidence doesn't lie. Throw in a good dollop of critical thinking. No doubt about it. Oswald did it and did it alone.

[@nohbuddy1]

We need a video on the RFK assassination too

[@jtdavis62]

Good work, sir. Any objective research into the life and personality of Oswald and Ruby leads to only one conclusion: we saw two fantastic and unlikely crimes of passion that weekend. That people can't believe that a wormy nobody like Oswald could have pulled it off had lead to a lot of misguided and lost rabbit holes.

[@jeffclark7888]

Precisely.

[@dansullivan8648]

No doubt. It's simply a happen stance in history. Crazy things happen all the time and this was series of events in time and that's one of the things that alot of people can't accept regarding the assassination and the other thing is that all it takes is one whack job to do something so consequential.

[@n.stamm_]

LOVE the concept of piece by piece examining conspiracy theories. Most of them tend to lean heavily on the people peddling them being the most invested in the respective question the theory claims to answer. That gives them an advantage over most other people who will simply get to exhausted endlessly debating what are in essence mostly meaningless questions.

[@jetcat132]

Excellent point.

[@PronatorTendon]

I just discovered your channel today, and I'm glad I did 💪🏼

[@johnchapman8214]

Thanks Sean. Great video . Well done. I accept your conclusion as what happened in Dallas at 12.30 pm on that terrible day. John.

[@christinescreativitycabine280]

Regarding why conspiracy theories about this assassination have become so rampant: Yes, the 60s zeitgeist of questioning authority definitely had something to do with it, but you don't see tons of conspiracy theories about the assassinations of MLK or RFK, which also occurred in the 60s. I think the key thing in JFK's assassination that led to conspiracy theories was Oswald's murder. It happened only a few days after JFK's assassination, when Oswald was surrounded by police officers. It not only was a thing that seemed highly unlikely, it also robbed the American public of the satisfaction of Oswald's trial and conviction. A high profile extreme crime like a presidential assassination is very disturbing to the public because it represents a certain degree of societal breakdown. A public trial and conviction of the perpetrator serves to reestablish order in the mind of the public. But we didn't get that. Instead, while we were still reeling from JFK's assassination, suddenly the primary suspect was dead and the case was closed. If JFK's assassination had been a movie, rather than a real event, and it ended with Oswald's murder, people would think it was a really really bad movie that had an overly-convenient Deus-ex-machina ending. Not only did it seem overly convenient, but it also represented another example of societal breakdown, instead of the reestablishment of order that Oswald's trial would have represented, especially when you consider that Oswald was gunned down while surrounded by police officers (how likely is that??). I think the conspiracy theories sprang from an attempt to find another explanation that makes more sense to people than the reality of those two senseless murders.

[@SeanMunger]

I agree with this analysis.

[@mlewis320]

I remember that day...as if it happened yesterday...it was my birthday...and your H.S.C.A. comments are A+.

[@pendragon2012]

I wrote a paper in college on the various conspiracy theories about the Lincoln assassination. As you mention, there was a small conspiracy there, but some of the other theories are crazy. I enjoyed this deep dive a lot--the Kennedy assassination has never been a particular interest of mine but with the growing influence of conspiracy theories I find this kind of stuff a good corrective!

[@patrickking5883]

My favorite JFK theory is that there was no shooter, his head just did that. All jokes aside, these beefy JFK videos have been amazing. I’d like to hear your thoughts on MLK’s assassination, because that’s something I find much fishier than anything JFK-related but isn’t as discussed in conspiracy circles as much. Keep up the good work, looking forward to the next one!

[@billkeon880]

I’ve been waiting for a KZbin verifying Oswald’s guilt for years. People like videos more than books, so even though we have numerous books like Bugliosi’s 10lb brick of a book, and Larry Sturdivan (brilliant ballistics book), McMillan, Mailer, Lambert (False Witness), and Dale Myers, people usually get their initial impressions from videos. Bravo. Excellent presentation. Just need one for 911 next

[@casamagneticaviva]

I wish you could do a clear headed discussion about 1/6. Even though it’s plain as day, there’s still a bunch of people out there who still can’t believe exactly what they saw on TV, an insurrection.

[@arthur131313]

Excellent definitive analysis. Now you need to convince the flat earthers

[@phonicwheel933]

😊

[@markbahouth2713]

There’s a DOWN side to the flat earth theory 🤡.

[@ryankenyon5010]

Yes. Please do. I know one of those idiots.

[@singletaxjax307]

I just wanted to comment to thank you for this video. Pushing back against conspiracism is a tiring and thankless task. You are doing the world a favor by lessening peoples ignorance and superstition.

[@SeanMunger]

Thanks so much. There are a lot of people who don't appreciate what I'm trying to do, but it's good to hear that some do!

[@singletaxjax307]

@@SeanMunger Showed both parts to my dad tonight while we played a few games of cribbage. Rest easy knowing that you’ve convinced at least one person

[@anthonyrebro9520]

Thank you so much for all your hard work. It’s so hard for people to put aside beliefs and let the evidence lead to the truth. Well done.

[@cal4837]

Incredible work Sean. Thanks for all the time you clearly put into this.