President Kennedy Wasn't So Great Says This Colleague Of His

The speaker is the civil rights leader and journalist Roger Wilkins. I did this interview with him in 1989. I asked him to be outspoken and direct, and to do this interview with me for history's sake. That is exactly what he did. He told it like he saw it. Like he experienced it. He had strong points of view. He came from a Kansas city family of great thinkers and speakers. He was a journalist at the Washington Post and the New York Times for many years and also did work on NPR. He also worked with President John Kennedy and became a part of President Lyndon Johnson's administration as well. In 1973, he won a Pulitzer Prize. I picked him for my TV series because of his clearly outspoken points of view and storytelling style. Please support my efforts. / allinaday . #rogerwilkins #civilrights #kennedy #racism

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

This Guy Was A President Johnson Mouthpiece - kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnSXdqV8Zc9gpq8 David Hoffman Filmmaker

[@saveyourbacon6164]

Don't forget that Johnson was behind the murder of President Kennedy.

[@jamesmartin4902]

And Johnson was an open and avowed racist...

[@scottodonnell7121]

He's typical. He's all about, "White people can't do enough for me. I'll never be satisfied, you can never repay what you owe us, blah blah blah". Total POS.

[@dwainseppala4469]

Good to know. Why can’t I see the other comments?

[@erincaitlin1655]

We all know that Johnson was extremely insecure and had been jealous of the Kennedys for a long time ... However, both Presidents did some good.

[@tahseti1113]

Funny how this one video can bring back memories of things I hadn't thought about in years. I'm giving away my age here, but I remember people like the producer and talk show host David Susskind. The level of conversation about the issues of the day, on his show and others, is just one of the things that are missing today. Television had the potential to be one the greatest educational tools that was ever invented. Now, I don't even turn it on.

[@arthurford829]

Well said! Emphasis on “had” the potential. There’s also an opportunity lost when Hollywood failed to do its part to bring people together through social engineering.

[@jensandersen7011]

@@arthurford829 And to think America has had their favorite Doctor for over 20 years: Dr. Phil, instead of a real doctor.

[@Caperhere]

The great dumbing down of the USA. We had all the history of earlier civilizations to learn from. An educated public is necessary for democracy. The invention of the home computer was another missed opportunity for a great teaching tool. It can be, but greed on the part of Facebook and other platforms destroyed the common sense people used to have.

[@sufundasamuels2313]

So true! I don't turn on the tv much anymore myself due to mostly misconstrued information and lack of substance.

[@bjnowak]

If it helps, my 4.5 year old started reading at 4 from watching learning to read show on KZbin- sort of tv 😀

[@kec7116]

I have forgotten what elegance and thoughtfulness looked like. Our media has gone to the lowest common denominator.

[@squiggly_lines]

Do you not have this tyoe of conversation with your family? Do you want a new family? I'm willing to adopt. 😊

[@jlockwood65]

@@squiggly_lines pick me!! I am available! Also orphaned. So there is that....

[@The_ZeroLine]

If you curate your sources and only mainstream news for general updates, you can still find plenty of eloquent, sober and genuinely in-depth news and analysis.

[@wendellrider1212]

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[@nukeman360]

​@@squiggly_lines bruh that is a weird comment to be making and is not thoughtful or elegant

[@RisingRecluse]

This is such a hidden gem on KZbin. Thank you for posting these interviews.

[@jeffreyreardon7487]

Agreed. I'm hooked on the content

[@ConanTheContrarian1]

I consider this to be typical liberal propaganda. Did he see the outcome of the war long before everyone else? Then why didn't he see that the Nguyen and Tranh had been at war for 400 years, and that this wasn't a US power grab? Oh, that's right, that doesn't fit the narrative promulgated by the Soviets! People see what they want to see, and he wanted to see things wrong with the US, so he saw it.

[@kathleenking47]

Kennedy allowed supreme courts to remove prayer from public schools in june 1963..it killed him 5 years later. I still cant believe the Lincoln-Kennedy connections Its incredible Truman-Trump has them With Israel & Billy Graham

[@shawnpurcell5424]

Intelligent, honest, articulate. I immediately care about what this guy has to say. Had never heard of him before. Now I'm sad he passed away.

[@CatholicHome1]

I was immediately interested in hearing his story and point of view as well, mostly because of the intelligent, sincere, and gentle way he had of talking.

[@lhem0361]

#Shawn Purcell Why is the term "articulate" used when it refers to intelligently speaking black people? I listen to a lot of white News Reporters and many other politicians, etc. Black people were blinded for learning to read. Everytime I see a high profiled white person say, "the general consensus", makes you wonder how/ if all of them graduated from anywhere.

[@shawnpurcell5424]

@@lhem0361 You seem like a thoughtful person. What did you think of Wilkins and this interview? Had you heard of him before? There's something about him that seems missing in the people in power today. What are your thoughts on him?

[@shawnpurcell5424]

@@SlickArmor I'm not sure I understand why you say that.

[@shawnpurcell5424]

@@SlickArmor Thanks for the clarification. If you follow the link on that pinned comment, I think you'll see that "This Guy" refers to George Reedy, the person in that video, not Wilkins. (I too interpreted the way you did until I followed the link). In the description on that video: "George Reedy, the person speaking in this interview about President Lyndon Johnson, was his press for part of his administration..."

[@seanoleary1979]

It's incredible to listen to a truly intelligent individual... The mouthpieces we have today digust me.

[@russellseilhamer4552]

One of my favorite authors was Studs Turkel. He would interview Americans from all walks of life and use the material in his books and from all political perspectives as well.. He was interesting for the simple fact that you can get these very personal perspectives and get the real history, not something someone wrote in a text. These are great interviews here. Very informative

[@markcarey67]

Svetlana Alexievich did something similar, and masterfully, for Russian history

[@OnePost909]

His book "Working" deserves classic status.

[@willieluncheonette5843]

He had an LP record out with Pete Seeger and Big Bill Broonzy that he narrated.

[@smtpgirl]

I read the book working. LOVED it.

[@finddeniro]

@@OnePost909 ..Working..and Other Books..Studs interviews as Well..

[@mikehiggins946]

If he had this much criticism for the Kennedys, how must he have felt about the Southern Democrats who hated the same Kennedys for being too progressive on Civil Rights?

[@jaye501]

and your point is....

[@spitfirexo1646]

@You_Tube He's hating on conservatives. This is from before the southern strategy, so southern democrats were very much still the racist assholes of the time.

[@vancecookcobain]

The critique was from a different viewpoint. He saw Kennedy as not doing enough for civil rights....racist southerners (who are now Republican) seen Kennedy as doing too much

[@mikehiggins946]

@@vancecookcobain Oh Vance you were so close to posting an intelligent and factually correct comment. Why was it necessary to claim that the racists in the South were Republicans or became Republicans? The history of slavery and Jim Crow policies in America and its connection to the Democratic Party is a well kept secret most people are unaware of. Comments like yours don’t help. Slavery, Jim Crow and the KKK were all born out of the Democratic Party. That is a fact. To speculate that after the Civil Rights Bill was passed in 1964 against the vehement opposition of Southern Democrats, that all of those people who fought it suddenly decided to become Republicans is the kind of rewriting of our history that has this Country so divided and it’s people so ill informed.

[@johnquinn4151]

The Kennedys not perfect but they was the best of a bad bunch.

[@capoislamort100]

There’s no such thing, bad is bad.

[@RunninUpThatHillh]

I am very new to your channel, but I love it. I cannot tell what your political beliefs are - a very good thing IMO. This channel is a portal to clearly see people as they are. Much appreciated in these times! It's a substitute for the kitchen table chats I listened in on as a kid (and dearly miss).

[@fenixman2]

@@JohnSmith71084 hilarious how all they said was they appreciated the transparency in this man's channel and it was all you needed to somehow make this a trump thing. Chill out man

[@MisterTwister88]

Manning Peyton Trump Derangement Syndrome is strong with this one ☝️

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

To help you understand, Manning, think about it this way. I am not interested particularly in my own political point of view. It's my personal opinion. As an independent storytelling documentary style film maker, when I talk with others, I am interested in how they see it, not in how I see them or in presenting my own point of view through them. I hope that helps you to understand my clips a bit better. Thank you. David Hoffman-filmmaker

[@ComesTheLight]

Well said!

[@jdjaneway]

@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker This is the way documentary filmmaking should be done. Good work sir.

[@cheri238]

Gore Vidal's old archives with his speaking are excellent sources. He was one of my favorite American writers and speakers. Thank you, David, for this old clip.

[@madashell7224]

How did I miss this video when it was 1st posted?? He's right. Never trust a rich capitalist. At age 73, a political activist all my life, I can say with certainty that we do NOT live in a true democracy. The word is always Wait. Been waiting my entire life. The time is never right. It's all a bunch of lies. We believed it in the 50s and early 60s because those were Golden Years. We see now it's becoming worse. We cannot give up, even if it appears to be too late. I've also seen miracles.

[@JLFAN2009]

JFK had absolutely NO excuse for lagging on the civil rights issue, since the Civil War was already a century behind in the nation's history, when he took office.

[@Besdayz]

what are you talking about. the country was not for ciivl rights until the 50s and 60s. Kennedy was seen as radical and moving too fast by a good number of people probably 40%. you are speaking hindsight from a 21st century morality and unaware of the context of the time.

[@petermartin9494]

He was not shunned and disrespected because he said that the USA could not succeed in Viet Nam. He was shunned because the USA was never meant to "succeed" in Viet Nam anyway, at least not in the widely understood meaning of "success". Success in the eyes of those who were running the show, arms manufacturers, was viewed as profit generated by selling weapons. The longer the war went on and the less "successful" it was the more $ they could put in their pockets. $ in pockets was how the defined success, not winning wars.

[@smtpgirl]

Peter Martin, this goes on til this day. 2022.

[@kevinseraphimday6373]

Unfortunately, the Kennedy's pissed off a LOT of the wrong people, in a well-meaning way.

[@alexnomad5382]

Well meaning is an interesting way to describe racist, imperialist, and genocidal policies.

[@Schnitz13]

@@alexnomad5382 I'd say JFK was trying to do the opposite of the policies you describe.

[@ak14serko44]

@@Schnitz13 totally agreed with your statement. I still believe till this dory JFK was after Abraham Lincoln, the truest U.S. president ever because he wanted things to change positively for the nation

[@albert3671]

@Stacey Donald I also think it was a mafia hit, but with the CIA and deepstate pulling the strings.

[@lexxalex5562]

@@ak14serko44 😂🤣😂😂😂😂.. You dont know the real Lincoln. He didn't free the slaves out the kindness of his heart. Ur oblivious of the obvious..

[@JH-ji6cj]

How hard this hit at 'segragated cemetary' ...

[@trillgods5]

In my mom's hometown they have a black cemetery and a wight cemetery.

[@FrankLee-qd3hy]

These videos should be required watching for high schoolers...

[@condor7810]

Roger Wilkins is always a very thoughtful interview. Had never seen this particular clip before. Very insightful and interesting window into the early 60's.

[@wesleywalker1594]

I am a fan of the Kennedy Administration. Having said that, Wilkins was probably right about his assessment of liberal white 's tendencies towards condescending , if not, messianic attitudes towards black and other minority colleagues. I've experienced those same attitudes myself. I wonder though was there beginnings of a transformation on the part of the Kennedy brothers in their thinking along these lines. President Kennedy's June 1963 speech where he asked Americans to search their conscious and asked themselves if they would be willing to trade places with Blacks for a day to see what it's like to experience racism in this country might be a sign of such transformation. Maybe RFK had experienced more of a transformation by the time of his death. Make no mistake, they were well aware of political ramifications of all they did and were careful not to jeopardize their electability.

[@YortOK]

Ughhh

[@walterrooks]

This channel has been an educational tool for me. I love history and listening to these people being interviewed and hearing fist hand how life was and from their perspective makes me long for the times my grandparents were alive and to ask them these questions. Thank you, sir!

[@brittanygibson7373]

He feels about the Kennedys like some millennials feel about Barack Obama. We had hope that he would bring about real change and he did very little (could be argued with his economic policy that he did harm) for the American people.

[@yd7079]

Obama is a fraud.

[@Ma1nguy]

He spent his time cleaning up the mess the previous administration left behind. Then he got all of this pushback from the ever present right wing. He couldn't focus on just the Black Americans. They had all of these years to make something of their lives, I know because I was in college after Vietnam and on the GI Bill yet I swept floors, washed dishes to get through school in the 70s yet many of my contemporaries were using up their financial aid and grants buying cars and gambling in the student center, I saw this with my own eyes. There was so much economic opportunity yet the women starting having babies like alley cats and then dropping out of school going on welfare and WIC and living in section 8 housing. NO ONE CAN HOLD YOU BACK FROM ACHIEVING YOUR DREAM, NO ONE HELD ME BACK. I never expected Mr Obama to fix my problem he had a country to run. I'm responsible for my own successes.

[@TheNaturalebeauty]

@@Ma1nguy Obama wasn't looked at to fix problems. But, to stop creating more.

[@melskilove]

The problem is Obama Was Better than his Team! To put it he was like Micheal Jordan’s Before the Rings! He could win but he won’t win the chip unless he got a better team around him! Congress and quite frankly us let him down because we didn’t Vote in the midterms even when the opposition was so clear

[@ecosubb]

Bama was a total farce, did more for LG B yada yada... Useless sell out... Claude Anderson is real! Malcolm was our best. Only the Most High will grant us peace and safety.

[@mrsoshadabaadman]

"To this day" they still want you to be patient.

[@mooseclamps]

cringe

[@humanchannel7825]

@@mooseclamps cringe

[@sufundasamuels2313]

That's a tiresome word in itself and extremely exhausting when practicing it.

[@Goodnewsglobal]

Everybody knows Bobby was a ruthless man... Joe snr said he was the most like him and we all know how cut throat he was..

[@nathanieljacobs3151]

I think television has had a much greater impact on us than we realize, or are maybe even able to fully grasp and appreciate. It's the greatest exertion of pretense and the largest construction of facade in the history of humanity. And it's no wonder that in 2019, people converse in bad faith and ask questions focused on: narrative, perception, and a person's truth.

[@IbelieveinJesusAmen]

Beautifully articulated and spot on.

[@jc.1191]

If it's unhelpful it should make us question it's value and what the interaction should be between viewer and presenter. I include all media in this.

[@777jones]

In college, I learned the most important question is not “what did the news say,” but “why did the editor and publisher commission this article now.”

[@jimmylight4866]

Well said.

[@photonjones5908]

You might wish to read "four arguments for the elimination of television" by Jerry Mander (ca. 1980). We didn't listen. We are effectivley a different species now, and all that leaded gas didn't help matters either. But here we are.

[@ThisGuy76]

I really enjoyed the interview about race with this gentleman. I'd watched some of your other videos for the 80s nostalgia, but that interview was powerful. Thanks for sharing your work with us.

[@francesmcgloin9743]

I will just say this as a Mother of sons, 🙏🙏🙏 The Kennedy Family made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, lm shocked to see you, given your race Talking like this about JFK As we say in Ireland a dead man cannot defend himself It took 50-yrs , lm surprised you have not spoken before now, you are a bit old to be looking for attention. MLK would be ashamed of you God Rest his soul. 🙏 As would most of the world.

[@jenynz5334]

@@francesmcgloin9743 Hm. He promised the African Americans he would help them. They helped him get elected. He said literally 2 words about them in a speech and that was about the extent of his speaking up for them. Yet he's still revered as one of their biggest supporters and his picture is still in many living rooms. I don't understand why.

[@lorenheard2561]

The first mistake anybody who is in power makes,is assuming whoever you are addressing that is working with you doesn't have the same knowledge or capabilities that you have.It is more than infuriating to be told about something related to your own experience like you are a complete dud that doesn't understand the situation!

[@curbmassa]

YES! Whenever I've been around people like that I remind them that there's no law that says there can only be one smart person in the room at a time. If that doesn't work I ask them if they have their listening ears on. Such fun.

[@tamaliaalisjahbana9354]

The first mistake anybody not in power makes is assuming that the person who is above him is perfect and expecting perfection. Leaders are human like everyone else. If their hearts are in the right place and they do their best to do right, what more can we hope for? Would he pass the test if the same standards were set for him?

[@mikenixon2401]

"Innocent and arrogant." Yep, I sometimes wish I knew as much now as I thought did in my age of young adulthood. Good film, David. A good lesson for any era.

[@theonlyantony]

Stunning delivery by a great realist! Nicely collected! Your work is peerless in style and content. Lovely capture of people put at their ease, by your gentle approach. A joy to absorb

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

Thank you. David Hoffman - filmmaker

[@helenhamilton9561]

Is this Andrew Young?

[@cremebrulee4759]

@@helenhamilton9561 No. If you look in the description, he says that it's Roger Wilkins.

[@sartainja]

I have great respect for this man for speaking the truth about the Kennedy administration.

[@pc4764]

If you asked him if he would have preferred that Nixon won, I'll bet you anything he'd say hell no.

[@pawlosx.5627]

@@pc4764 “Distinction without a difference”!!!😆😆😆..

[@procrastinator41]

JFK was not perfect. He was very intelligent and was able to learn and adapt as President. He handled the Cuban Missile Crisis with profound insight and real leadership. Would he have evolved on race and Vietnam ?

[@pawlosx.5627]

@@procrastinator41 😆🤣😅😂🤯!!..

[@johngrauman4208]

When people expect more out of someone than they are able to accomplish in a quicker timeframe than possibility will allow, you become unrightfully disappointed

[@alixhanes7474]

Hes talking as if any of this included minorities. The "we" was very white at the time.

[@XiangYu94]

When he’s talking about the condescension, I really got the guy

[@davidorlin3499]

As a black man, That attitude still exists among a lot of white people in power.

[@XiangYu94]

David Orlin Sorry to hear that man. No human deserves that.

[@hesavedawretchlikeme6902]

That attitude exists, and it doesn't matter what culture or race one is. Laws and politics cannot and will not fix it, and we truly do not want that. It is a demonic power and it only raises more tensions, hatred, ridicule, and death. That's all we know in the carnal nature. We see the others from the outside, but know little of what each other deals with inwardly till we get to know and love each other personally.

[@veroniquendambo3242]

@@davidorlin3499 That is actually the core issue, therefore a permanent one. Unfortunately!

[@johngrauman4208]

His opinion. When you expect more from someone than they can accomplish in a quicker timeframe than possible, you become unrightfully disappointed. Kennedy had everything Johnson passed already set up. Johnson acknowledged so.

[@mikephalen3162]

The fact that JFK was assassinated helped LBJ get his agenda through Congress.

[@firecloud77]

Fascinating. As is always the case, the "truth" is highly dependent upon individual perspective.

[@theknifesong]

So happy for this content, this channel is going to snowball

[@baruchisrael8054]

We've been overlooked, underpaid, trodden upon, wrote off, but still we produce the best minds, and thinkers bar-,none.

[@jrs351]

Great minds are individual and not based on race. We should stop using race and color as it shows separation. We need to unite and be Americans. Not Afro Americans not Hispanic Americans , but AMERICANS.

[@soisitimpossible]

@@jrs351 Exactly! AGREED 100%

[@lmoral222]

@@jrs351 Realest comment I've read in a while.

[@darla4443]

I didn't know you being the best minds were all the inventors and bridge and city designers and electrical engineers...mechanical engineers... and best surgeons in the world .....patent on machine farming tools..and it's engineer designs.. Social media experts..... ..engineer of entertainment inventors of the cell phones...microwave interaction......amusement park ride inventors and engineers .. and the inventor of star gate and all Chemical engineering and bio chemical drug inverventions.. ..bridge engineer inventors and by design.. ...and much more not mentioned...I never knew you were the ones. Since you just said. You were the best minds...so...Thankyou for revealing that...

[@think2086]

It's true that when the Universe presents us with trauma, we have two choices always: the yin and yang. Will we overcome and grow spiritually somehow from this trauma, even if it's bad? or will we suffer spiritually by giving up our spirit and resorting to our baser instincts? The fact is that peoples who are oppressed produce both of these types of individuals. Those who endure and grow spiritually are more likely to last and so are promoted in the end by the Universe via Natural, Sexual, or Social Selection. So we see a great deal of Enlightenment and Understanding from those who have chosen to grow and have thus endured long term and become highly intelligent in the face of adversity.

[@proman1926]

Kennedy was a very intelligent man, but his praise for his actions in the Cuban Missile Crisis was overblown. The Russians wanted us to remove missiles from Turkey. We didn’t so they added missiles in Cuba. After 13 days we agreed to remove missiles from Turkey, if they removed missiles from Cuba.

[@rosenunez4328]

And Cuba became a sink hole!

[@jacpratt8608]

@@rosenunez4328 sure they feel the same

[@rosenunez4328]

@@jacpratt8608 I am sorry who is “They”

[@DanielinLaTuna]

No, the Kennedys didn't live up to their potential. But neither did the Roosevelts, or any other political family. The ship of state turns slowly, and presidents are mortals. They do the best they can, given their circumstances and upbringing. The best ones recognize hubris though. Thanks for sharing these interesting videos, David Hoffman.

[@vernonfrance2974]

Did you forget that the Kennedy's who were President and Attorney General were murdered before they had time to do much or that the Theodore Kennedy had a mysterious plane crash and the accident at Chappaquiddick has the ear marks of a set up? Do you think JFK, Jr.'s plane crash was an accident?

[@P4DR]

The Roosevelts practically changed the country forever with the New Deal. Social Security, the minimum wage, child labor laws, Union rights laws, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Tennessee Valley Authority bringing electricity to poor Southerners, etc. They practically changed how this country operated.

[@vernonfrance2974]

@@P4DR We haven't had a true Democrat since JFK. Carter wanted to be but the MIC got all dem poli tish uns up a tree.

[@DIVISIONINCISION]

JFK recognized his hubris but didn't care. He knew he would die of Addison's disease at a young age, so he was living for the moment. Bobby was more practical.

[@vernonfrance2974]

@@DIVISIONINCISION They both had wisdom and wanted a better world, not just wealth. They had read and studied a great deal and had seen from the death of their older brother in WW II that life needs to be lived despite its dangers. Of course, JFK was in that war too, but I don't think Bobby was.

[@wlodell]

Interesting interview and thank you. It is another piece of evidence supporting what many have concluded that the insanity of the Vietnam War was started and perpetuated by insane intuition in a cloud of arrogance by men (and a woman or two) who should have known better (and many did know better). Unfortunately, it appears this same mentality and arrogance was the approach to development or management of the 50’s and 60’s civil rights. It would be interesting to know this speaker’s thoughts of the Johnson Administration (and the various suspicions of corporate greed, dishonesty, and racism that shadowed the political career of LBJ and the rest of the Johnson family). The 1960’s is a very curious decade.

[@williehawaii9967]

You should look into the history of Robert mueller. When he worked for Clinton he knew of operation able danger but let it go through. Then as bush fbi director he told congress that Iraq had wmd. As obama he told people that it was legal to spy on Americans without warrants. And now he’s the dnc sweetheart. We’ve been doing stupid things based on one man’s action for the past 2 decades

[@fmcg5364]

You are so right! It was a curious time

[@SandfordSmythe]

@@williehawaii9967 "dnc" shows you're trying to equate the large and open Democratic party with something like the KGB or FBI. Blows your creditability.

[@davidleavitt3804]

@@SandfordSmythe the democratic party is far from open.

[@thunderbird1921]

After the hell that was the Korean War, legendary US general Matthew Ridgway pleaded with Eisenhower NOT to directly intervene in Vietnam back in the 50s. Thank God Ike listened to him. If only JFK and Johnson had remotely had such sense.

[@havefunbesafe]

One of the most important and ostensibly prolific you tuber, David Hoffman.👍🏼

[@lorenheard2561]

Great interview...real and coming right back to him as if it happened yesterday so to speak.Somethings never completely let go of you. Sorry so rambling..

[@JellyBeanInTheNight]

Thank you for presenting these topics. Such unique perspectives. It really makes me “feel” what it was like during different times in history before I was born (1977).

[@think2086]

Your content has incredible historical value. I'm blown away.

[@supereliptic]

These interviews are a cultural goldmine - and i say that without even being American. I love this channel - kudos to you Mr. Hoffman!

[@oldfogey4679]

Super isn't the speaker Andrew Young not Hoffman? Abbie Hoffman was white!

[@your_royal_highness]

You could certainly make the case that no president was “so great.” They can bring elements of greatness, such as LBJ’s civil rights efforts or JFK finally coming around to the notion that civil rights was a moral and legal issue. But both men and other presidents had many, many faults. LBJ knew the Vietnam war was a losing proposition, yet to save face he continued to sacrifice soldiers.

[@johnvrabec9747]

LBJ was hugely in bed with the military-industrial complex. LBJ only signed the civil rights act to appease the JFK supporters, he was against it, he was a racist to the core. LBJ was already planning on escalating the war in VN BEFORE the JFK murder. JFK had faults, but LBJ was a vile POS who had much blood on his hands.

[@slicksnewonenow]

ALL presidents are just tools of the true Powers That Be, aka the proverbial THEY. And THEY know no Political affiliation. They have no Morals.

[@wendellrider1212]

YOU ARE SO WRONG ABOUT EVERYTHING ! Just completely wrong. Kennedy wanted to not invade Cuba. No Vietnam . No missiles in Cuba.. Where do you get this stuff? LBJ hated JFK. The CIA HATED HIM because he wanted to “spread it to the winds..” The mob is who you want for an assassination.. JFK Was on the side of piece. No Invasion of Cuba. No Vietnam . I hope you have better stuff than this..

[@wendellrider1212]

LBJ WAS THE ANTITHESIS OF JFK. You have it backwards.,

[@DJ-bj8ku]

This is old news for someone older like me. The Pentagon Papers revealed that the government knew as far back as the Truman administration that we couldn’t win the war in Vietnam. But both Republican and Democratic administrations, like Wilkins says, were overly confident in American firepower and underestimated the North Vietnamese people’s will to throw off yet another occupier. That Kennedy was timid on civil rights is also old news. The period he describes is two years before Southern Democrats, who helped elect Kennedy, abandoned the party when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act.

[@noelharris5488]

Sam Giancana got kennedy elected...

[@cynthiamccann5548]

Viet war was a money maker

[@3dartistguy]

There is a reason why they named TWO aircraft carriers named after JFK, and NONE named named after LBJ or Nixon because Kennedy was a GREAT President and would have been even greater had he lived.

[@lightofchicagoproductionz9012]

Im 30 yrs old and i really Appreciate our Elders experience , knowledge ,and history .... No matter what color you are ..... Thank You once again Mr. Hoffman this is Wisdom and worth more than Gold .....

[@8176morgan]

Roger Wilkins, the narrator seen in this video, in his criticism of Attorney General Robert Kennedy appears to have overlooked the fact that it was him who prodded JFK into proposing before a national audience in June of 1963 the abolition of Segregation. Because of that commitment, the Kennedy/Johnson era made great strides in the arena of Civil Rights. Roger Wilkins himself, an African American, was appointed to the esteemed position of Assistant Attorney General by LBJ in the mid-1960s. I guess he thought that JFK and all those bright young WW2 veterans would shortly after taking office be making great strides in combatting segregation instead of doing nothing at all, but back then it was a very controversial and heated subject and the administration had to wait until the appropriate time to make such a bold and historic move.

[@brianarbenz1329]

I respect Roger Wilkins so much. He was caught between a do-too-little Kennedy administration and a nation he knew was about to explode into a civil war for the failure to end segregation. Then after LBJ's sweeping year of civil rights and anti-poverty programs, Wilkins saw that the white majority was complacent and that black communities were enraged because of the war, police brutality and inflation. In the inner cities, Wilkins was seen as LBJ's lackey, and in the White House, he was seen as a leftist gadfly. His experience shows that working through the power structure is exasperating.

[@dawnlittle2501]

Gadfly?

[@DIVISIONINCISION]

Whenever you are working in the Government you have to deal with level of bureaucracy. It doesn't matter what Federal agency you are in. Speaking from experience.

[@rosemarywoodhouse4832]

Was he a correct gadfly, though?

[@ttarbill8109]

JFK was weak on civil rights but he was strong on promoting peace and avoiding war. I guess you can't have everything all at once but maybe it would have been better for us to have avoided Vietnam (which bankrupted the treasury and necessitated us going off the gold standard in 1971)and the creation of a permanent war economy, in exchange for a delayed civil rights bill. I think JFK was thinking ahead for the sake of the country and the world.

[@CWYMAN77]

No one has ever articulated the loss of RFK’s assassination better than Roger. I believe the interview can be found on the American Experience that aired on PBS.

[@vernonfrance2974]

@Chauncey Holt In this interview he called RFK condescending. What gives?

[@Alsatiagent]

@@vernonfrance2974 He was condescending towards Blacks. Being shot does not make someone a perfect person.

[@vernonfrance2974]

@@Alsatiagent 👎

[@cremebrulee4759]

I guess it was foolish of me to think that the Kennedy administration was as good as they appeared to be. It was too soon for them to be truly non-racist. Segregation was still an issue, and racism was very common.

[@YahkiYah_Yisrael]

Love this man for speaking truth!!!

[@christinet6336]

The United States of America is a very young country compared to many others. I wish we could learn from history and from other nations that have gone through the pain, but alas, I guess everyone has to fall to their knees before they learn. Sad.

[@veritas2222]

God, it grinds my guts to think what it was like for bright, awake, aspirational, visionary people of color in those days.

[@Water-ro8kp]

Can you stop saying of color thats extremely disrespectful there not of color. Black People are black its that simple.

[@knockshinnoch1950]

I'm old enough to remember excellent discussion programmes featuring intellectuals and experts of substance with great intellect, articulate and knowledgable on the subject and very engaging. The hour long programme with extended long form interviews where a panel could really explore and discuss the topics in some detail. Today it's all prepared soundbites and dumbed down to the lowest level- presented by "personalities" with zero knowledge or intellect who create "TV moments" from deliberate staged "argument where they shout over each other and no one listens to each other. They often have something to sell- their latest hack book for example. It's all reduced to 5 or 10 minute segments.

[@choward5430]

"We didn't have doubts...about our wisdom, goodness, America's intents and purposes in the world." In the mid-60s, I remember my father saying to me, "America is the most powerful nation on earth. That's where we live." I never forgot that.

[@lightmarker3146]

Back when we knew how blessed we were and proud of it. If Nixon hadn't been cheated by the Kennedys and organized crime, Vietnam would have been a blip on the radar . Even the Hollywood crowd turned on the democrats after they brought misery to America and riots . Those cities never recovered from the outcome of the 60s.

[@choward5430]

@@lightmarker3146 Nixon was forced to resign because he plotted against his political enemies and got caught. He didn't trust the political process. His idea was to destroy his enemies BEFORE THE ELECTION occurred. The difference then to today is there were people in his cabinet and close circle that didn't bow down to him. They stood for what is right. Today is about political gangbanging. In other words, if you dote an (R) no matter what you do, we will not go against you.

[@mikshinee87]

It's amazing how you were able to close your eyes and your ears to all the suffering, beatings, and lynchings. You must have been a very naive girl. All I see when I look past the "see the USA in your Chevrolet" it was a terrible time of injustice.

[@choward5430]

@@mikshinee87 America is racist because European immigrants made it that way. Their stench still permeates every nook and cranny of American life. Despite that, my great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents were all thankful for living in America. Of course, we were aware of racism, lynchings, and everything that racism brings. But that did not take our joy which comes from YHWH. You see friend, this is all spiritual. And unless you know the GOD of Israel, the joy I speak of goes right over your head.

[@karlcooper7016]

Who would you take for AG Bobby Kennendy or Bill Barr give me RFK any day of the week who in this world doesn't have flaws?

[@saltydawg7078]

Excellent interview! Thank you David..🌟🌟

[@kathyk479]

The Kennedy's were like everyone else but they were trendy .

[@fmcg5364]

I was just a kid in the 1960s. I just remember how happy my Grandmother was that an Irish-American Catholic had become president. So I thought it was the greatest thing is the world, one of us, an Irish-American Catholic was voted in as president. It is hard to describe but I think the speaker told it well. I could remember how I felt as a an elementary school student of the time that was. I was time of hope. To all you millenuims that don't like booomers I can only say, wish you had been there.

[@Thegardenbetweenus]

It is amazing. My grandmother moved here from Ireland in the 1950’s. At her work place (NYC) Irish Catholics & Black Americans were treated the same.

[@missc.murphy3494]

But now Catholicism is showing its ugly head in the recent rulings from the Catholic supermajority on the Supreme Court. Kind of cancels out the importance of the long ago Kennedy election as an Irish-American Catholic.

[@Thegardenbetweenus]

@@missc.murphy3494 there is not logic to your statement. It was a win for Irish American Catholics because they worked hard to be accepted into this society. That cannot be negated. Where is the fault now? For protecting the sanctity of life? Or for Acknowledging the limits of the constitution on controlling state power? Cultural change should not have to happen through legislation. In this country it is all we have. Therefore, it has to be used to clean up the toxic effects of the sexual revolution.

[@cremebrulee4759]

It was a simpler, more innocent time. It was a hopeful time. It was Camelot.

[@cremebrulee4759]

@@Thegardenbetweenus The sexual revolution was liberating, not toxic.

[@joseyeastwood]

He was not feeling the Kennedy's that's for sure.

[@raymondozminkowski7670]

This guy is wrong about Kennedy

[@CaneFu]

All 3 Kennedy brothers gave their lives in service for their nation and they did the best they could living in those times.... Yes, they were all pretty great.

[@tanner5274]

this world is such a trip tf

[@GirlofNicky]

le wish he talked about his attempts to communicate to the Kennedy Admin that his experience of living as a black make was essential to understanding & working the problem of racial discrimination. He said he felt condescended to; I can’t tell if he thought the Kennedy admin was sincere or not.

[@thomasbrown3356]

He must have felt mixed about The Kennedy Administration's cozy, comprised, relationship with the Dixie Democrats. In the early years, that relationship did more harm to the movement.

[@thestreamoflife1124]

Truer words were never spoken

[@nassauguy48]

One of the reasons why Kennedy went to Dallas was to shore up his terribly lagging support in the South. He won by less than 120,000 votes nationwide in 1960, and was certainly vulnerable in 1964. His assassination and martyrdom in 1963 cleared the way for Lyndon Johnson to defeat just about anyone the following year. This was one of the reasons why the Republicans all but conceded the race by nominating far right candidate Barry Goldwater. Had Kennedy not been killed, the Republicans would certainly have nominated a far more viable candidate, and the race would have been, once again, very close.

[@JK-pd7jf]

Was Nelson Rockefeller available to run in 64? JFK knew if NR ran in 60 he would have lost.

[@jenkins80526]

These videos are so compelling. Thanks for sharing your work. I just subscribed.

[@emilehobo]

It doesn’t make any sense to tell people that pay taxes to not ask what their country can do for them. Why the hell would you pay taxes if you don’t get safety, healthcare, an education, and an infrastructure in return? It doesn’t make any sense. What can I do for my country? The people that work, like me, work and contribute. We don’t ask, we do. Other than that, a country is never in charge of our lives as long as we don’t break the law. We were all born to be free.

[@eldermoose7938]

He basically hit the nail on the head for the current nature of the relationship of the Democratic party and black people, in their attempts to advocate for us they expose that they do not think very highly of us. The picture I get is of a a parent leading his abused wayward and unintelligent child. Or that of an enlightened people guiding the lost underclass to salvation. It's a very patronizing picture if you think about it for a bit.

[@johndoe-ln4oi]

Wow, this guy was unimpressed by the Kennedys; he also knew how Vietnam would turn out, and knew the 1960s would be tumultuous, Amazing genius.

[@mrmaxxx94]

Respect for this channel and the directness

[@robertmiller5258]

One of the great successes of British foreign policy in the 20th century was avoiding jointing the Vietnam War.

[@protosspc]

Love the way to frame these interviews, feels like he's talking directly to me!

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

That is exactly my approach. Thank you. David Hoffman - filmmaker

[@ThaTruFily]

Both parties are a dumpsterfire and it's been a long time since FDR and LBJ. Rip America bruh :(

[@frankzheng5286]

Funny how this one video can bring back memories of things I hadn't thought about in years. I'm giving away my age here, but I remember people like the producer and talk show host David Susskind. The level of conversation about the issues of the day, on his show and others, is just one of the things that are missing today. Television had the potential to be one the greatest educational tools that was ever invented. Now, I don't even turn it on.

[@brawlstarssponsorships]

same comment

[@delftblue8801]

I didn’t know America won the war all by itself 🤔. Extremely egocentric.

[@frankzheng5286]

This is such a hidden gem on KZbin. Thank you for posting these interviews

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

Thank you Frank. David Hoffman - filmmaker

[@chrisozzy56]

I’m still mad about our involvement in Vietnam . I lost many dear friends along with my own personal innocence over in Nam . And then to find out years later that the mucky - mucks KNEW the war was unwinnable as early as ‘66 and still allowed so many young men and women to experience that horror… well , I hope they rot in Hell . Semper Fi

[@Zeldagirl86]

Thank you for your videos and interviews. History and people need to hear and seen. Especially for people looking forward and learning from the past.

[@vonbook1973]

As a side note, this guy has GREAT ASMR.

[@sleepingwithcats5121]

I genuinely right away have this attraction to this man Roger... his voice, how he uses his face, his inner self, great interview. I'd like to see more about him, thank you

[@travellinmark2745]

I wish the title of this video wasn't so negative or misleading. I almost didn't view it because of the title that is really referencing a tiny part of what he speaks about.

[@eyesyc]

I absolutely loved this man's full interview. Very poinent and clear depiction

[@plethoraplenty]

I hate how we all know something is BS, then gotta wait 50 years for an interview like this.

[@jacpratt8608]

It should teach you to have faith in your first intuitions. This is Closing The Gap, and they, the think they know it alls, are slowly catching up with the early up takers or see throughers.

[@higher_pwr8178]

When Kennedy asked Eisenhower about Vietnam, Eisenhower told him to stay out of Vietnam.

[@elainedefreitas8106zw]

More importantly General MacArthur told JFK to stay out of a land war in Asia.

[@ianscianablo8507]

JFK also, in private, referred Eisenhower as "an old asshole." Arrogance.

[@hklinker]

Not sure the headline quite matches what this guy ends up saying (eloquently).

[@bracksampson1]

What a intelligent person. Its a shame people's preconceived thoughts on a person can make them tune out when they should be listening.

[@finddeniro]

Lyndon Johnson's .Discounted this USA Dream.

[@mymai2792]

Good work David you are incredible. Love this interview with Roger Wilkins ❤ From your supporters in NZ.

[@tennisforever1282]

Kennedy was politically astute and learned quickly. He was not perfect but there hasn't been a president since who is any where near as good or smart. Kennedy was wise enough to keep us out of a nuclear war. No other president would have been able to do that.

[@tyronemitchell2262]

Still hearing we have to be patient to this day

[@elenabob4953]

I like the old way the things have been done, focus in the dies and not on the shows. I like how he explains things from this perspective with a clean head even if you can feel his passion. I like that there is zero set to distract your attention. I like that there is no manipulative music. I like there is no interview to disturb and direct the audience on the right path. I like that there is no public who express any emotion at command. Just imagine how this would have gone if we have out it in the modern setting with a news anchor interviewing him and intervening every 5 seconds.

[@Anonymous-zr5sc]

❤

[@thetruthexperiment]

I can’t watch people this short sighted.

[@gregoryevans8179]

Growing up we believed the Kennedys were the saviors of the world. As I got older I found out how wrong we were. They had no clue or didn’t care to have a clue, about what blacks especially in the south were going through.

[@jonsimon5779]

People can only do so much in a small period of time. Societies do not turn on a dime nor by one man. Things are started and a momentum is built. They played their part and would have played more if not for LBJ and his crew who disposed of them for their own purposes.

[@tiger38able]

Jackie put up with his crap for too long! You can’t have any respect for a man who continuously cheated on his wife - his actions spoke his true character!

[@Jazzman-bj9fq]

Great interview. One of the big things we don't understand about ourselves in the U.S. is that no matter what we may say as far as progressive improvement in dealing with our social problems, we (the Establishment and the majority power/influence structure) don't really want to see changes no matter how badly we may need them because the new situation we would find ourselves in is unknown and it scares us. We would rather keep things the same because we're familiar with that and we can deal with that. Also, the majority power structure all the way down to the average White person has this fear that in promoting and living an existence in equality would mean that somehow they LOSE their 'status'.

[@frederickgriffith7004]

Yeah. It somehow feels as if this Nation is suffering from the "Nat Turner" syndrome. That somehow if Blacks achieve equal status that we would never be fair and never want to share. That we would instead seek revenge for "perceived "past wrongs.Even I was shocked how some people reacted to the election of President Obama. Lol I actually knew one guy who thought that Obama was going to give the gangbangers free run of the White House.

[@anitaboyle6778]

Absolutely!

[@DMONEY7720]

Dude your channel is freaking awesome

[@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker]

I appreciate that!