Chapter 158: The Only Way To Save Kennedy
When everyone had to stay at home because of the virus outbreak, online communities became unusually lively.
After all, with real society at a standstill, the online society naturally became active.
Not only did Zoom’s stock price hit new highs repeatedly, but Reddit’s traffic also hit new highs repeatedly.
Recently, an interesting discussion post appeared in America’s politics section: If you were a reporter and knew in advance that Kennedy was going to be assassinated, which camera position would you choose to take the most shocking photos?
“Why take photos? Of course, save Kennedy.”
“Why save Kennedy? Why not buy a pistol and join the gunman to give him a few more shots?”
“Is this a redneck? What redneck idiot, do you know why you’re living so miserably now?
A very important reason is that Kennedy died! The military-industrial complex swallowed all the money that should have been used to improve our welfare.”
“How so? The guy upstairs, explain in detail.”
“Former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker served in the Treasury Department before and after the Kennedy administration’s assassination. His autobiography ‘The Age of Turbulence’ recalls this period.
At that time, Kennedy wanted to end the Cold War early, withdraw all overseas troops, and use the saved money for America’s welfare society modification.
Because Europe was building a welfare society at the time, Kennedy wanted to follow suit.
Paul Volcker said that Kennedy established a committee to cut military spending, he was a committee member, they held several meetings, and they discussed withdrawing overseas troops, calculating if the saved money was enough for domestic welfare expenses. The Treasury calculated that the amount was enormous and completely sufficient.
At a White House meeting, McNamara explicitly disagreed, saying that if the meeting was about cutting military spending, there was no need to continue. After saying that, he left the meeting directly.
Later, the vice president succeeded as president and disbanded the committee to cut military spending.
Paul Volcker left the Treasury Department and became a fund manager at a Wall Street investment bank.
Get it? Kennedy died, military spending kept increasing, until it became the monster today that no one can solve, and each of our lives is struggling at the bottom.
So if I really knew in advance, I would definitely try every means to save Kennedy.”
“Don’t even think about it, he wanted to cut military spending, the military-industrial complex would let him off? How could you alone save Kennedy.
For Kennedy to survive under those conditions, unless he got the KGB to protect him, openly cooperating with the Kremlin.
Right after Kennedy was taken out, Nikita handed over power, likely related to Kennedy’s assassination, because he also wanted to operate on the internals.
So at that time, for Kennedy to survive, the only solution was to cooperate with Nikita.
While shaking hands for peace, deal with the stubborn internal opposition.
KGB protects Kennedy first, after Kennedy completes military spending cuts plus welfare system construction, then Kennedy sends CIA to protect Nikita, and Nikita best promotes OGAS implementation across the entire Soviet Union bloc.
But obviously that’s impossible, first you couldn’t contact Kennedy, second you couldn’t contact the Kremlin.
So this dead end no one can solve.”
Lin Ran scrolled through the posts, thinking, who says no such person exists? I am that person.
“As the White House chief academic advisor, the White House doors open wide for me, the presidential guard bows their heads, no one in the palace dares block me. The White House is heavily guarded, yet I enter like a cloud dragon into the sea, striding calmly straight into the Oval Office, sitting across from Kennedy, chatting amiably with Johnson. White House civil servants all hold their breath in attendance, White House senior officials also yield to me respectfully.
At the same time, I can go straight to the Kremlin, call Korolev, transfer to Comrade Nikita.”
Lin Ran continued scrolling down, “Unfortunately, I’m neither American nor Soviet, why should I let you smoothly complete your internal major surgery in the 60s?”
This feeling was still quite wonderful.
In the 60s, he was a master-level figure spanning America, the Soviet Union, and China, entering the White House as if on level ground, contacting the Kremlin with ease, contacting China as simple as drinking water.
Every side would give his words sufficient credibility, seriously consider his suggestions, and if he wanted, because of the door’s existence, he could even meet anyone.
Things that Reddit netizens thought impossible, he was confident he could handle.
In 2020, he was an obscure current PhD student who, because of the virus outbreak, had to stay every day in a New York suburban apartment, not going out unless necessary, relying on Zoom for occasional online meetings.
This identity difference made Lin Ran feel very wonderful.
“Cool, if President Kennedy hadn’t died, we could have welfare treatment like Europeans now.”
“Exactly, although Europe has high taxes, America has high taxes too, but welfare treatment is completely inferior to Western Europe.”
Why do rednecks hate Europe so much? In their view, our poor welfare treatment is because the part we should enjoy was taken by Europeans.
Actually, that’s not wrong, there’s some truth to it.
Germany’s expense for each stationed American soldier in Germany is 3000 RMB per month.
Using 2024 data, Germany’s contribution to NATO’s common budget is about 608 million euros, accounting for about 16% of the total budget, with 35,000 American soldiers.
Germany bears about 150 million euros annually to host these soldiers, about 4300 euros per soldier.
America provides military spending, Russians provide Energia, China provides market, Eastern Europe provides manpower, this is how Western Europe’s economic miracle and high welfare society were formed together.
“If President Kennedy hadn’t died back then, Americans now definitely wouldn’t have such a divided society, social welfare treatment would be much better! If I could go back to that time point, I’d even be willing to block bullets for President Kennedy with my body!”
This emotion is incomprehensible to Chinese people.
Chinese people wildly meme everything, like the Melo Church, the whole world knows he’s going to die, only he doesn’t.
But in Americans’ eyes, Kennedy is undoubtedly a president who truly cared for them.
“Not talking about other things, back to the original poster’s question.
If only with cameras of that time, I suggest the grassy knoll at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, that way you can capture the decisive moment.”
France’s photography master Cartier-Bresson proposed the decisive moment theory, emphasizing that the photographer should perfectly combine form, conception, composition, light, event, and all factors at a specific moment.
What you capture is that one instant, believing candid shots have much stronger dramatic tension than posed ones.
“If you could bring a smartphone, I suggest recording video directly.
Best on the grassy knoll at Dealey Plaza, if not on the grassy knoll at Dealey Plaza, then high places on nearby buildings also work.
Video captures the full picture, after recording don’t rush to release it.
Wait until the investigation committee announces the investigation structure publicly, then publish photos contradicting their investigation results in magazines or newspapers.
Every time they release investigation results, you refute them with photos.
Keep doing that, the White House’s credibility will be done for, and correspondingly, the more the White House credibility is damaged, the higher your reputation.
I can’t think of any more wonderful operation than this, with this operation you can directly become America’s most famous reporter.
Follow up with Watergate Scandal, White House chicken-eating case, best also report the Clinton family hunting case.
Of course, the premise of operating like this is surviving, not just the uncrowned king, directly the king of Washington, politicians will tremble before you.”
Netizens still have the biggest wild ideas.
All kinds of wild ideas emerge endlessly.
“Nixon, you don’t want the Watergate Scandal exposed, right?” A sentence flashed in Lin Ran’s mind.
“Professor, come, sit, we rarely eat together, what do you think of my proposal?”
Lin Ran needed to go to Washington D.C. regularly for debriefing.
If Kennedy was in the White House, he would occasionally invite Lin Ran to have a meal together.
There were multiple reasons for inviting Lin Ran: his own ability, his huge appeal in academia and among Chinese people, and Kennedy’s personal preference, etc.
Time had come to October, Kennedy’s death had officially entered the countdown.
“Of course, I think it’s very creative, but unfortunately you can’t get the congressmen’s approval.” Lin Ran said.
This referred to America and the Soviet Union cooperating on moon landing.
Yes, Kennedy mentioned in last month’s United Nations speech that he hoped to promote peaceful cooperation through a Cold War pause, and space would be an ideal cooperation field.
The full text of his September 20, 1963, United Nations speech is too long, here only quoting the space-related part:
“Finally, in an area where we all have special abilities: the field of aerospace, there exists new cooperation space to further jointly manage and explore space. I think these possibilities include a joint moon landing expedition.”
“Why must humanity’s first moon landing flight be a competition between nations? Why should we and the Soviet Union, in preparing such expeditions, fall into huge duplication in research, construction, and expenses? We should certainly explore whether our two countries’ scientists and astronauts, or even the world’s scientists and astronauts, can jointly conquer space and, within this decade, send to the moon not representatives of a single nation, but representatives of all our nations.”
Obviously, Kennedy’s proposal caused an uproar, triggering collective opposition from federal congressmen.
Even Lyndon Johnson did not approve of this proposal.
In the September 1963 White House meeting records, Johnson did not mention the cooperation proposal discussion, but focused on ensuring NASA’s budget and Apollo Program advancement.
In his communication with Lin Ran, he emphasized America must maintain technological independence.
“But they all seem not to approve of my proposal much.” Kennedy sighed, “This way we could also save budget to improve public treatment.”
After hearing this, Lin Ran thought, in an era when America hadn’t owed much money yet, Kennedy was already so concerned about the federal finance situation, trying every way to save every penny to improve public welfare.
The money you save isn’t just saved, it’s deducted from the pockets of Commissioner Smiths and federal suppliers.
That is, I, Lin Ran, don’t care about money; if I did, I’d also dislike you.
Why?
Because Lin Ran holds shares in General Aerospace, whose main orders come from NASA; if joint moon landing, federal cuts NASA budget, General Aerospace’s revenue and profit would also be affected. Isn’t this harming Lin Ran’s interests?
In short, Kennedy’s proposal might benefit the public, but besides the public, it’s disadvantageous to all interest groups.
“Mr. President, this is human nature, you can never go against human nature.” Lin Ran said.
Kennedy suddenly brought up Nixon and Fred: “I heard you designed a path back to the White House for Nixon?”
Lin Ran was somewhat surprised, not that Kennedy knew about it, but that Kennedy would bring it up openly to discuss with him.
How to put it.
From Kennedy’s operations, statements, and dialogue, Lin Ran deeply felt the naivety.
Still so naive after entering the White House.
But he didn’t dislike this naivety, and from the heart appreciated idealists like Kennedy; it’s just that idealists with ideals but no ability usually don’t end well.
“Yes, what I’m best at is giving suggestions; Nixon came to me for advice before.”
After Lin Ran roughly mentioned the suggestions he gave Nixon, Kennedy suddenly realized, “I see.
No wonder lately in newspapers I keep seeing Nixon praising a small New York real estate developer.
Professor, I have to say, your proposal is highly feasible.”
Kennedy didn’t mind, because it wouldn’t harm his interests.
He even hoped Fred would run.
As for Nixon, by the time this operation really works, how old would he be.
Would elderly Nixon at that time really win over voters with this?
But have to say the professor’s plan has strong feasibility.
Just before, Nixon’s chance of entering the White House was one percent, now at least thirty percent.
This also made Kennedy inwardly sigh with emotion; the professor lives up to being a professor, able to give wild yet sufficiently feasible suggestions on anything.
“Professor, I’d like to consult you: how can I gain power like Roosevelt?” Kennedy asked.
Lin Ran almost spat out the water in his mouth: kid, you’re not afraid of dying and want to take me down with you?
Kennedy continued explaining: “I want to do something for America; now’s American society is a very unbalanced society.
But whatever I want to do seems checked by Congress, the army, and businesses.”
Lin Ran shook his head: “Sorry, Mr. President, your question is too sudden, I don’t have any better methods.
But I think the big environment is different; replicating President Roosevelt’s operations would also be difficult.
Roosevelt’s era benefited from the economic crisis, that is, the Great Depression of the 1930s, so his proposals had more appeal.
While now American public life is much better than then, economic growth is strong, everyone’s desire for change isn’t strong.
This time actually isn’t suitable for big moves.
Using our Chinese descent classical text to explain, it’s like ‘governing a great country is like cooking a small fish.’
Roughly meaning, governing a country should be cautious, with few big moves.
The same in the aerospace field; NASA has many old systems and equipment, or I can see at a glance how to improve them.
But as long as they still work without problems, I won’t think of changing them.
Because aerospace is a systemic engineering; maybe old equipment has performance or stability issues, but changing might cause worse chain reactions.
And governing a colossus like America is a far more complex systemic engineering.
Like President Roosevelt, that requires internal and external environments reaching a suitable time for him to have greater power than other presidents.”
Of course, Kennedy at most lit the fire too fiercely; sixty-plus years later America got a pancake flipper instead.
After hearing, Kennedy pondered, of course he was still unwilling.
After all, Lin Ran wasn’t the first to advise him.
Many people advised him.
“Professor, I’ll seriously consider your suggestion.
Now I plan to use more populist activities to strengthen my image in the public’s mind; this is preparation for next year’s presidential election, and also to win public approval for what I want to do.” Kennedy continued.
Lin Ran inwardly sighed, thinking “em, kid, you’re still not giving up? Populist activities? Open-top car parade?”
Lin Ran said: “I think it’s good; President Roosevelt shaped his image through newspapers, while you through television, which is more direct.”
In that era, just from newspapers, it was absolutely hard to know Roosevelt was disabled.
“Exactly, I plan in the presidential campaign process to do touring speeches across America, interacting directly with voters.” Kennedy added.
Lin Ran thought, doomed, if you don’t die in the Texas open-top car, you’ll get shot in the subsequent touring speeches.
You’re indeed beyond saving; how to save someone always seeking their own death?
Even immortals can’t save.
“Mr. President, wish you success. But you could occasionally consider learning from President Coolidge.”
President Coolidge was jokingly called “Silent Cal”; he advocated “governance by non-action,” believing government should intervene as little as possible.
Kennedy nodded: “I understand.”
When leaving the White House, Lin Ran turned back for a glance, thinking this might be his last lunch with Kennedy, soon the White House would change owners.
President Coolidge was right, the White House is right there.
“Jenny, accompany me to Houston.”
Begging for monthly tickets~ Those with monthly tickets, give some to Crow!
