Steven M: RFK Assassination as it Happened

Steven M: RFK Assassination as it Happened

Its pretty clear why President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. He was a strong liberal cold warrior, strong anti-Communist, who wanted Fidel Castro out of power in Cuba even by force. Who was a strong warrior against organized crime as well, despite having connections with that community. But his brother Bobby, pushed strong against the Italian Mafia in America and he supported him. Communists and organized criminals, saw Jack Kennedy as a threat to him. But one of the tragedies of the RFK Assassination, was that there wasn't any clear motive or reason. For why Bobby Kennedy was assassinated.

RFK was murdered by Sirhan Sirhan a Palestinian living, or staying in America. Senator Kennedy, didn't have any strong, or controversial positions towards the Israeli-Palestinian issues. Senator Kennedy's, main focus when it came to foreign affairs had to do with the Vietnam War. Where he was one of the strongest critics of it. A war that Sirhan didn't have much if any position on it, at least not a position he made public. Both Kennedy assassinations were definite tragedies, but I believe for different reasons. And I'm not saying one was more tragic than the other, but they were different. To focus on Bobby Kennedy, he at least at the time as a Senator represented what became the New-Left in America. As someone who was anti-war, but I don't believe he was ever as Far-Left as the New-Left.

The New-Left, a social democratic, or even communist  movement in some circles in America. That was anti-war and big believers in social insurance and what government could do for the people as it related to social welfare. Big believers in the New Deal and Great Society and if anything would've gone much further. But what separated Bob Kennedy from most of the New-Left, Students for a Democratic Society and others, was that Kennedy had a healthy amount of realism to go with his idealism. And believed that America still had a long way to go to create what Social Democrats call a just society. But Senator Kennedy also understood what could be done and worked under that.

I consider Bobby Kennedy to be the first responsible member of the New-Left social democratic movement in America. It would be Robert Kennedy or Dr. Martin King people who understood what needed to be done in America. But also understood what can get done and that fighting the good fight and not winning is not always the best course of action. That being a Progressive is also about making progress and is something that Progressives need more of today.