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MinM

(2,650 posts)
17. 13 Days (2000) v Missiles of October (1974)
Wed Sep 26, 2012, 08:54 PM
Sep 2012

BOB GARFIELD: Okay, so what's the third rough draft? When did that happen, what form did it take?

FRED KAPLAN: The third draft was mainly by revisionists, by people like Gary Wills who in 1971 wrote a book called Kennedy Agonistes. Now, it had been revealed early on that Khrushchev had made an offer toward the end of the crisis basically saying look, I'll take my missiles out of Cuba if you take your missiles out of Turkey. At the time the United States had 15 nuclear missiles in Turkey, which were similar in range and power to the missiles that the Soviets put in Cuba. Ted Sorensen in his book dismissed that Khrushchev offer as total propaganda and that Khrushchev dropped in the end. Well, Gary Wills and the revisionists picked up on this and they said look, this guy Kennedy was a maniac. He was soaking in machismo. He'd led the United States and the world on the brink of World War III because he wouldn't take this sensible offer to do the missile trade.

BOB GARFIELD: Machismo was certainly part of the popular image of JFK back then. Here's a clip from a 1970s TV docudrama Missiles of October, starring a very young William Devane. [CLIP]:

WILLIAM DEVANE/JOHN F. KENNEDY: Now we must convey an uncompromising message. This government is prepared to negotiate, but not until those missiles are removed from Cuba. We will not be deterred. We will not be shaken. We'll bomb, if we must. We'll invade if we must. [END CLIP]

FRED KAPLAN: Yeah, that, that clip is just hilarious, diametrically opposed to the way John Kennedy was acting at any of those sessions. In fact, this does lead us to the fourth draft of history, tapes that Kennedy had secretly been making. Long before Nixon and before Johnson, Kennedy was taping a lot of things that happened in the Oval Office and in the Cabinet Room, where the ex-con meetings took place. And we hear very clearly in those meetings that Kennedy took Khrushchev's offer of the missile trade very, very seriously. In fact, on the third day of the crisis, Kennedy is already musing that well, you know, Khrushchev, he's made a miscalculation. He's obviously done this for bargaining leverage, and we're going to have to help him find a way to save face. Maybe if we trade those missiles in Turkey for the missiles in Cuba, that might be the answer. Nobody even takes him up on it. So on the last day of the crisis, when Khrushchev does bring it up, he's very eager to take it. And, in fact, he is the only one in the room who's willing to take it. You know, there's been this, this model from the first draft of history on, that the room was divided into hawks and doves and centrists. But, in fact, on the last couple of days of the crisis, the room was divided between John Kennedy and everybody else. Everybody else in that room wanted to bomb the missiles in Cuba, and only John Kennedy wanted to take the trade.

BOB GARFIELD: Now, unaccustomed as we are to having presidential tapes reveal the president in a positive light [LAUGHS] —

FRED KAPLAN: Yeah...

http://www.onthemedia.org/2010/aug/27/missile-crisis-memories/transcript/
Thank you for posting this Trailrider1951 Sep 2012 #1
This message was self-deleted by its author AnotherMcIntosh Sep 2012 #5
And big oils connections. Things do not seem to have changed much. jwirr Sep 2012 #9
You are most welcome, Trailrider1951! Here's the guy who should be writing the book on Gen. LeMay... Octafish Sep 2012 #18
kr Norrin Radd Sep 2012 #2
The Railroading of LCDR Terri Pike Octafish Oct 2012 #44
"JFK and the Unspeakable" by James Douglass should be required reading in classrooms drokhole Sep 2012 #3
+1 That book explains the last 49 years hifiguy Sep 2012 #10
JFK, FDR and 'Seven Days in May' Octafish Sep 2012 #13
It makes the scales fall off readers' eyes. Octafish Sep 2012 #19
To paraphrase one of my favorite comedians/philosophers... drokhole Sep 2012 #20
''It's just a ride.'' Octafish Oct 2012 #46
^^This x 1000000000 truebrit71 Oct 2012 #47
This message was self-deleted by its author AnotherMcIntosh Sep 2012 #4
What JFK Really Said Octafish Sep 2012 #6
This message was self-deleted by its author AnotherMcIntosh Sep 2012 #7
Who cares? they still followed the presidents orders. Javaman Sep 2012 #8
yup as long as they gollow civilian command who cares loli phabay Sep 2012 #14
Not exactly. LeMay ordered unauthorizedoverflights of Soviet airspace during Cuban Missile Crisis... Octafish Sep 2012 #21
My Mother told me a long time ago when I was a kid about a guy that lived in our neighborhood ArnoldLayne Sep 2012 #11
Thank you for sharing that, ArnoldLayne! We're just starting to learn the story... Octafish Oct 2012 #41
Kevin Costner's "13 Days" was a very accurate portrayal of this... MinM Sep 2012 #12
13 Days (2000) v Missiles of October (1974) MinM Sep 2012 #17
The Twelfth Day Octafish Sep 2012 #24
The Fourteenth Day MinM Sep 2012 #34
Thank you for the heads-up, MinM! Interesting Times, indeed: ''A U-2 has been lost off Alaska.'' Octafish Sep 2012 #22
The generals were obviously trying to provoke the Soviets into a massive retaliation! LongTomH Sep 2012 #25
Operation Hollywood: Pentagon v Costner MinM Sep 2012 #33
Mother Jones' Operation Hollywood cont... MinM Oct 2012 #35
World War II was so yesterday...Korea's the happening spot in 1953. Octafish Oct 2012 #37
Those who kept their wugs shut did all right. Octafish Oct 2012 #36
This message was self-deleted by its author freshwest Sep 2012 #15
I wonder what this country would be like had we actually listened to Eisenhower's warning about the MIC taking over. Initech Sep 2012 #16
War Resisters has a nice graphic... Octafish Oct 2012 #40
Hell, I'd be happy if someone up top actually listened to it TODAY Blue_Tires Oct 2012 #45
Sole Surviving Son of a US Marine present and kicking, Sir! bobthedrummer Sep 2012 #23
We owe our freedom to you father and all who've defended this nation... Octafish Oct 2012 #42
Shoup was pushing for full on nuclear war on Cuba and Le May was playing the angles either way. nt patrice Sep 2012 #26
Echoed by Lemnitzer and Dulles who counseled the best time for a sneak attack was 'Fall 1963.' Octafish Oct 2012 #43
Bunch of fuckers gopiscrap Sep 2012 #27
wtf with the redneck crap loli phabay Sep 2012 #28
they weren't in private gopiscrap Sep 2012 #29
yeah as far as tbey were concerned tbey were loli phabay Sep 2012 #30
Not surprised by that response. Kingofalldems Sep 2012 #31
Agreed!!!! gopiscrap Sep 2012 #32
In October 1962, human civilization came close to being destroyed. MinM Oct 2012 #38
CIA still pushing the ''Castro Knew Ahead of Time'' Lie Octafish Oct 2012 #39
An interesting read. Justice4JFK Nov 2018 #48
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