Reply #10: There was never a more ferocious Cold Warrior & devoted friend of the "MIC"* than JFK.

[apocalypsehow]

Indeed, here are the remarks he made in his last delivered speech, the vast majority of which he basically spent bragging about how much money his administration had shoveled into the Department of Defense, and procurement programs for that agency billions of dollars of which went straight into the pockets of the so-called "Military Industrial Complex":

"Three years ago last September I came here, with the Vice President, and spoke at Burke Burnett Park, and I called, in that speech, for a national security policy and a national security system which was second to none — a position which said not first, but, if, when and how, but first. That city responded to that call as it has through its history. And we have been putting that pledge into practice ever since....

....The Iroquois helicopter from Fort Worth is a mainstay in our fight against the guerrillas in South Viet-Nam. The transportation of crews between our missile sites is done in planes produced here in Fort Worth. So wherever the confrontation may occur, and in the last 3 years it has occurred on at least three occasions, in Laos, Berlin, and Cuba, and it will again — wherever it occurs, the products of Fort Worth and the men of Fort Worth provide us with a sense of security....

....In all these ways, the success of our national defense depends upon this city in the western United States, 10,000 miles from Viet-Nam, 5,000 or 6,000 miles from Berlin, thousands of miles from trouble spots in Latin America and Africa or the Middle East. And yet Fort Worth and what it does and what it produces participates in all these great historic events. Texas, as a whole, and Fort Worth bear particular responsibility for this national defense effort, for military procurement in this State totals nearly $1 ¼ billion, fifth highest among all the States of the Union....

....In the past 3 years we have increased the defense budget of the United States by over 20 percent; increased the program of acquisition for Polaris submarines from 24 to 41; increased our Minuteman missile purchase program by more than 75 percent; doubled the number of strategic bombers and missiles on alert; doubled the number of nuclear weapons available in the strategic alert forces; increased the tactical nuclear forces deployed in Western Europe by over 60 percent; added five combat ready divisions to the Army of the United States, and five tactical fighter wings to the Air Force of the United States; increased our strategic airlift capability by 75 percent; and increased our special counterinsurgency forces which are engaged now in South Viet-Nam by 600 percent. I hope those who want a stronger America and place it on some signs will also place those figures next to it...."**

History, not hagiography

Further, President Kennedy oversaw the greatest reduction in income taxes for "the rich" until Ronald Reagan came onto the scene in 1981 - and it was JFK who pushed for that legislation. Here, go watch him talk about it in 1962:

JFK demands tax cuts 'across the board'

Contrary to the opinion of your OP, President Kennedy would have found himself quite comfortable with both the foreign policy actions of this president - including the use of the military in Afghanistan and other 'hot-spots' around the globe - and the vast majority of domestic policies he has enacted.

Please try again. :thumbsup:


*"Military Industrial Complex"

**All emphases added