JFK AND THE UNSPEAKABLE

I have always been very interested in the US government, especially the secrets it holds. This is partially why I decided to major in philosophy and law and minor in political science and criminal justice. Specifically, I have been intrigued by the assassination of JFK and the real effect it had on the country. 

 

As I started reading this book, plausible deniability was a term that stood out to me. "Plausible deniability is the ability to say in a way that seems possibly true that you did not know about something or were not responsible for something" (Cambridge dictionary).   I would argue this is a popular practice in the American government. If you aren't a direct part of something and involved in carrying out the acts, then you could not have been responsible in any way. In my opinion, this is a significant flaw in the system, allowing the government to remain so powerful and unaccountable. It allows for many secrets to be kept from the general public, which can be beneficial in some circumstances but harmful in others. The CIA played a major part in the assassination of JFK, and they have not been held accountable because of plausible deniability and a scapegoat. 

The issue between JFK and the CIA seems to have stemmed from the Bay of Pigs. The CIA was angry that Kennedy did not send more Americans to aid the Cuban troops and instead accepted defeat.  Kennedy wanted peace; the CIA wanted power. It seems the CIA lied. To understand this better, I want to explore the relationship the US had with Cuba and Castro, and why the Bay of Pigs Invasion was an important historical event. 

The purpose of the Bay of Pigs invasion was to overthrow the Cuban government under Fidel Castro in the hopes of decreasing global communism. Fidel Castro was the leader of Cuba and shared many ideologies with the Soviet Union. JFK ordered no direct American involvement in the invasion; the CIA was to use Cuban exile troops. The CIA had already been secretly training these troops under Eisenhower. When it came time for the invasion, the plan was never for these troops to overthrow Castro; they were to announce a counterrevolution and ask for American aid, in turn forcing Kennedy to provide American troops, directly involving the U.S as he did not want to do. When the invasion took place, many of the air strike attacks failed, and once troops hit the ground, they were met with heavy fire. Kennedy accepted defeat after two days; they lacked intelligence, and he did not want to create a greater conflict with the Soviet Union. If Kennedy decided to never go forward with the Bay of Pigs at all, the CIA had a contingency plan. "Frank," the Cuban's chief military advisor, told four anti-Castro brigade leaders to "capture" the advisers as prisoners, again forcing Kennedy to send aid.  Once Kennedy learned of these plans, he was angered, rightfully so. It was a treasonous act to try to circumvent the President, which caused Kennedy to work on limiting the power of the CIA, first by firing major players, and then decreasing the budget.

 

 

But...why was the CIA so invested in overthrowing Castro? What benefit would it bring for them when it could have caused so much damage to the United States? What made it worth it to them?

 

 

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/plausible-deniability.