Legendary director, actor, writer, and activist Rob Reiner joins the hosts to explore the assassination of JFK. They discuss conspiracy theories, the impact on the United States, JFK's secret communications with Soviet and Cuban officials, the importance of electing sensible decision makers, Oswald's connections to the intelligence community, and the revelations of former secret service agent Paul Landis.
The podcast explores the significance of the JFK assassination in shaping American and global history.
The podcast highlights the distinction between conspiracy theories and actual conspiracies, emphasizing the depth of the conspiracy surrounding the JFK assassination.
The podcast delves into the flaws and controversies surrounding the official investigations into the JFK assassination, uncovering conflicts of interest and unanswered questions.
Deep dives
The JFK Assassination as a Profound Historical Event
The podcast explores the significance of the JFK assassination in shaping American and global history. It discusses how the event fundamentally altered the course of the nation and left lingering questions about the motives and individuals involved.
The Intricacies of Conspiracy Theories and Actual Conspiracies
The podcast highlights the distinction between conspiracy theories based on misinformation and actual conspiracies that have occurred. It emphasizes that conspiracy theories exist alongside real conspiracies, such as the JFK assassination, and sheds light on the depth of the conspiracy surrounding the event.
The Flaws and Controversies of Official Investigations
The podcast delves into the flaws and controversies surrounding the official investigations into the JFK assassination. It uncovers conflicts of interest within the Warren Commission and the House Select Committee on Assassinations, and how these investigations were compromised, leading to conflicting conclusions and unanswered questions.
The Ideological and Economic Motives for the Vietnam War
The podcast episode explores the reasons behind the United States' decision to maintain a presence in Vietnam during the war. Ideologically, the "hardliners" believed in the domino theory, fearing that if one country fell to communism, others would follow suit. They saw the situation as a fight against a potential global communist world. Additionally, economically, there was a benefit to being involved in the war, as it provided business opportunities for the military-industrial complex, aligning with Eisenhower's warning about its influence.
JFK's Backchanneling Efforts and Internal Dissent
The podcast discusses how President John F. Kennedy engaged in backchanneling efforts with Soviet and Cuban officials in an attempt to deescalate tensions and prevent another nuclear crisis like the Cuban Missile Crisis. This approach was seen as a move for de-escalation, which angered the hardliners in the CIA and the military who pushed for aggressive action. The podcast also touches on the internal dissent within the country, the distrust of the government's narratives, and the impact of covert programs like COINTELPRO and MKULTRA.
Sixty years ago this week, US President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated while riding in a motorcade through Dallas, Texas. In tonight's conversation, Ben, Matt and Noel join the legendary director, actor, writer, and activist Rob Reiner to explore the assassination -- in his newest project, Rob finally answers the question: Who killed JFK?
