Edward Kennedy Dies
Discussion
Perhaps not the right thread to ponder a query of mine, but does anyone else find it a bit strange that a presidential system has dynasties like the Kennedy and Bush families?
Plenty of people moan about the unelected royalty in this country, but in the US you have one family that had one sibling as president, his brother a senator and a potential president had he not been killed and another brother who was a senator and was hotly tipped to become president before he got himself embroiled in a tragic incident. Their father was held a position in government as well, didn't he? Then there's another family where father and son have been president and another member of the family is governor of a state.
I suppose the presidents at least are all elected (fairly or not depending on your viewpoint), but to have a system that is the antithesis of royalty keep power within the family just seems odd to me.
Still, it doesn't take away from the life of a man who worked hard for his country.
Plenty of people moan about the unelected royalty in this country, but in the US you have one family that had one sibling as president, his brother a senator and a potential president had he not been killed and another brother who was a senator and was hotly tipped to become president before he got himself embroiled in a tragic incident. Their father was held a position in government as well, didn't he? Then there's another family where father and son have been president and another member of the family is governor of a state.
I suppose the presidents at least are all elected (fairly or not depending on your viewpoint), but to have a system that is the antithesis of royalty keep power within the family just seems odd to me.
Still, it doesn't take away from the life of a man who worked hard for his country.
A deeply flawed individual who's career was forever blighted by a disastrous event early(ish) in his political career.
Regarding his support of Noraid, I'm not sure how overt this was. Obviously, the Kennedys had a large support from the Irish-American community and he had to thread carefully so as not to lose their support.
In the end, you weigh up a person on the sum of their achievements in life. On balance, was his career beneficial to the US (and other countries) or detrimental. I would suggest the former.
Regarding his support of Noraid, I'm not sure how overt this was. Obviously, the Kennedys had a large support from the Irish-American community and he had to thread carefully so as not to lose their support.
In the end, you weigh up a person on the sum of their achievements in life. On balance, was his career beneficial to the US (and other countries) or detrimental. I would suggest the former.
Edited by Eric Mc on Wednesday 26th August 10:08
brickwall said:
"Let us remember him as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it."
Yes, that's what he'd like you to remember. I remember him as a vocal supporter of NORAID. That, Chappaquiddick and the William Kennedy-Smith incident mark him down as a venal, cowardly man, who without the Kennedy name would have gone to jail in 1969 and never been heard from again.The Brits have never been completely comfortable with Ted Kennedy - for obvious reasons.
As I hinted at earlier, do people not think that, despite his personal problems, he did become a Senator of stature and redeemed his reputation later in life?
Could he have become the longest sitting Senator if he had been useless at his job?
As I hinted at earlier, do people not think that, despite his personal problems, he did become a Senator of stature and redeemed his reputation later in life?
Could he have become the longest sitting Senator if he had been useless at his job?
Muntu said:
Eric Mc said:
Zod said:
Eric Mc said:
Could he have become the longest sitting Senator if he had not had the Kennedy name?
EFAEric Mc said:
Muntu said:
Eric Mc said:
Zod said:
Eric Mc said:
Could he have become the longest sitting Senator if he had not had the Kennedy name?
EFAand the fact that he was so long serving was self-perpetuating
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