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| Joe Bakewell. |
A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON.
In 1962
America experienced what became known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. Russia had
placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, a clear threat to the U.S.
This action
was in response to our missiles in Turkey, aimed at Russia, and to the failed
Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba by the U.S. and several attempts at assassinating
Fidel Castro.
More missiles
were on ships headed for Cuba. President Kennedy was compelled to take action.
He convened a group of his advisors including Robert McNamara, Robert Kennedy,
military leaders, and tellingly, Tommy Thompson, former ambassador to Russia
who got along with Khrushchev and knew him very well.
After some
discussion, Kennedy decided to take military action; bomb the missile sites and
sink the missile-bearing ships.
Thompson
spoke up, “You’re wrong, Mister President.” He then suggested we give Khrushchev
a face-saving way out; credit for saving Cuba and the removal of some of our
missiles in Turkey. Kennedy listened, and the crisis ended.
As I recall
and noted in my research, Republicans remained quiet in the background while
Kennedy struggled through the Bay of Pigs to the end.
If you get
the ‘point’ here, try the trivia question:
If the
Democrats take control in 2020, will they punch holes in the ‘wall’?
Joe Bakewell
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