BIGGER IS ONLY SOMETIMES BETTER

When a family establishes a substantial foundation of wealth, with social prestige on an international scale, then moves effortlessly into political stardom, don’t expect the progeny of such a family to have the psychological and emotional checks and balances of us ordinary mortals. There will be a self-confidence that will often embrace elitism, exclusivity and at times plain arrogance. It happens all round the world. One fair example is the Kennedy family of the USA. Public service, philanthropic triumphs, tragic deaths and scandals are all part of this family’s legacy. Everyone today, who was around six decades ago, will remember exactly where they were, when they learned of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. That’s gone into folklore. Another USA president, Abraham Lincoln, had been killed a century earlier, with two others in between. But JFK, as Kennedy was known, cut a dashing image, and was a popular president with a glamorous wife, Jacqueline. He was a far cry from the traditional style of his predecessors.

Resolution

His presidency’s notable achievement was the peaceful resolution of the close-to-world-war Cuban Missile Crisis of 1961, and the subsequent removal of Soviet nuclear weapons from Cuba. That proved quite a relief.  And one of the more productive initiatives, that JFK launched in his three-year tenure of office, was US Peace Corps, a programme to help developing countries. We, in Eswatini, have benefitted substantially from Peace Corps, especially in its support for the communities’ fight against HIV and AIDS. JFK’s brother, Robert F. Kennedy, must have derived considerable political benefit from America’s grief for their lost president, but was also popular in his own right. He was thus a strong contender in the 1968 USA national elections. Then out of the blue (more like out of the dark) as with brother JFK, he was slaughtered by a nobody. Perhaps one of the classic examples of the fragility of world politics; or even human life generally. Robert Kennedy had earlier been Attorney-General and later a New York senator before competing for the presidency. He carried the reputation for being an icon of liberalism.

Vote

A year later in 1969, cruising comfortably in anticipation of a certain vote into the next presidency, surviving brother Teddy Kennedy stuffed up his chances in the most emphatic manner. In common with his brothers, he liked the ladies, and was well served in that respect. Leaving a party with young campaign worker, Mary Jo Kopechne, – perhaps to gaze together at the stars above, but forgetting to watch the road ahead - his car plunged into a river around midnight. Kennedy escaped but failed to report the accident until 10.00am the following day. Mary Jo died in the car and the outcome was shame for Teddy Kennedy. Mary Jo’s family got US$141 000 from Kennedy (US$1.2 million in today’s money), while Kennedy got 40 more years of life on earth. He made no attempt at the next two presidential elections, before deciding he’d been forgiven by the American public. But he failed in the 1980 Democrat primaries against Jimmy Carter.

Teddy Kennedy’s reaction to the incident was perhaps typical of an eminent individual, more concerned about his personal reputation than the possibility his passenger might still have been saved. He did, to a degree, make amends in later years when he and his staff wrote more than 300 Bills that were enacted into law. Seriously liberal, Kennedy stood for economic and social justice, and also worked with Republicans to find practical compromises.And now we have Robert F. Kennedy Junior. You’ve guessed; he’s Robert F. Kennedy’s son. He earlier entered the USA 2024 Presidential contest as an independent candidate. Not a serious contender for President, but desperate to get into the presidential debates, and someone who could have taken many votes away from both Democrat and Republican candidates – Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

It started promisingly for him earlier this year with Americans so clearly loving a guy who believes in himself. Even if, half the time, highly qualified and respected individuals are challenging his honesty. So many Kennedy supporters have viewed their man as a courageous truth-teller, taking on the establishment and the corporate powers. He has been admired for immigration policies and drug legalisation. As an environmental lawyer, he is renowned for challenging the polluters. He comfortably survived his mistakes, one of which was boldly supporting conspiracy theories. Some years ago, he claimed that thimerosal in vaccines was causing health problems, a view that has no evidence to support it. An article on a similar matter was later withdrawn owing to many inaccuracies. It is becoming increasingly clear that Kennedy’s outsize confidence leaves him fast and loose with the facts.

In reality, most voters of the USA are not up to speed on political and other equally complex issues. But they clearly admire an ultra-confident person, whether or not the massive self-esteem is justified. Then the tide turned and Kennedy recently encountered sexual assault allegations and admitted publicly to having ‘many skeletons in the closet’.  “I am what I am,” he added; groping (lol) to bring respect to reality. He also recently admitted that he once had a worm in his brain! But while the general public are notoriously squeamish, the prolonged ovation he got, when introduced for a speech at a Donald Trump event in August 2024, showed that his popularity endures. Perhaps he’ll worm his way back into political prominence, ready for the 2028 elections.

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