Does the anointment of Barack Obama by the patriarch of the Kennedy clan somehow conflict with America’s iconic democratic image? According to this op-ed article from the Nachrichten newspaper of Switzerland, ‘What influence do the Kennedys, or in fact any family clan, have in the United States? Apparently, more than anyone would have thought possible in such an iconic democracy. The parallels to the rise of European feudalism are striking.’
By Patrik Etschmayer
Translated By Ulf Behncke
January 28, 2008
Switzerland – Nachrichten – Original Article (German)
The triumphs of Barak Obama in his fight for the Democratic presidential nomination simply keep coming. First he inflicted a bitter defeat on Hillary Clinton in the South Carolina primary; and now he has received the official endorsement of the Kennedy clan, one of those families which in the United States epitomizes the political aristocracy.
The Clinton’s were in the process of entering this elite group, to which the Bush family also belongs. For that, Hillary would have required the noble blow of Ted Kennedy, brother of the legendary John F. Kennedy and Senator of Massachusetts. At the very least, she would have needed him to keep out of the primaries. But things have turned out differently. When the election campaign turned uglier and certain remarks were made that could have been interpreted as racist, Kennedy seemed to increasingly side with Obama.
What tipped the scales was a column by John F. Kennedy’s daughter Caroline , who sees in Obama a potential president who, like her father, could inspire the nation and lead it to a new beginning.
In return, the Clintons pulled the support of another Kennedy out of the hat, the daughter of Robert, who too was murdered and was the designated successor of John F. Kennedy. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, with her support of Hillary Clinton, took sides against her uncle and cousin.
This raises questions: What influence do the Kennedys, or in fact any family clan, have in the United States? Apparently, more than anyone would have thought possible in such an iconic democracy. The parallels to the rise of European feudalism are striking.
Take for example, the Bush and Kennedy clans, both of which laid the foundation for their power in very murky business dealings during the first half of the last century. Joseph Kennedy , father of Ted, made his fortune with insider dealings and alcohol imports during the period of Prohibition, which included being tainted by contacts with the Mafia. Prescott Bush , father of former president George H.W. Bush and grandfather of incumbent George W., was implicated in the financing of the Nazi regime through one of the banks he managed.
But it seems that the money still doesn’t stink.
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