My new book, "Into the Nightmare"

[Joseph McBride]

Casey Burchby covers
INTO THE NIGHTMARE for the SF Weekly (San Francisco):

http://www.sfweekly.com/2013-08-28/cultu...d-tippitt/

[Tracy Riddle]

Joseph have you ever wondered why JFK gets all the Roshomon metaphors? Why the rest of the presidents don't get their share? Perhaps we could start a campaign?

No seriously Joseph one of the things that most interests me about your book is your comments on The Nation magazine and, briefly, The Progressive.

You seem to want to stick to the reportorial mode here and not delve TOO deeply into the question of why these OSTENSIBLY "left" magazines would do so much to protect the National Security State. My questions are

1) have you done much background reading on propaganda history during the Cold War (lord knows I would not have had time for it, given all the research you did on this book, plus having a day job)

2) speaking more informally what would you speculate is the reason for these ostensibly left publications to be working so hand in noir glove with the intelligence agencies?

Increasingly, it seems to me "With a """"left""""" like this... (trilateral dot-fire)"

I personally think that when Jack Ruby shot Oswald, a lot of Jews on the left like I.F. Stone and A.L. Wirin panicked. All they could imagine was that some kind of Communist-Jewish plot might be uncovered, and this was a nightmare scenario. It would just confirm what the Radical Right was saying. According to Mark Lane, Wirin said, "I say thank God for Earl Warren. He saved us from a pogrom. He saved our nation. God bless him for what he has done in establishing that Oswald was the lone assassin." In response to a question from Lane, Wirin said that even if Oswald were innocent, Warren had done the right thing for the country. (Plausible Denial)

[Magda Hassan]

I think this is true Tracy. Much fear in those days. Making JR into the guy who killed the assassin of JFK for revenge much more comfortable for most in the community. Mutual interest in maintaining the lies and cover up.

[Tracy Riddle]

I think this is true Tracy. Much fear in those days. Making JR into the guy who killed the assassin of JFK for revenge much more comfortable for most in the community. Mutual interest in maintaining the lies and cover up.

It's one of the main reasons why many liberals and leftists (Jews and Gentiles alike) continue to defend the official story. They've accepted without questioning that Oswald was the shooter, and that he was a Commie, so logically the only conspiracy to be uncovered would lead to Castro or the KGB, etc. Better to call Oswald a lone nut than start a new wave of McCarthyism.

[Tracy Riddle]

I ordered your book on Sunday, Joseph, and it arrived today. I didn't realize how big it was. I'm looking forward to reading it (I think I'll start with the Tippit section first).

[Karl Kinaski]

@Joseph McBride: since your book deals a lot with the picket fence area (your theorie is, that badge man was Tippit) and the pergola in front, I am a little bit perplex that you don't mention the following picket fence main-witnesses:


Jean Hill
Beverly Oliver
Ed Hoffman
Richard Dodd
James Simmons
J.S. Price


J.M. Smith and S. Weitzman (regarding the parking lot), you mention only once, quote:


"...gunmen firing from the grassy knoll were chased into the parking lot by Joe m. Smith and ()Seymour Weitzman..."


That's it.



Lee Bowers you only mention twice...quote:



1"...little people, like(...) Lee Bowers, those are the real heroes of the case..." and:
2. "Lee Bowers(...)saw a buff of smoke, or a flash of light at the edge of the fence..."


That's it.


At great length you mention only Gordon Arnold and Evelyn King, quote, kindle version of your book: "Into the Nightmare":





KK

[Tracy Riddle]

After the 1963-64 period, Jean Hill became a less and less credible witness with her ever-changing stories:

http://www.jfk-info.com/whitmey1.htm

I also have a lot of problems with the stories told by Gordon Arnold and Ed Hoffman.

The other witnesses are much more credible, though. I especially love the little details about cigarette butts, muddy footprints all over one area and on the car fender. Those are believable details people probably wouldn't think to invent.

[Joseph McBride]

Jean Hill unfortunately forfeited her credibility by embellishing
her stories so much. I talked with her in Dallas, and she said she would give me
an interview but backed out at the last moment; I was
prepared to confront her with her inconsistencies. Beverly Oliver is an obvious fraud. I interviewed
Ed Hoffman but didn't use his comments -- no doubt I could
have detailed all the witnesses, but I couldn't
put in everything in one book and do discuss S. M. Holland and the six other
railroad men on the bridge and Lee Bowers, who reported on the fence
shooter and the smoke and/or light from that area. I include
some previously unknown observations from Holland about the
differing sounds of the gunshots (he knew weapons well); he is one
of the people to whom I dedicate INTO THE NIGHTMARE.

[Lauren Johnson]

Jean Hill unfortunately forfeited her credibility by embellishing
her stories so much. I talked with her in Dallas, and she said she would give me
an interview but backed out at the last moment; I was
prepared to confront her with her inconsistencies. Beverly Oliver is an obvious fraud. I interviewed
Ed Hoffman but didn't use his comments -- no doubt I could
have detailed all the witnesses, but I couldn't
put in everything in one book and do discuss S. M. Holland and the six other
railroad men on the bridge and Lee Bowers, who reported on the fence
shooter and the smoke and/or light from that area. I include
some previously unknown observations from Holland about the
differing sounds of the gunshots (he knew weapons well); he is one
of the people to whom I dedicate INTO THE NIGHTMARE.

Joseph, it is unclear whether you did not use Ed Hoffman's comments because of space considerations or because they were not credible. Care to elaborate?

[Joseph McBride]

Mostly space considerations, if I recall, because
it was a complicated subject, but I'd have
to check my notes. He seemed to be a good
and sincere man.