Was the JFK records release a dud? Is Conspiracy World on the brink?

[Lance Payette]

Since I had zero expectations, I slept through all the brouhaha. However, I saw a post at the Ed Forum today where a longtime CTer questioned whether anything significant had been revealed. This caused me to check Google and Bing and whatnot for news stories, and there has been pretty much nothing since Luna's hearing. The coverage of the hearing itself seems to have been in the vein that it was more of a goofy sideshow than anything serious. If anything has piqued the interest of serious historians, I sure didn't see it.

Yes, this could be because the MSM is in the pocket of the CIA, but on the other hand the MSM being in the pocket of the CIA could just be a convenient excuse for the fact that no one seems very excited now that all the promised bombshells have gone poof.

In a related development, the Ed Forum these days seems to be more focused on dark suspicion about Operation Mockingbird, cognitive infiltration, 9/11 and whatnot than anything directly JFKA-related. Founder John Simkin is once again posting and revealing himself to be considerably more in the dark and spooky vein than I had realized. It's quite boring.

It's enough to make enquiring minds ask: Is JFKA conspiracy theorizing on the wane, on a downhill slide toward oblivion? Will a 97-year-old Jefferson Morley be drooling into his porridge about "unreleased records" in 2048 with no one listening? (Morley mentioned just a couple of days ago that his substack newsletter has 20,000 subscribers, which he apparently thinks is evidence of great interest. A friend of mine who is a UFO luminary has at least ten times that. Something called "Letters from an American" has 1.3 million, while "Lenny's Newsletter," whatever that is, has 593,000.)

Concerned, CTers? Surely you had high hopes for the JFK records release, did you not? More to the point, is my $147 stipend from Langley in jeopardy? Are the DOGE folks going to start taking a hard look at whether cognitive infiltrators like me are really needed anymore?

Former FBI analyst Farris Rookstool III, who is now an award-winning professional historian, gives his take on the records release at his site and says, "While these documents do not conclusively prove a conspiracy, they highlight intelligence failures, bureaucratic missteps, and the continued complexity surrounding JFK’s assassination." https://farrisrookstool.com/2025-jfk-records When he gets into substance, it sounds to me like nothing we didn't pretty much already know, certainly nothing that is going to move the needle of history.

"Do not conclusively prove a conspiracy" sounds to me like Rookstool-speak for "nothing new, I wish I'd kept my mouth shut."

Is there anything you are actually excited about, CTers, or can I go back to sleep?

[Jon Banks]

Most of the recently released files were previously released with redactions. While it's good to see the unredacted files, there isn't a ton of new information so far.

From what I understand, the files that most people want to see, are still being withheld (ie the Bill Harvey, David Atlee Philips, and George Joannides files).

The most interesting JFK related document for me was the Schlessinger memo. It gives insight into how the Kennedy administration viewed the CIA in the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs.

There's some interesting non-JFK assassination related stuff about James Angelton and CIA operations around the world.

It's not a "dud" unless you had the expectation that there's a "smoking gun" hidden in the JFK files. I doubt there is a smoking gun in the government files but there likely are some interesting pieces of information that shed light on some mysteries.

[Lance Payette]

Most of the recently released files were previously released with redactions. While it's good to see the unredacted files, there isn't a ton of new information so far.

From what I understand, the files that most people want to see, are still being withheld (ie the Bill Harvey, David Atlee Philips, and George Joannides files).

The most interesting JFK related document for me was the Schlessinger memo. It gives insight into how the Kennedy administration viewed the CIA in the aftermath of the Bay of Pigs.

There's some interesting non-JFK assassination related stuff about James Angelton and CIA operations around the world.

It's not a "dud" unless you had the expectation that there's a "smoking gun" hidden in the JFK files. I doubt there is a smoking gun in the government files but there likely are some interesting pieces of information that shed light on some mysteries.

OK, that's a rational and realistic perspective, but don't you think most people thought (and had been led to believe) there was going to be something BIG?

Do you think it's realistic to believe the sort of conspiracy theorizing that has gone on for 60+ years will continue indefinitely, or is it right on the edge of fading away?

It reminds me of the seemingly endless hysteria within the evangelical Christian community over an imminent Rapture by Jesus (or Second Coming, if the Rapture isn't part of your theology). It was at a fever pitch when I was in college in 1970, and it's at a fever pitch once again. I think you can only play the imminent Rapture card so many times. If it hasn't happened in the next 50 years, it's going to become a tough sell.

[Jon Banks]

OK, that's a rational and realistic perspective, but don't you think most people thought (and had been led to believe) there was going to be something BIG?

As with the Jeffrey Epstein files, I think most people are now resigned to the fact that any documents that the government doesn't want the public to see will never voluntarily be disclosed to the public.

Many people on the internet were disappointed with the way the Trump administration handled the Epstein files. In contrast, I haven't seen the same levels of disappointment on the JFK files.

Do you think it's realistic to believe the sort of conspiracy theorizing that has gone on for 60+ years will continue indefinitely, or is it right on the edge of fading away?

It will continue indefinitely because the facts of the JFK assassination leave a lot of room for speculation but I think as time goes on, interest in the Kennedy assassination will decline regardless.

There's too much going on in the world today for most people to care about a cold case from 60+ years ago. At least that's what I hear sometimes from younger people.

[Lance Payette]

There's too much going on in the world today for most people to care about a cold case from 60+ years ago. At least that's what I hear sometimes from younger people.

Yes, the JFKA conspiracy community does comprise a large percentage of Old White Men (hey, that's me) with a nostalgic, rose-colored view of JFK (hey, that's not me, although I certainly would have preferred that he lived to a ripe old age).

For someone who is 20 today, the JFKA would be to him or her like an event that had occurred in 1908 would have been to me when I was 20 - pretty ancient history, and the world moves WAY faster now than when I was 20. Hence the effort, I believe, on the part of the Old White Men to make the JFKA seem as though it's still highly relevant to the world of today, which I don't think it is at all.

Maybe I'll start a James Garfield assassination community and see if I can interest some Really Old White Men.

[Jim Hawthorn]

It will continue indefinitely because the facts of the JFK assassination leave a lot of room for speculation but I think as time goes on, interest in the Kennedy assassination will decline regardless.

...and the great majority of people will simply believe that there definitely was a conspiracy (but won't be prepared to look into it).

[Jon Banks]

...and the great majority of people will simply believe that there definitely was a conspiracy (but won't be prepared to look into it).

And many who believe the LN conclusion will continue to ignore any new evidence that casts doubt on that narrative. That's called "Confirmation Bias".

[Steve M. Galbraith]

And many who believe the LN conclusion will continue to ignore any new evidence that casts doubt on that narrative. That's called "Confirmation Bias".

And what is in these files that the LN side is ignoring? That's the original question, the latest release.

We've been told for years, more than two decades, by the likes of Morley and others that they contain evidence of the conspiracy. "Why else would they be holding them?" went the claim. "Release the Joannides files. That will show that Oswald was used in a counter intelligence operation." So they were released - all of them now - and just as the people who saw they said there's nothing there. Yet people will go back to Morley or some other conspiracist for their conspiracy fix, for another claim, for something you can use to express your grievances against the CIA or for the MAGA right the "deep state."

Everything the conspiracy side has asked for has been answered. Every time. But they not only won't take no for an answer, they won't take yes either.

Again what confirmation bias is being shown here by the lone assassin crowd? I see a lot of bias on the conspiracy side. I don't see any here on the lone gunman side on this matter.