Josiah Thompson And The Umbrella Man

[Duncan MacRae]

Josiah Thompson Analysis - Who Was the Umbrella Man?

[John Corbett]

Given that his most notable work, Six Seconds in Dallas, was a total cluster @#$%, I'm not too interested in anything else he has to say about the JFKA.

If Six Seconds in Dallas can be credited with anything, it cemented in the public's mind that the WC conclude that the shooting took place in 6 seconds which also necessitated a second shot miss. Neither of those things were conclusions of the WC. Even Case Closed author Gerald Posner fell for that myth. In promoting his own book, he acted as if he was setting the record straight by refuting a conclusion of the WC which they never made.

[Tommy Shanks]

One might disagree with Professor Thompson's conclusions and reliance on the Dictabelt evidence (I know I do) but he is amongst the most reasonable, articulate, intelligent and well-researched critics of all time. In this particular case, he has long since shown that Louis Witt was indeed the Umbrella Man in Dealey Plaza.

[John Corbett]

One might disagree with Professor Thompson's conclusions and reliance on the Dictabelt evidence (I know I do) but he is amongst the most reasonable, articulate, intelligent and well-researched critics of all time. In this particular case, he has long since shown that Louis Witt was indeed the Umbrella Man in Dealey Plaza.

That might be true as compared to most JFKA conspiracy theorists but that just makes him the one-eyed man in the land of the blind.

[Tommy Shanks]

That might be true as compared to most JFKA conspiracy theorists but that just makes him the one-eyed man in the land of the blind.

John, agreed. I just meant that Thompson has always kept himself above the fray of the usual moronic conspiracy theorist battles.. I think he abandoned the subject for decades partially for that reason.

[Royell Storing]

Given that his most notable work, Six Seconds in Dallas, was a total cluster @#$%, I'm not too interested in anything else he has to say about the JFKA.

If Six Seconds in Dallas can be credited with anything, it cemented in the public's mind that the WC conclude that the shooting took place in 6 seconds which also necessitated a second shot miss. Neither of those things were conclusions of the WC. Even Case Closed author Gerald Posner fell for that myth. In promoting his own book, he acted as if he was setting the record straight by refuting a conclusion of the WC which they never made.

          You owe Thompson your respect solely based on his decades long JFK Assassination research work. But then again, what do you know about JFK Assassination Research to begin with?

[Tommy Shanks]

          You owe Thompson your respect solely based on his decades long JFK Assassination research work. But then again, what do you know about JFK Assassination Research to begin with?

He knows a heck of a lot more than you do!

[John Corbett]

John, agreed. I just meant that Thompson has always kept himself above the fray of the usual moronic conspiracy theorist battles.. I think he abandoned the subject for decades partially for that reason.

Do you know of Tony Marsh? He was a very prolific poster on John McAdams forum. He seemed to be in failing health not long before John passed away so I don't know if he is still with us. He could be very obnoxious and he had many screwy ideas but he had as good a command of the facts as anyone I've encountered in 35 years of online discussions with JFKA conspiracy hobbyists. I actually learned some of the minute facts that I would otherwise have been unaware of had I not dueled with him online. His problem was that he had all that knowledge but he simply could not apply it in anything resembling a logical thought process. Like so many conspiracy hobbyists, he let his desired conclusions prevent him from objectively analyzing all that knowledge he had accumulated.

I don't know Josiah Thompson, (Tink as Tony referred to him) but he sounds like a much less obnoxious version of Tony. He may be very well versed on the facts of the JFKA but his analysis of those facts is FUBAR. An informed opinion is not necessarily a logical one.