Issue No. 1 - Some Clarifications from (d)JFK

...from the beyond.

My fellow Americans,

I am aware this raises questions, so here’s some clarity.

First: Yes, I am dead.

Second: Yes, I’m on Substack, via a newsletter. There’s another guy here with the same name as mine, but I can guarantee he’s not me.

Third: No, this was not my idea, but what can a dead guy do? I’m living at the whim of the living’s imagination.

I know this might seem strange to you, but...I’m back (for a shorter or longer while, I hope it’s not up to you). Not in person - obviously - but in writing.

I recently learned that (almost) everyone living now has a newsletter. The famous write them. The semi-famous write them. People with no discernible qualifications write them twice a week. At this point, it felt exclusionary to remain silent simply because I’m dead.

Given the occasion - put yourself in my shoes! - wouldn’t you do the same?

No career prospects, no pressure, no reason to please anyone…this is what I’d call “ideal writing conditions”.

Also, the paid subscription model is comforting. It suggests that at least some of you are choosing this voluntarily. It is said that we choose our psychological traumas involuntarily, though, so you paying for this….makes me wonder.

You may also ask why a former president would feel compelled to comment now. The fact that I’m dead for over sixty years doesn’t make things easier. But “easy” is your everyday thing, is it?

To answer your question: I do have time, you know. Immense, unstructured time - I spent A LOT of it thinking about eternity, and I still have more. Plus the Wi-Fi here is excellent (you should really take my word for it) and, frankly, you are more confusing than the Cold War ever was, so I just had to do this.

My fellow citizens of the world,

I am not here to offer solutions.

This newsletter might exist (unlike myself, mind you) for observation, a bit of disbelief, and the occasional reminder that history has its way of circling back.

Future issues may address leadership, technology, public stuff in general, food, travel, science(-fiction) and / or almost whatever else you 21st century people are into. I said “almost” because some stuff are off-limits even for me. Like…invading Cuba.

I might also try to answer questions I was never asked while alive, such as whether this is what we were aiming for, in some future issues (if any).

My final lesson:

Armoured cars are useless when convertible.

Bye, for now!

Respectfully,

(d)JFK

(Still dead. Posting anyway.)

P.S: Outrage and generally bad vibes will not be answered to - we’ve already seen where that leads and how that ends.

P.P.S: I have a feeling I won’t be the only one writing around here.

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