Sunday, November 24, 1974
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Five
Sunday, November 24, 1974 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Five
PERSPECTIVE
AFTER WATERGATE
On the popularity of conspiracy theories
By TONY SCHWARTZ
FOR YEARS, even most radi-
cals had forgotten about at-
tempts to pursue a conspiracy
theory of John F. Kennedy's
assassination. Today, more
than a decade after the presi-
dent's death, the tide may be
shifting. And Jeff Cohen - a
thin, dark haired and intense
young member of the bluntly
titled 'Assassination Informa-'
tion Bureau' - is proof of the
pudding. In fact, it has been a
particularly satisfying week for
the radical 23 year old and the
cause he has been promoting
during the last fifteen months.
Cohen's theories about con-
spiracies behind the deaths of
John F. Kennedy and Martin
Luther King will be appearing
for the next few weeks in local
underground papers including
the black-oriented Michigan
Chronicle, the Ann Arbor Sun
and the Fifth Estate. The ba-
sic idea is that the country is
divided up between two major
groups of power brokers, the
Yankees (the eastern rich) and
the Cowboys (the new western
rich), who use a variety of,
methods, including the under-
cover use of government agen-
cies like the CIA and FBI, tot
force their will. They will not!
stop short of assassination, ei-'
ther. Cohen finds his views in1
demand and is getting increas-
ing coverage from the estab-
lishment (or as he calls it 'cor-i
porate') media.
But perhaps the most satisfy-l
ing recent event was the turnout
for his talk three nights ago.
Cohen came to campus an un-
known, and his publicity
amounted to nothing more than+
token campus leafletting and a
couple of small notices in the1
Daily.l
NO MATTER. On what wast
fittingly the eleventh eve ofc
John Kennedy's assassination,l
an enthusiastic crowd number-:
ing over 1000 packed Rackham
auditorium. That is an almost1
unheard of turnout for a po-
litical event in these cynical1
times.i
Over breakfast Friday Cohenl
speculated that some people
might have been attracted to
the event as flashy entertain-i
ment, others to the notion oft
learning about "the biggest un-1
solved murder case of the cen-
tury." But probably most im-
portant, he said, it has been1
the revelations of Watergate
which have made people more
and more open to theories of
atrocity and corruption at gov-l
ernment's highest levels. l
To speculate ominously about:
the 'dirty tricks' of the CIA, school and immediately became
even as little as five years a radical organizer there. He
ago, seemed far-fetched to was kicked out for a period,
most. Today Watergate has and enrolled at Michigan in the
made the links between the fall of '69. He joined SDS during
powerful sectors of American orientation, but lasted only
society seem closer than ever. three weeks here, finding it ir-
Intertwined closely with the relevant, and set out on the
whole corrupt fabric of the Nix- road.
on Administration, Cohen points For the last four years he has
out, were such business moguls traveled and worked with radi-
as Howard Hughes and BeBe cal groups around the country.
Rebozo, CIA operatives like It was in August of last year,
Howard Hunt and James Mc- while in New Orleans research-
Cord, and FBI higher-ups in- ing a book on CIA infiltration
cluding Pat Gray and Richard of the civil rights movement,
Kleindienst. that he happened on Jim Gar-
COHEN'S PURPOSE is to rison.
make people aware of the
links between Watergate and the GARRISON IS the man who
string of assassinations begin- first pursued the Kennedy
ning with Kennedy and includ- conspiracy theory back in the
ing Martin Luther King, Bobby mid-sixties, as a rising young
Kennedy and Malcolm X. "We liberal DA from New Orleans.
want to radicalize people," he Called an opportunist at the
says. "This is a tool to organ- time, his abortive attempt to
ize people, to show them what prosecute businessman Clay
the state is about. We'd like to Shaw ironically nipped a rising
build a nationwide network of political career in the bud. The
researchers and political acti- government, in turn, later at-
vists. The police state issue will tempted to prosecute him on a
be as big an issue for students gambling conspiracy scheme.
as the Vietnam war was in the Cohen, who was covering the CohE
sixties." latter trial for the underground nation
Cohen's own path has been a press, met Garrison there. He ested
peripatetic one. He grew up in gained some minor celebrity by at Bo
Detroit, moved to North Farm getting an interview with Garri- of Ja
ington at the beginning of high son, and in the process became the in
fascinated by the Kennedy case while,
He has been researching the ly on
subject for the last year. a slid(
'ssWANT PEOPLE to know popuk
what the government is all 'merci
People's Medical Clia l d)Lbts about," he explains, "even
whether anything has changed. though nothing can really hap- To
"The BAM demands still have pen until there are radical contr2
not been met..The Regents are changes in the ruling structure." azine.
wcbn 89.5 fm
ipectacular
iundayl ->
12 NOON
GLOBAL VILLAGE
4:30 P.M.
THE FILM EXPERIENCE
host Colleen Chauvin will discuss
"The Impact of Adult Films"
with Professor Frank Beaver
8 P.M.
THE DOO-WOPP PROGRAM
Some views of an act
(Continued from Page 3) ialist wing to replace our two1
the first such actions in the totally identical capitalist par-
country. ties," he says. HRP's future
~i lies in broadening its base 'toy
en also plans to be at a
al meeting of those inter-
in conspiracy, scheduled
ston University at the end
nuary. His associates at
formation bureau, mean-
continue to lecture wide-
JFK's death. They give
e show which Cohen calls
y convincing, and is so
ar it is handled by a corn-
al lecture agency.
ny Schwartz is a frequent
bulor to the Suday Mag-
host Gary de K features "The Drifters: 1953-1965"
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336 MAYNAID DEADLINE--DEC. 6
Baut nei mie Peter DLiiorenzi,
took exception to violence, draw-
ing the line at civil disobed-
ience. "It wasn't long after the
sit-in,' he says, "before laws
were not being broken symboli-
cally anymore, but with the in-
tent of doing harm to the sys-
tem. I never considered doing
anything physically. My tactics
were more personal. I wasn't
ready to bomb things."
NOW, HE SAYS, "I'm a cen-
trist, I'm not much of a
diA .l " H t d foi Zr ltn
-- A -A.. a: I
attract the sincere and dedicat- still here. So Nixon s out. Now I
ed liberal who is willing to ac- we have Jerry Ford. So what."
cept that the Democrats are a She believes the Movement's
dead end road." most lasting legacy may be the
Nissen says he's not parti- creation of a culture with alter-
cularly interested n activism native lifestyles, the kinds of
in the medical field. "I'll leave things that make Ann Arbar at-'
that for the liberals. I'm after tractive to Martin Shackleford
bigger shakeups." rte does say and Al Valusek.
he will work for the Free Peo- Marnie Heyn, another former,
ple's Clinic "as soon as I can member, disagrees. She says
be of some help to thern," but SDS endedathendraft, and sie
he emphasizes his puruitof. cites the attention John Mit-
"more drastic changes." ! chell's Justice Departmant paid
The University of Michigan Theatre Showcase
presents
The Sty of the Blind Pig
by PHILLIP HAYES DEAN
s
Wed.-Sat., Dec. 4-7
8:00 p.m.
ra a c a i r e v e a wr L iL D I'ed o f
Ferency for governor because AVID FENTON, editar of
he believes Ferency is "one of the Ann Arbor Sun, was
the most outspoken people I also in SDS, dropping out of the
know of, when you consider he Bronx High School of Science
rose through the Democratic j at 17 to join the local chapter.
party." After working for SDS full-
. time as a Liberation News Ser-
bauk tcoo, take s f aoin vice photographer, he left d~s 1
bac scho, maybe as ear illusioned in 1971. He travelled
ly as this spring, and his fu:ure for some time, eventually corn
seems solidly planted in town. ing to Ann Arbor. c
He likes it here, because "many
of the things I've become inter- it rtill bui es tha iem-
ested in are far more likely to
be around here." sible," but says "it's useless to
even try to start it unless a
AS A CONTRAST to people majority of Americans support
TikeAl aluek, her ar the revolution." In the mean-
like Steve Nissen, who time he says radicals "have to
peoplebe very sensible, very respect-
still 'consider themselves ac-bevrsnilvry spct
tivists, and who plan to continue able, and very credible, the op-
radical activities in the future. Ipoite of the Weatherman ap-
Nissen is a medical student, proach." "Old radicals wouold'{
but he doesn't consider that the say that's reformist, he says,
focus of his life. "17e;pjte the and would urge viweunce. But
alleged rigors of medic.il school Fenton says, "I think he fact
I've still been able to put 51 that people aren't out burning
per cent plus of my energy n Bo things is a sign of progress. the
being an activist." Burpin thins i
man ights Party iound 1e I- There's no general agreement
on the effect SDS had. Carla
Lowing SDS's demise here. - Rapoport, who works w i t hI
lieving that "the P~emocratic Mihe atea tteFe
party is the scourge of the hu- Michael Castleman at the Free
man race from top to bottom."
Originally Nissen says he didn't'
expect HRP to win any elec- 5th annual U-
tions because "we were just'
running to try to fick up Ine
Democrats." But now he says
"Electoral politics ain't as raci-
cal on its face as sitting in and BUY O
getting busted, but for my part NEW OR USED ALPIN
I'm not willing to say that elec-
toral politics is reformist." EQUIPMENT, CL
And his strategy has changed WHERE: Former Hocke
some too. "What America needs y
is to create a viable social demo at Hill St. near Fingerle
cratic party with a- strong soc- TO SELL: Bring items t
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0 over 35 years
: ofR experience _
to SDS as an indicationi of its
importance. And Mark (not his
real name), a graduate studemt
in psychology who was active
in SDS as an undergraduate at
Cornell, sees something else as
important. "I'm not active any
more, but I wouldn't say I've
changed my values. None of my
friends are working for Chase
Manhattan or Standard Oil, or
are interested in a big house
in thesuburbs. None of these
people believe in society, and'
none of us have any regrets
about what we did."
GRAD STUDENTS and
WORKING WOMEN
meet and share your
concerns with
other women
MON'DAY, NOV. 25
7:30 p.m.-9:00
HILLEL-1429 Hill
663-33363
ARENA THEATRE
TICKETS NOW ON SALE at ticket office in
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Decide How Your Money
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OPEN STUDENT MEETING TO
WRITE FINAL DRAFT OF
SGC BUDGET
Mon., Nov. 25 at 7:30-11:30 p.m.
3rd Fl. Michigan Union-SGC offices
Junior Year in France
at Aix-en-Provence
First Informational Meeting
Wed.-Dec. 4, 1974-8:00 p.m.
West Conference Room-RACKHAII
All undergraduates interested in applying for
U of M program in Aix for 1975-76 are urged
to attend this meeting.
U NIVE RSITY OF MICH IGA N CL E RICA LS
FIRST
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
CCFAIUAW
Monday, Nov. 25
7:30 p.m.
Michigan Union Ballroom
AGENDA: Election of Bargaining Committee
Please be prepared to present some form of identification that states you
are a clerical employee at the University.
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Come "greet" the
Soviet Georgian Dancers
the harassment of Soviet Jews continues
Mass Picket and Protest Demonstration
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