The Troubled Life and Motivations of Lee Harvey Oswald
TLDR Lee Harvey Oswald, the central figure in the JFK assassination, had a troubled childhood and a belief in conspiracy theories, which led him to become a US Marine and ultimately fixate on Russia. His opportunity to assassinate JFK was opportunistic, and his behavior after the assassination suggests his guilt. The fascination with the JFK assassination lies in the emotional satisfaction of complex conspiracies and secret knowledge, contributing to the rise of conspiracy theory politics in America.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Lee Harvey Oswald is the central figure in the JFK assassination and the evidence points to him as the killer.
04:52
Lee Harvey Oswald had a troubled childhood and was a dreamer who felt that life was against him, which led to his bitterness and resentment, as well as his belief in conspiracy theories.
09:16
Lee Harvey Oswald's troubled childhood, alienation from capitalism, and fascination with socialism and Marxism led him to become a US Marine and a skilled shooter, ultimately leading to his fixation on Russia.
13:45
Lee Harvey Oswald's decision to travel to the Soviet Union and express his desire to become a Soviet citizen baffled both the Soviet and KGB officials, who were unsure of his intentions and suspected he might be a spy.
17:55
Lee Harvey Oswald attempts suicide in his hotel, but is taken to a hospital and then a psychiatric hospital, and while there, he goes to the US Embassy and expresses his desire to give up his American citizenship, which is not taken seriously by the American press, and eventually he is allowed to go to Minsk, Belarus, where he works in an electronics factory and has a miserable experience, before meeting and marrying Marina Prusakova, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship and a child, and eventually he is granted permission to return to the United States with Marina.
22:22
Lee Harvey Oswald returns to the United States with his wife and daughter, settles in Dallas, and struggles to find stable employment while maintaining his interest in communism and developing a fascination with Cuba.
26:56
Lee Harvey Oswald attempts to assassinate Major General Edwin Walker before the Kennedy assassination, indicating his willingness and capability to target public figures, and later takes a job at the Texas Book Depository through a connection with his wife's friend.
31:21
Lee Harvey Oswald's opportunity to assassinate JFK was entirely opportunistic, as he learned about the motorcade route passing by the Texas Book Depository just days before the assassination, leading to the conclusion that he saw this as his chance to make history.
36:02
Lee Harvey Oswald's behavior after the assassination, including getting on a bus, then a taxi, and obtaining a revolver, as well as his resistance to arrest and lies under interrogation, suggest his guilt, and even his wife and brother believe he did it.
40:21
The fascination with the JFK assassination lies in the emotional satisfaction of believing in complex conspiracies and secret knowledge, as well as the timing of the event coinciding with the turning point of optimism in the 1960s.
44:41
The Kennedy conspiracy theories have played a significant role in the rise of populism and paranoid conspiracy theory politics in America, contributing to the idea of a deep state and a shadowy establishment cabal, despite the fact that these theories have not been substantiated and would have been resolved if they were true.
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History