Thomas Paine’s influential work, ‘Common Sense’, vigorously rallied support for the idea of the American Revolution, lampooning the concept of a hereditary monarchy by depicting such a system as ‘an affront and belittlement to our very nature’, and ‘a burdensome legacy foisted on generations yet unborn’. Fast forward to the present day, and we now find Robert F. Kennedy Jr., perched at the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services under the administrations of President Donald Trump.
Trump’s decision to position this individual in such a prominent role was motivated by a two-fold rationale. Firstly, he perceived Kennedy as an apt contender to question and challenge another esteemed American establishment. Secondly, he found Kennedy’s persona, which bears its own brand of intrigue and charm, rather exhilarating.
In the public eye, RFK Jr. is a personification of the ‘Kennedy’ mystique – the dishevelled hair, the prominent jawline, the three-name initials – characteristics that inevitably provide him with a ready-made celebrity status and amplify coverage for his activities. The Kennedy lineage is oftentimes referred to as the ‘American Monarchy’, a label that starkly highlights the hazards associated with certain public figures gaining prominence solely due to their lineage.
The Kennedy family tale has always been one of varying degrees of success and prosperity. The controversial decision by President John F. Kennedy to appoint his brother— and Bobby’s father—as the U.S. Attorney General stands as a glaring example of nepotism within political circles.
Robert F. Kennedy soon after migrated to New York, paving the way for his bid for a U.S. Senate seat, an ambition which he made public only a mere day or two after establishing his residency in the state. Upon his successful election, he daringly launched his presidential campaign just three years later.
Following RFK’s untimely passing, there was a successful attempt to immortalize his memory via renaming New York’s Triborough Bridge in his honor, thereby creating a lasting public reminder of the Kennedys’ political and social impact.
There exists a prevailing sentiment that a Senate seat must not be allowed to morph into a family heirloom. However, when a Senate seat was vacated in 2009, a number of Kennedys were seemingly ready to stake their claim. After the passing of Ted Kennedy, it was speculated that his nephew, Bobby Jr., showed interest in the seat.
The contentious past of Uncle Ted, who was found guilty of fleeing the scene of a fatal mishap in 1969, resurfaced. His decision in 2002 to obstruct the creation of a proposed offshore wind farm on Nantucket Sound – a project favored by a majority of Massachusetts residents – remained a point of discussion.
It’s striking to observe that the United States, the cradle of contemporary democratic rule, often allows its political figures to claim a sort of ancestral privilege. A stark contrast is seen in places like Rome, where its international airport carries the name of Leonardo da Vinci, and London, where Heathrow takes its name from the quaint village where it sits.
In the United States, numerous public edifices carry the Kennedy name, suggesting a sense of hereditary entitlement that a child of a politician is destined to rule. This contradicts the very principles upon which the American Revolution was waged— principles arguing against the idea of hereditary entitlement and asserting the value of merit over lineage.
The post The American Monarchy: The Kennedy Intrigue appeared first on Real News Now.
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