[net.politics] CBS last Saturday evening: Who is Lyndon Larouche, and what does he do?

ibm@ccieng5.UUCP (01/24/84)

Greetings.  I only started subscribing to this newsgroup this past Monday
because of something I saw on TV Saturday Night.  I fully expected to see
some flamboyant discussion on this subject, but so far -- nothing.

For those who didn't see it, on CBS this past Saturday evening at 8:30, a
man named Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr, who is (apparently) a candidate for the
Democratic nomination, expounded in quite some detail for a full half hour
on his reasons why he should be elected President so that he can declare a
national defense emergency.  He had a number of charts, some historical
background, and then he proceeded to nearly flame his way to the Oval Office
so that he can do some fairly amazing things with our military.

I need to know several things about this man before I form any definite opinions
about him:
	1) Who is he?  What are his credentials?
	2) Where does he work now?  (I believe he was introduced by the
		off-camera announcer as an economist of some sort.)
	3) Has he been working with the current Administration in some manner,
		particularly in the creation of foreign policy wrt the USSR?
		(He made references that seemed to indicate this, but nothing
		sufficiently blunt to say that he worked for Reagan.)

It is entirely possible, but I feel highly improbable, that this was not a
natiowide broadcast.  If this is the case, I apologize for submitting this,
since Rochester is the only place where it was seen.  I think it *must* have
been a nationwide broadcast, since he *is* a Presidential candidate.  There
were the obligatory disclaimers before and after the broadcast that stated
who had paid for the TV time.

For those to whom it matters, so it can affect your responses to this appro-
priately:  I have no particular, substantial objections to the US military,
nor do I think Reagan is the worst President that ever inflicted himself on
this country.  But I don't think I am thrilled with the concept of having a
man like this in the White House, doing nothing about anything but the mili-
tary.

To me, the most important facet of this whole thing is that this man is
*serious*:  Nobody just wanders around producing half-hour documentary/
political campaign programs, and then shows them on the top-rated network
during prime time on a Saturday night just for giggles!  He must have,
without a doubt, spent several megabucks just to monopolize that much time
on CBS, and there is, of course, the additional cost of just producing the
program in the first place.

A couple of other items for those who did not see the program.  The man is
a terrible public speaker; he stuttered occasionally, and once he seemed to
have actually lost his place in his speech.  Now, to me, that's at least a
neutral statement, and quite possibly a positive statement, because I am
extremely tired of super-slick-talking politicians who can't do diddly once
they get into office; so maybe he can't talk, but he can work.  He has also
had other opportunities to discuss these matters, too, because the program
ended with a tape of a speech he gave at (I think) the Washington (DC)
Sheraton this past New Year's Eve.

Anyway, I am EXTREMELY curious and EXTREMELY lost and EXTREMELY nervous about
this man:  If he's got impeccable credentials, then I want to know more, and I
will probably become even more nervous, since he feels a real need for the
declaration of a defense emergency.  If he doesn't, then I want to know how
the schlock-meister managed to get anywhere at all.

So--

	WHO IS LYNDON H LAROUCHE, JR?  SHOULD HE BE GIVEN A MOMENT'S
	CONSIDERATION AT ALL?  DID ANYONE BUT MY WIFE AND MYSELF SEE THIS?

Karl Kleinpaste
...![ [seismo, allegra]!rochester!ritcv, rlgvax]!ccieng5!ccieng2!kfk

myers@uwvax.ARPA (01/30/84)

I don't know a lot about Lyndon, but I'll give y'all what I do know.
First, he is the brain and finance behind those guys in the airports promoting
space-based laser systems and *Fusion* magazine.  Second, he seems to hate
Kissinger and the Trilateral Commission with a passion.  Finally, he and his
cohorts seem a very bizarre and disturbing group of individuals.

Jeff Myers@wisc-rsch