The middle ground? Jack Ruby did it!

 

So I´ve been discussing the JFK assassination with ChatGPT all morning. Here are some interesting excerpts...

Is this scenario possible: Oswald acted alone, but the FBI/CIA covered up their knowledge of Oswald to hide their own incompetence, while Ruby killed Oswald on behalf of the mafia or the exiled Cubans, since they were afraid that Oswald knew something about them, or that an investigation would point in their direction (even though they didn´t kill JFK)?

Yes — that scenario is entirely plausible and is one of the most compelling "middle ground" theories among serious researchers. It attempts to reconcile the evidence of Oswald’s lone actions with the murky behavior of intelligence agencies and underworld figures, without requiring a grand unified conspiracy to kill JFK. Let’s break it down:

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✅ PART 1: Oswald Acted Alone

• Oswald had motive, means, and opportunity:

  • He was a disaffected Marxist.

  • He had previously attempted to kill General Edwin Walker, a right-wing figure.

  • He worked at the Texas School Book Depository and brought the rifle.

• Ballistics, eyewitness, and forensic evidence support the conclusion that he fired the shots from the sixth floor.

✅ This part aligns with the Warren Commission's conclusion and is supported by a majority of mainstream historians.

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🕵️ PART 2: The CIA and/or FBI Covered Up Prior Knowledge of Oswald

• Oswald was on the radar of both the CIA and the FBI well before 1963:

  • He defected to the Soviet Union in 1959 and returned in 1962.

  • The CIA had a file on him.

  • The FBI was tracking him in Dallas in the weeks before the assassination.

• After the assassination, both agencies acted defensively, possibly fearing exposure of:

  • Poor surveillance.

  • Miscommunication or missed warning signs.

  • Involvement in sensitive operations (e.g., anti-Castro efforts).

🔍 Result: The agencies may have suppressed or distorted evidence to protect their image — not because they orchestrated the assassination, but to cover their own failures.

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🔫 PART 3: Ruby Killed Oswald to Protect Criminal or Political Interests

• Jack Ruby had documented ties to:

  • Dallas police (through his nightclub business),

  • Organized crime, including links to figures like Santos Trafficante and Sam Giancana,

  • Anti-Castro Cubans, with whom he shared right-wing sympathies.

• Motive for Ruby’s actions in this scenario:

  • Oswald may have had contact with Cuban exiles, mob figures, or fringe political groups.

  • These groups may have feared exposure during a trial, even if they didn’t plan the assassination.

  • Ruby was encouraged or pressured to silence Oswald to keep investigations from “snowballing.”

💡 This view fits what Ruby himself hinted at late in life — that powerful people were involved and that the public would "never know the real truth."

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🧩 Summary of the Scenario

Component	Plausibility	Key Supporting Evidence
Oswald acted alone	High	Ballistics, motive, prior violent behavior
FBI/CIA covered up incompetence	Very plausible	Documented suppression of info, hostile behavior toward later investigators
Ruby killed to protect others (not out of grief)	Plausible	Mob ties, inconsistencies in his story, lack of trial for Oswald

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🔍 Why This Scenario Matters

This middle-ground theory:

• Accounts for sloppy government behavior without alleging a full-blown conspiracy.

• Explains Ruby’s suspicious actions without assuming a grand plot.

• Recognizes that powerful people may have feared investigation, even if they weren’t directly involved.

It doesn’t solve every mystery — but it may be closer to historical reality than either extreme (lone gunman with no cover-up or elaborate conspiracy to kill JFK).

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Would you like a diagram or breakdown of how each group (CIA, FBI, mob, Cubans) intersected with Oswald or Ruby?

Yes, a written diagram please.

Explanation of Key Links:

🔸 Oswald and the CIA

• CIA had a file on Oswald from his defection to the Soviet Union (1959–62).

• Allegedly seen at the Cuban and Soviet embassies in Mexico City shortly before the assassination.

• Some records were withheld even from the Warren Commission.

🔸 Oswald and the FBI

• FBI was monitoring Oswald in Dallas.

• Agent James Hosty visited Oswald’s wife Marina weeks before the assassination.

• Oswald left a threatening note for Hosty, which was destroyed by the FBI after the assassination — a major controversy.

🔸 Oswald and Anti-Castro Cubans

• Oswald had pro-Castro leanings, but also interacted with anti-Castro groups in New Orleans (e.g., Carlos Bringuier incident).

• Some researchers speculate he may have been used as a "false flag" patsy, or had knowledge of violent anti-Castro plots.

🔸 Mafia and Anti-Castro Cubans

• Mafia figures like Santos Trafficante and Johnny Roselli worked with the CIA on plots to kill Castro.

• Mob was angry at Robert Kennedy’s crackdown and may have feared exposure if Oswald talked.

🔸 Ruby and the Mafia / Cubans

• Ruby had known organized crime ties (e.g., Chicago mob).

• Also linked to anti-Castro Cubans in Dallas.

• Killing Oswald may have been a favor to protect someone — not a spontaneous act.

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🧠 Implication

This model suggests no one group planned JFK’s assassination, but multiple groups:

• Were watching Oswald,

• Had reasons to be nervous after JFK's death,

• And may have helped suppress, destroy, or distort the full story — especially once Oswald was silenced by Ruby.

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Would you like a simplified version of this diagram with just the most essential links, or a timeline connecting the events across 1963?

Can you tell me which researchers believe in this "middle ground" scenario?

Yes, several serious researchers and authors — many of whom reject both the Warren Commission’s “lone nut” narrative and the more elaborate conspiracy theories — have supported or entertained the “middle ground” scenario: that Oswald acted alone, but was known to or monitored by intelligence agencies, and that the cover-up or Ruby’s actions were linked to organized crime or fear of political fallout.

Here are some prominent names associated with this view:

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🔍 Key Researchers & Writers Supporting or Exploring the “Middle Ground” View

1. Gerald Posner (author of Case Closed, 1993)

• Argues Oswald acted alone and that the evidence overwhelmingly supports that conclusion.

• Posner also acknowledges that the FBI and CIA mishandled Oswald’s case and later covered up key information — but attributes this to bureaucratic incompetence, not complicity.

• He’s skeptical of organized crime involvement but recognizes the complexity of Ruby’s ties.

Middle Ground Elements: Lone gunman + intelligence agency cover-up (not conspiracy).

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2. Philip Shenon (author of A Cruel and Shocking Act, 2013)

• Former New York Times reporter with deep access to declassified records.

• Presents strong evidence that the CIA knew much more about Oswald than it admitted — especially his contacts in Mexico City.

• Shenon suggests a possible cover-up by the CIA to hide intelligence failures or covert operations.

• He entertains the idea that Oswald might have been manipulated or encouraged by foreign actors — but not that there was a coordinated U.S. plot.

Middle Ground Elements: Oswald may have acted alone, but CIA’s behavior implies deeper entanglements and concealment.

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3. G. Robert Blakey (Chief Counsel of the HSCA)

• Initially believed in a Mafia-involved conspiracy based on the HSCA findings.

• Later grew deeply critical of the CIA for withholding information from his investigation.

• Open to the idea that Oswald acted alone but was connected in ways not fully understood to the underworld or intelligence networks.

Middle Ground Elements: Oswald as shooter, cover-up by CIA, Mafia and Cubans as possible secondary actors.

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4. Anthony Summers (author of Not in Your Lifetime)

• Suggests Oswald may have been a pawn or unwitting participant in a larger network of Cubans or intelligence assets.

• Believes Ruby likely silenced Oswald to prevent further exposure of criminal-political ties — not necessarily as part of a coordinated conspiracy to kill JFK.

Middle Ground Elements: Oswald the trigger man, others afraid of what he might say.

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5. Jefferson Morley (journalist and author of The Ghost and Scorpions’ Dance)

• A leading critic of the CIA’s role in obscuring the Oswald story.

• Focuses on CIA officer George Joannides, who oversaw anti-Castro Cubans Oswald had contact with in New Orleans.

• Morley does not claim a full-blown conspiracy but argues the CIA had deep pre-assassination knowledge of Oswald and engaged in post-assassination cover-up.

Middle Ground Elements: Possible connections between Oswald, CIA, and anti-Castro networks; no definitive conclusion on conspiracy.

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6. Max Holland (historian and author of The Kennedy Assassination Tapes)

• Maintains that Oswald acted alone.

• Believes the CIA and FBI’s failures, especially in Mexico City, caused them to panic and obstruct inquiries.

• He argues that conspiracy theories emerged largely due to ineptitude, secrecy, and institutional defensiveness.

Middle Ground Elements: Lone gunman + institutional cover-up, not conspiracy.

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🧠 Summary Table

Researcher	Oswald Alone	CIA/FBI Cover-up	Organized Crime Role	Anti-Castro Cuban Angle	Conspiracy?
Gerald Posner	✅	✅	⚠️ Possibly minor	❌ Minimal	❌ No
Philip Shenon	✅/❓	✅✅	❌	✅ Possible	❓ Possible cover-up
G. Robert Blakey	❓	✅	✅ Strongly suspects	✅	✅ Likely
Anthony Summers	❓	✅	✅ Possibly	✅	✅ Maybe
Jefferson Morley	❓	✅✅	❌	✅ Strong link	❓ Open
Max Holland	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌ No

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If you'd like, I can recommend the most readable book or documentary for each researcher’s perspective — or map the evolution of these views over time as more files were declassified.