Robert F. Kennedy in the Stream of History

This assessment of the statesmanship, principles, and policies of Robert F. Kennedy places him "in the stream of history," to assess what came before his time in political life, what happened during that time, and what happened to his legacy after his assassination. Terrence Edward Paupp evaluates the themes and issues RFK confronted, responded to, and for which he provided visionary solutions. Paupp first chronicles the influence of Franklin D. Roosevelt's legacy as a prologue to the New Frontier and Great Society. During Robert F. Kennedy's time in power-both in his brother's administration and on his own in the US Senate-he struggled with striking a balance between power and purpose. In the years after John F. Kennedy's assassination, RFK emphasized the need to unite power and purpose, national and international concerns, ideals and practice. Much of this has been ignored, Paupp argues, by what C. Wright Mills called "the power elite." In assessing RFK's statesmanship, Paupp examines his commitments to human and civil rights, which linked themes and ideals within the US to those struggles taking place outside the country. Robert F. Kennedy brought zeal and passion to these problems by discussing the moral necessity of honouring human dignity while articulating practical solutions, policies, and programs to structural injustice. His legacy remains a beacon of light, intelligence, and hope in today's world.

Terrence Edward Paupp

Foreword by Richard Falk Preface Acknowledgements Introduction 1 A Transformative Era2 The Past Is Prologue3 No More Vietnams4 Seeking Social Justice at Home and Abroad5 Seeking to Do What Is Right and Relevant for the People6 Confronting Poverty with a New Conception of Democratic Order7 Power to the People8 Advances and Retreats (1960-2000)9 Redefining Human Security in an Age of Insecurity10 The Crisis of Social Exclusion11 Tribune of the Underclass and Global Statesman12 The Legacy of FDR and his Second Bill of Rights13 From a Second Bill of Rights to a Second Reconstruction and a Global New Deal14 An Alliance for Progress with the Third World15 Robert Kennedy's Enduring Legacy16 Robert Kennedy's Agenda to Empower American Democracy17 Robert Kennedy's Approach to Modernization and Development Bibliography Index